Free Resource

Employee Playbook

How We Work Together — a customizable guide to your cultural expectations and performance standards.

Download Free PlaybookLearn More

How We Measure Performance

The Make Chaos Optional difference: equal weight on how you work and what you deliver.

50%
Behaviors

How you work

×
50%
Skills

What you can do

=
HIGH
PERFORMANCE

The goal

Core Behaviors

Non-negotiable standards of conduct and interaction that define how your team works together.

01

Assume Good Intent

  • •Ask clarifying questions before reacting
  • •Pause to consider context
  • •Give colleagues the benefit of the doubt in disagreements
02

Start With Yes

  • •Lead with 'yes, and...' rather than immediate objections
  • •Offer solutions instead of blocking ideas
  • •Explore options before saying 'no'
03

One Team (Synchronized Swimming)

  • •Prioritize team success over individual swim lanes
  • •Understand how your work connects to broader organizational goals
  • •Support colleagues outside your function
04

Leadership at All Levels

  • •Take ownership of problems, not just tasks
  • •Mentor and develop colleagues
  • •Speak up: share ideas, flag issues, propose solutions
05

Connectivity & Awareness

  • •Understand your role within the broader ecosystem
  • •Connect individual work to business goals
  • •Stay informed about market trends and competitive landscape

Skill Categories

Organize competencies into 2–4 meaningful categories relevant to your business. Define each skill so teams can measure progress.

L

Leadership

  • Strategic thinking: Seeing the big picture and aligning work to goals
  • Decision-making: Sound judgment under pressure with multiple perspectives
  • Vision & direction: Inspiring and guiding others toward outcomes
  • Problem-solving: Diagnosing root causes and developing solutions
T

Teamwork

  • Collaboration: Working effectively across functions to achieve objectives
  • Communication: Clarity, transparency, and active listening
  • Accountability: Taking ownership of commitments and following through
  • Emotional intelligence: Self-awareness and navigating interpersonal dynamics
C

Client Focus

  • Service orientation: Understanding and meeting internal and external client needs
  • Market awareness: Understanding competitive position, industry trends, and landscape
  • Quality focus: Attention to detail and drive for excellence

Your Customizable Playbook

The playbook is yours to customize. Use these templates to build the exact framework your team needs.

Core Behaviors Template

1. [Behavior Name]

Add 3–4 specific behavioral examples…

2. [Behavior Name]

Add 3–4 specific behavioral examples…

3. [Behavior Name]

Add 3–4 specific behavioral examples…

4. [Behavior Name]

Add 3–4 specific behavioral examples…

Skill Categories Template

[Skill Category 1]

Add 3–5 specific skills with definitions…

[Skill Category 2]

Add 3–5 specific skills with definitions…

[Skill Category 3]

Add 3–5 specific skills with definitions…

Pro tip: Be specific with definitions so teams can measure progress.

Why the Employee Playbook Works

Tested across financial services and beyond, this is a proven tool to turn culture into measurable performance.

✓

Behaviors + Skills = High Performance

✓

Simple, printable, desk-ready

✓

50/50 weighting in performance reviews

✓

Tested across financial services and beyond

Ready to Build Your Playbook?

Schedule a discovery call to customize this playbook for your team and turn culture into measurable performance.

Schedule a Discovery CallDownload Free PDF