Management 101 A rough field guide to leading for new managers Steven Herod http://blogs.herod.net/steven/

Glib summaries Some shorts overviews to get you started

From the books… For the new manager Meet each individual privately and ask if they have any issues or concerns. Find out what excites and motivates them. Focus on earning people’s respect, not on becoming everyone’s friend Be yourself; don’t radically change your behavior. Focus on doing the best job you can. Be honest about what you know and don’t know. Be willing to listen to and value others opinions. Treat everyone the same If you have been elevated in your existing team, speak to team members to diffuse tension about your promotion Resist the urge to share information inappropriately Be understanding

For the new manager

Meet each individual privately and ask if they have any issues or concerns. Find out what excites and motivates them.

Focus on earning people’s respect, not on becoming everyone’s friend

Be yourself; don’t radically change your behavior.

Focus on doing the best job you can.

Be honest about what you know and don’t know.

Be willing to listen to and value others opinions.

Treat everyone the same

If you have been elevated in your existing team, speak to team members to diffuse tension about your promotion

Resist the urge to share information inappropriately

Be understanding

The ‘Extreme’ approach Find the right people Help them jell as a team Set the goal Clear any obstacles Stand back and let them do their jobs

Find the right people

Help them jell as a team

Set the goal

Clear any obstacles

Stand back and let them do their jobs

What do you think? Thinking over your own experiences will help

What have you experienced? What have ‘bad’ managers inflicted on you? What ‘good’ managers have you had? Do you recall why you liked working for/with them?

What have ‘bad’ managers inflicted on you?

What ‘good’ managers have you had?

Do you recall why you liked working for/with them?

Know your team.

People are all different Some are inherently good at what they do Some require motivation or a goal to be set Some are inherently crap They may just not be suitable for what they are doing.

Some are inherently good at what they do

Some require motivation or a goal to be set

Some are inherently crap

They may just not be suitable for what they are doing.

Behaviors of team members Personalities are different Some people are easily distracted Some people are methodical Some people lack confidence or are indecisive Some people are over confident or lack ‘self awareness’ Know your team!

Personalities are different

Some people are easily distracted

Some people are methodical

Some people lack confidence or are indecisive

Some people are over confident or lack ‘self awareness’

Know your team!

Things to help you know your team… There are classification schemes It puts people in to colors / categories / classes Observation Notice how do they organize themselves? How they respond to stress? How they respond to problems?

There are classification schemes

It puts people in to colors / categories / classes

Observation

Notice how do they organize themselves?

How they respond to stress?

How they respond to problems?

Getting results

Set expectations Establish what outcome you are looking for Assign a responsible party Make responsibilities clear

Establish what outcome you are looking for

Assign a responsible party

Make responsibilities clear

Follow through, follow up Do what you say you will do Follow up on assigned tasks If people see no interest on your part on the outcome, they loose interest themselves.

Do what you say you will do

Follow up on assigned tasks

If people see no interest on your part on the outcome, they loose interest themselves.

Feedback Both positive or negative ‘Good job’ Or specifically work thorough what was wrong and what they are going to do to avoid it in the future. Get an understanding of what went wrong Listen. Explain the impact of what happened Ask what they suggest is done about it Make your own suggestions Act Set the framework for ‘next time’ Make the changes

Both positive or negative

‘Good job’

Or specifically work thorough what was wrong and what they are going to do to avoid it in the future.

Get an understanding of what went wrong

Listen.

Explain the impact of what happened

Ask what they suggest is done about it

Make your own suggestions

Act

Set the framework for ‘next time’

Make the changes

The management ruler Often you are called to make decisions on things you know nothing about. “ Can we release this to production?” Um – are you in a position to know it all?, Possibly not, so you need to apply checks before agreeing. “ Have you done all the tests and followed the procedures (Do you know the procedure” “ Are you happy with it?” “ What does it do, what is the impact of doing x (or not doing x)”

Often you are called to make decisions on things you know nothing about.

“ Can we release this to production?”

Um – are you in a position to know it all?,

Possibly not, so you need to apply checks before agreeing.

“ Have you done all the tests and followed the procedures (Do you know the procedure”

“ Are you happy with it?”

“ What does it do, what is the impact of doing x (or not doing x)”

For you personally

Learn to let go (delegate) Delegation is ‘letting go’ It’s hard to trust another to do something which you know how to do Learn to trust Expect things to be done differently to how you have done it, but try to evaluate it on its own merits. Learn to make decisions without understanding the specifics Yes, that sounds stupid but….

Delegation is ‘letting go’

It’s hard to trust another to do something which you know how to do

Learn to trust

Expect things to be done differently to how you have done it, but try to evaluate it on its own merits.

Learn to make decisions without understanding the specifics

Yes, that sounds stupid but….

Mistakes you can make Don’t make the mistake of doing all the thinking for your team You can establish the ‘end goal’, but how to get there should be up to the team Projection It is easy to project your own feelings onto others Is the team busy, or is it just you? Does no-one understand, or is it just you? Communication When you are in meetings all the time you must remember to keep the team in the loop

Don’t make the mistake of doing all the thinking for your team

You can establish the ‘end goal’, but how to get there should be up to the team

Projection

It is easy to project your own feelings onto others

Is the team busy, or is it just you?

Does no-one understand, or is it just you?

Communication

When you are in meetings all the time you must remember to keep the team in the loop

Making changes Repetition A single email will not communicate a concept or establish a process Meetings, 1 on 1 chats, casual comments, emails, reviews are all needed When the team starts to reinforce a process itself, then it has ‘stuck’ Establish context and get ‘buy in’ Consider ‘fear of change’

Repetition

A single email will not communicate a concept or establish a process

Meetings, 1 on 1 chats, casual comments, emails, reviews are all needed

When the team starts to reinforce a process itself, then it has ‘stuck’

Establish context and get ‘buy in’

Consider ‘fear of change’

People treat you differently You may notice that people start to talk differently around you. Conversations stop or change when you enter the room… You may find that your views become ‘fact’ and are taken as instructions You may find you know things you can (yet) pass on.

You may notice that people start to talk differently around you.

Conversations stop or change when you enter the room…

You may find that your views become ‘fact’ and are taken as instructions

You may find you know things you can (yet) pass on.

Defensive thinking As a manager you are often called to account for your teams actions Why did x go wrong? What are you going to do about y ? Managers often then take steps to cover butts Procedures/Process Limiting change Approvals/Authorization

As a manager you are often called to account for your teams actions

Why did x go wrong?

What are you going to do about y ?

Managers often then take steps to cover butts

Procedures/Process

Limiting change

Approvals/Authorization

Getting Angry An old boss said once to me “I’ve never found an situation when getting angry has solved the problem” The 1 minute manager says “Anger is fear and stupidity” or something like that. But sometimes anger can communicate Urgency Disappointment If you ever need to ‘go’ anyone individually, do it in private. And apologize later, once you’ve cooled down

An old boss said once to me “I’ve never found an situation when getting angry has solved the problem”

The 1 minute manager says “Anger is fear and stupidity” or something like that.

But sometimes anger can communicate

Urgency

Disappointment

If you ever need to ‘go’ anyone individually, do it in private.

And apologize later, once you’ve cooled down

Specifically

Specific problems Accuracy of work Does the person know they have a problem? Does the person know what you/TEDIS expects? What obstacles can you remove to make the game ‘fair’ Quantity of work What is the persons ‘natural pace’ Is it motivational? Is it educational? (Do they need training)

Accuracy of work

Does the person know they have a problem?

Does the person know what you/TEDIS expects?

What obstacles can you remove to make the game ‘fair’

Quantity of work

What is the persons ‘natural pace’

Is it motivational?

Is it educational? (Do they need training)

Specific problems Runaway projects/work Establish periodic reviews/demonstrations “ Don’t tell me, show me!” Keep the periodic reviews timetable you set. Seeing something now is better than the promise of all of it later. Trust your gut. It is likely you could know more about gauging a projects completion status than the team working on it esp. with an immature team .

Runaway projects/work

Establish periodic reviews/demonstrations

“ Don’t tell me, show me!”

Keep the periodic reviews timetable you set.

Seeing something now is better than the promise of all of it later.

Trust your gut.

It is likely you could know more about gauging a projects completion status than the team working on it esp. with an immature team .

Random advice Don’t ask questions you don’t have answers to “ Would it be better if you had a 21” LCD screen?” Got enough in the budget for everybody? Lead from the front Don’t resort to ‘I’ll do it!’ when things go amiss Try ‘what are you going to do/want to do?’ Get your team to bring you solutions and recommendations, not problems. Closely observe your workmates

Don’t ask questions you don’t have answers to

“ Would it be better if you had a 21” LCD screen?”

Got enough in the budget for everybody?

Lead from the front

Don’t resort to ‘I’ll do it!’ when things go amiss

Try ‘what are you going to do/want to do?’

Get your team to bring you solutions and recommendations, not problems.

Closely observe your workmates

Read and reflect Peopleware http://www.amazon.com/Peopleware-Productive-Projects-Teams-Second/dp/0932633439 The uncertain art of management http://www.aim.com.au/Publications/mtbooks_uncertain.html Ask your self: What kind of manager are I? What kind do I want to be?

Peopleware

http://www.amazon.com/Peopleware-Productive-Projects-Teams-Second/dp/0932633439

The uncertain art of management

http://www.aim.com.au/Publications/mtbooks_uncertain.html

Ask your self: What kind of manager are I?

What kind do I want to be?