Appreciating Stable Support Roles at EA Orgs

By Amy Labenz @ 2024-09-30T17:49 (+182)

I recently had a conversation with a teammate that made me reflect on a possible cultural issue within the EA community. This teammate had expressed in a few meetings that they wanted to take on various new projects and expand their scope of responsibility. As their manager, I wanted to have Alliance Mentality to support them where possible. However, from my perspective, a slightly more tightly scoped role was probably a bit better for the team: their core responsibilities are vital for the team (and for what it’s worth, when I try to do them, I'm much worse at them!).

During our recent one-on-one, realized that we both preferred the more tightly scoped role. More importantly, we uncovered that they had internalized a cultural norm from EA that people needed to be constantly changing or expanding their roles to be doing a good job.

I wanted to write a quick post to push against this narrative.

The Pressure to Change Roles

In the EA community, we often celebrate individuals for leaving roles to start new projects, talk about being “agentic,” and often classify changing roles as “impact stories.” My teammate mentioned that this prevalent narrative contributed to their feeling that they needed to take on more and different tasks.

As both their manager and someone in a leadership role in the community, I feel responsible for pushing against this narrative. Being effective and impactful doesn't necessarily come from starting something new or constantly changing your role. We need to highlight the critical importance of those who provide stability, consistency, and reliable execution in our organizations.

The Value of Steady Hands

Every successful organization, including those in the EA space, relies on a mix of roles and personalities. We need individuals who:

1. Provide continuity: Maintain institutional knowledge and ensure smooth operations.

2. Execute reliably: Consistently deliver high-quality work in their area of expertise.

3. Build deep expertise: Develop mastery in specific areas through long-term focus.

These individuals are the bedrock of our organizations. They may not always be in the spotlight, but their contributions are invaluable. When I’ve had to replace people in these roles, it can take months to run the hiring round, in addition to the months (or years) it takes to get the person up to speed enough to operate at the level of a seasoned contributor. 

Shifting the Narrative

If you're in a leadership position, consider how you can better support and appreciate team members who excel in stable roles. As a first step, insofar as you agree with the sentiment here, I suggest communicating explicitly to teammates in support roles that there isn’t an "up or out" expectation. I also recommend making sure you regularly acknowledge their contributions and the value they bring, and actively work to create an environment where all types of contributions are valued.

As a community, I think we need to actively work on giving proper recognition and status to those who make the gears turn behind the scenes. We did some of this years ago during the "props for ops" campaign (see this 80,000 Hours article, for example), but this recent experience is a reminder that we need to consistently reinforce the message. 

It's important to note that this isn't about discouraging ambitious new projects or suggesting that people shouldn't sometimes change roles. Lots of impact has come from this path as well! I simply want to make sure we recognize and acknowledge that different individuals have different strengths, preferences, and ways of contributing to our shared goals. And for some people, the most impactful role can be the role they are already in!