Want to understand what other roles actually do? The best way to learn is to see it firsthand.
๐๐๐ธ ๐๐ผ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ผ๐ ๐๐ผ๐บ๐ฒ๐ผ๐ป๐ฒ ๐ถ๐ป ๐ฎ๐ป๐ผ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ฟ๐ผ๐น๐ฒ ๐๐ถ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ป ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ด๐ฎ๐ป๐ถ๐๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป.
Whether it's a PM, designer, recruiter, or sales engineer - this kind of ask builds bridges and deepens your business understanding.
A few years ago, Alexander Matyushenko shadowed me at Google. I was an Engineering Director then and he was a GTM leader in the same org. Our functions were worlds apart, but deeply connected. That exchange gave us both insights that made us better at our jobs.
๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ'๐ ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐๐ฐ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฝ๐: "I'm really interested in understanding how [role] works and how I can collaborate better with your team. Would it be possible for me to shadow you for a few hours to see what your day-to-day looks like?"
๐ง๐ต๐ถ๐ ๐ฎ๐๐ธ ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ฐ๐ผ๐บ๐ฝ๐น๐ถ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐น ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ป๐ด๐:
โถ๏ธ Builds cross-functional relationships
โถ๏ธ Gives you a broader understanding of the business
โถ๏ธ Helps you identify potential career pivots
โถ๏ธ Makes you a better collaborator
Most people are flattered when someone wants to learn about their work! The key is being specific about what you want to learn and respectful of their time. Follow up with a thank you note and share one insight you gained. This keeps the relationship warm for future collaboration.
Thatโs how you make curiosity visible and turn it into visible impact.
๐ Liked this post? Follow me on LinkedIn or here on Substack for the remaining posts in this series and more!
โ Want to get even better at asking? I still have a limited number of seats left in the July 25 cohort of my course. Last cohort of this year! https://maven.com/chaitali-narla/outstanding-tech-career