This is been in my to-do list a little long while than I expected. To introduce myself, I am a software engineer with close to 13 years of experience shared across a couple of companies within India. This is all about how I am learning the art of Managing People. I am sure that this post might find some repercussions, but I’m open to discussions or even hard criticisms.
Technically, I have never managed any group or anyone, but I am quite inquisitive, a keen observer and had been/tried my level best to be a team player. I’m sure, My colleagues can vouch for these statements. I am learning this the hardest way possible, (i.e.) learning in reverse. People exhibit the characteristic of either “How not to be a Manager” or “How to be”. Learn them all and implement them as appropriate when you become one. A close look at the managers you come across would definitely help.
Email Etiquette: Email still seems to be the official way of communication in the IT Industry. Responding to the emails directly addressed to you is as important as saying a “Greeting”, when you see them in person, Send them, regardless of the type of response. Ignoring Emails and Follow-ups is not an option, and never to your reports. "Keep in Loop” to ensure the all the team members are at the same page. Avoid favoritism and cherry-picking in your “TO” List.
Do Work: Getting status from the team members should never be considered as a work. Passing on status across stake-holders falls inline with that. “In God we Trust, rest bring Data” applies to every one and be ready to be the first one to share your work status with your reports. This would definitely provide a positive impact to the team and will make you think on what additional contributions do I make to my team?
As a TEAM: It’s easier said than done. Bear in Mind, the CEO and the INTERN works towards the common goal to make the company success. Hence We are known to be “comrades”, irrespective of the position we held. Make yourselves available and approachable by all means across the company.
Enable “Decision Making”: Involve your team in the big decisions that you take and ensure to keep them aware of those circumstances underneath. Make everyone understand that “Ideal decisions” are not always possible, but the best decision under the circumstances should always be possible. Getting the consensus across team by “facts” and not by force is important to make the team to commit themselves towards the decision. Encourage the team to take “Informed Decisions” at their applicable level and backup the team when in need. This induces a sense of ownership and pride towards the work.
Avoid Time Killers: If you’re a s/w engineer, by now you know “Time killers” are those meetings. Being Punctual “In and Out” is definitely one and Sheer Preparation for the meeting goes a long way towards that. Think loud that you are taking a minute of the “Persons” Life.
Minimize Status Calls: Minimize the SCRUM team and definitely those scrum call timings. Probably enabling the team to share their status in “PLANK” position might improve the condition. Put in your best effort to automate the status collection tasks across channels. Most people in the bottom of the pyramid do think that sharing the status and keeping the manager informed takes a lot of effort than the actual work itself.
Habit of Learning & Sharing: A sharp axe can go blunt, given the repeated tasks over a period of time. It’s more than important that you dedicate time to sharpen your axe and your team’s too. Inculcate a common forum where Learning and Sharing are appreciated and applauded.
Skip Level Meetings: It’s important to establish skip level meetings where you get to know the pulse of the pyramid underneath without the intermediate. Making them open-up takes time and trust. Have patience.
Get yourselves {anonymously} appraised: A feedback loop is the best solution to understand yourself and time to re-invent yourself. Be open to criticisms and get appraised across all stake-holders, that includes your reports too.
Understand the Pyramid: The pyramid structure in a organization indicates the growth from bottom-up. The work at the bottom can be your forte, but digging it and doing it at your level means the organization is going down as a whole. Do the work of your manager and set him free from his regular chores. This ensures a vacuum in his zone and you can sense it going upwards, enabling the visionaries to take the organization to the next level.
Abstraction: It’s the key behavior indicator applicable at all levels. Abstract yourselves from the minute details of the work that’s done by your reports and do the same with your manager. Micro Management is not something anyone would love. Abstract and present keynotes as per the audience.
Open to Questions: Enable a friendly environment where the questions are handled with care. Changing the tonality or cutting off the relevant questions because of time constraints or making the answer as a monologue wouldn’t help. In case, you don’t have an answer, post the questions to the concerned and have them answered.
Recognize and Appreciate: “Charity begins at Home”. Thereby the appreciation and Recognition through the “Company Process”. Ensure to appreciate and applaud the team-members and cultivate the habit into them as well to appreciate good work in a public forum.
Voice your opinions: “Pampering” or being “Submissive” to your hierarchy kills your team and your role-model image with in the team.
Plan ahead: Plans as simple as a team dinner or a product release needs planning ahead. Avoid last minute hiccups and show your commitment for the same.
Expose your team: Creating dependencies and living through them will never help your growth. Expose your team to the outside world and let them experience on their own. Expose your team for credits and Be there to protect when required.
Be a Informer: Observe happenings across the organization and have commitments to keep the information flow to the utmost bottom of the organization. Keeping the ball rolling takes a lot of commitment. Make it your responsibility to encourage and have your team participating in the Organizational events, in which they are interested. Remember Organization is nothing but “Of the People, by the People, for the People”.
One-on-One: One-on-One’s are not meant only for appraisal times. Keep your commitment towards individual’s growth at all times and have your doors opened for them always. Ensure to address their career interests and flew them across the organization as required.
Last but not the least, Remember, Workers mostly leave the Managers and not the companies. Have PRIDE in your team and work hard in creating PRIDE into your team-mates.
After all, We are One team.
