Pondering aspects of management and leadership 2008-12-31T20:12:52-08:00 http://frontlinemanager.myblogsite.com/index.html admin@fortunecity.com tag:blog,2008:frontlinemanager Pivot Copyright (c) 2008, Authors of Front Line Manager 2009-01-01T04:12:00-08:00 2009-01-01T04:12:00-08:00 tag:blog,2008:frontlinemanager.7

Welcome to 2009.I recently had the honour of presenting my team on stage in front of several thousand other staff from the company I work for, as the guys had just won the company's half yearly team recognition award. This was a great reward for a team that is truly a team. The guys know each other well and work hard to compliment each others strengths and support each others weaknesses. They are not afraid to show a bit of joy and make a bit of noise at work, always staying as relaxed as possible. They are a great group of people and it has truly been a privilege to lead them through the last two years.So, what next?Everyone knows that things are tough right now, especially in financial services where I am employed. Things will get tougher and I am truly grateful to have a strong reputation (backed by the award above) to highlight mine and my teams value to the company.Is such a strong reputation enough to help each of us make it through the times ahead? Almost definitely not.So then, what can we do as leaders to help tool our teams up for the times ahead?1. Be open and frank. Change is inevitable and will most likely be continual as companies seek to produce more for much less. Everyone needs to understand and be ready, willing and able.2. You don't have to try and make the pain of tough times less. You should be communicating with your teams and giving them the skills, tools and courage to face great change and uncertainty.3. Help your team understand where their priorities really should be. I myself have put away expectations of earning promotions, bonuses or pay rises this year. My priority is to still have a job in twelve months time. This is doubly important for people to understand in an industry where bonuses and pay rise have come to be an expected regular thing, even if the dollars were not overly large.4. Lead your team towards a place where they have enough flexibility to allow their employer to make best use of their individual skills. In my own case I am going on annual leave in a few days for a month. I am almost certain that when I return to work I will be returning to a different role. While I am a skilled team leader/manager, I am also aware that the company is bringing a large book of new corporate business on board and will require all the existing technical skills they have internally before going to the expense (in the current environment) of hiring externally.5. Keep lifting the bar.  It is pretty much a given that this years performance is not going to be enough next year, and the guys need to understand that even if this is a disturbing thought it is a reality of working for a large business in a very competitive market place. Particularly now. 6. Encourage creativity. A moment or two of thought when experiencing an issue may provide a revolutionary change that goes beyond the incremental and truly allows your team to take the next evolutionary step in the services that they provide.Having these discussions has not been easy. It has even been painful at times. I believe however, that as leaders and managers we have a responsibility to those that we serve every day to ensure that they approach tomorrow prepared, skilled, and with their eyes open.If you can get your team members approaching times of crisis and change in the right frame of mind, they should even manage to enjoy the challenges and come out the other end with new skills, a measure of success,  and they may have even identified new career paths that they had not previously considered.I hope these thoughts make sense, but they are thoughts and conversations that are evolving as I work through them. I may pop back into the post and tidy up as the ideas progress.Feel free to add thoughts of your own.

I recently had the honour of presenting my team on stage in front of several thousand other staff from the company I work for, as the guys had just won the company's half yearly team recognition award. This was a great reward for a team that is truly a team. The guys know each other well and work hard to compliment each others strengths and support each others weaknesses. They are not afraid to show a bit of joy and make a bit of noise at work, always staying as relaxed as possible. They are a great group of people and it has truly been a privilege to lead them through the last two years.

So, what next?

Everyone knows that things are tough right now, especially in financial services where I am employed. Things will get tougher and I am truly grateful to have a strong reputation (backed by the award above) to highlight mine and my teams value to the company.

Is such a strong reputation enough to help each of us make it through the times ahead? Almost definitely not.

So then, what can we do as leaders to help tool our teams up for the times ahead?

1. Be open and frank. Change is inevitable and will most likely be continual as companies seek to produce more for much less. Everyone needs to understand and be ready, willing and able.

2. You don't have to try and make the pain of tough times less. You should be communicating with your teams and giving them the skills, tools and courage to face great change and uncertainty.

3. Help your team understand where their priorities really should be. I myself have put away expectations of earning promotions, bonuses or pay rises this year. My priority is to still have a job in twelve months time. This is doubly important for people to understand in an industry where bonuses and pay rise have come to be an expected regular thing, even if the dollars were not overly large.

4. Lead your team towards a place where they have enough flexibility to allow their employer to make best use of their individual skills. In my own case I am going on annual leave in a few days for a month. I am almost certain that when I return to work I will be returning to a different role. While I am a skilled team leader/manager, I am also aware that the company is bringing a large book of new corporate business on board and will require all the existing technical skills they have internally before going to the expense (in the current environment) of hiring externally.

5. Keep lifting the bar. It is pretty much a given that this years performance is not going to be enough next year, and the guys need to understand that even if this is a disturbing thought it is a reality of working for a large business in a very competitive market place. Particularly now.

6. Encourage creativity. A moment or two of thought when experiencing an issue may provide a revolutionary change that goes beyond the incremental and truly allows your team to take the next evolutionary step in the services that they provide.

Having these discussions has not been easy. It has even been painful at times. I believe however, that as leaders and managers we have a responsibility to those that we serve every day to ensure that they approach tomorrow prepared, skilled, and with their eyes open.

If you can get your team members approaching times of crisis and change in the right frame of mind, they should even manage to enjoy the challenges and come out the other end with new skills, a measure of success, and they may have even identified new career paths that they had not previously considered.

I hope these thoughts make sense, but they are thoughts and conversations that are evolving as I work through them. I may pop back into the post and tidy up as the ideas progress.

Feel free to add thoughts of your own.

]]> 2009-01-01T00:33:00-08:00 2009-01-01T00:33:00-08:00 tag:blog,2008:frontlinemanager.6

Hello thereJust after getting my blog started I hit a patch of poor health and have been unable to direct energy to much apart from work and family.I look forward to catching up very shortly with some new articles.CheersScott

Just after getting my blog started I hit a patch of poor health and have been unable to direct energy to much apart from work and family.

I look forward to catching up very shortly with some new articles.

Cheers
Scott

]]> 2008-09-23T12:24:00-08:00 2008-09-23T12:24:00-08:00 tag:blog,2008:frontlinemanager.5

In a previous post I attempted to give you my thoughts on courage. Today I will explore the idea of integrity and its importance to a leader or manager."Courage is the foundation of integrity" - Keshavan Nair"Live so that when your children think of fairness and integrity, they think of you" - H. Jackson Brown JrI do like this quote from H. Jackson Brown Jr but why should it apply solely to my role as a parent? If I live a life of integrity in front of my family it will naturally form a potent part of my professional personality as well. Why? It is because integrity, if I truly posess it, can not be worn, changed or removed like a suit jacket. "Integrity is not a 90 percent thing, not a 95 percent thing; either you have it or you don't." - Peter ScoteseSo then. Assuming that my claim to integrity is accurate, what does my integrity bring as a part of my day to day leadership style?Trust is a great start. What has occurred in my team goes beyond people believing what I say. My team members all 'trust' that what I say is what will happen, that I will do what is best and believe completely that in all of my dealings their well being is always going to be a primary concern. To use a rather cliched phrase, I 'walk the talk'.Of course I have made mistakes and had to confess those mistakes to my team. Another aspect of being recognised as someone of integrity is that you can be forgiven by the team without too much harm done. "Upon the conduct of each depends the fate of all." - Alexander the GreatIntegrity is contagious. I have found that if I am consistantly displaying the correct behaviours, they spread. This means that the inter-relationships amongst the members of my team have become stronger and more open due to not only the spread of these behaviours but also the recognition in each other that trust is possible.This deepening and strengthening of relationships ultimately produces a more cohesive team unit.Growing out of integrity being present in the life of the team is the magic catch word of people management today - ENGAGEMENT. I have found that when integrity is practiced in the daily life of the team, there is no need for special measures to promote engagement. It tends to just happen.There is a note of caution here with regard to engagement. The fact that it can grow by itself under the right conditions does not give licence to ignore engagement as a major part of my leadership style. The basics such as recognition, reward and taking steps to have those 'tough talks' are still a valuable part of the leaders tool kit, but they carry much more value and potency when coming from a position of true integrity.All of this is great, and is central to building a healthy team, but does it mean anything to the business? The answer is of course it does!When a team reaches the point where everything described above clicks into place you will see your team producing consistantly high results and building a reputation as a team that people wnat to be a part of.

"Courage is the foundation of integrity" - Keshavan Nair

"Live so that when your children think of fairness and integrity, they think of you" - H. Jackson Brown Jr

I do like this quote from H. Jackson Brown Jr but why should it apply solely to my role as a parent? If I live a life of integrity in front of my family it will naturally form a potent part of my professional personality as well. Why? It is because integrity, if I truly posess it, can not be worn, changed or removed like a suit jacket.

"Integrity is not a 90 percent thing, not a 95 percent thing; either you have it or you don't." - Peter Scotese

So then. Assuming that my claim to integrity is accurate, what does my integrity bring as a part of my day to day leadership style?

Trust is a great start. What has occurred in my team goes beyond people believing what I say. My team members all 'trust' that what I say is what will happen, that I will do what is best and believe completely that in all of my dealings their well being is always going to be a primary concern. To use a rather cliched phrase, I 'walk the talk'.

Of course I have made mistakes and had to confess those mistakes to my team. Another aspect of being recognised as someone of integrity is that you can be forgiven by the team without too much harm done.

"Upon the conduct of each depends the fate of all." - Alexander the Great

Integrity is contagious. I have found that if I am consistantly displaying the correct behaviours, they spread. This means that the inter-relationships amongst the members of my team have become stronger and more open due to not only the spread of these behaviours but also the recognition in each other that trust is possible.

This deepening and strengthening of relationships ultimately produces a more cohesive team unit.

Growing out of integrity being present in the life of the team is the magic catch word of people management today - ENGAGEMENT. I have found that when integrity is practiced in the daily life of the team, there is no need for special measures to promote engagement. It tends to just happen.

There is a note of caution here with regard to engagement. The fact that it can grow by itself under the right conditions does not give licence to ignore engagement as a major part of my leadership style. The basics such as recognition, reward and taking steps to have those 'tough talks' are still a valuable part of the leaders tool kit, but they carry much more value and potency when coming from a position of true integrity.

All of this is great, and is central to building a healthy team, but does it mean anything to the business? The answer is of course it does!

When a team reaches the point where everything described above clicks into place you will see your team producing consistantly high results and building a reputation as a team that people wnat to be a part of.

]]> 2008-08-24T16:52:00-08:00 2008-08-24T16:52:00-08:00 tag:blog,2008:frontlinemanager.4

Time for another amateur post. With a bit of luck and effort you should all see a gradual improvement in my writing style, so stick with me. Work life balance. Is it a reality, a myth or simply not understood?My employer has always made a pretty big deal about selling the idea of work life balance, and as someone who wanted to achieve a workable balance between my work and quality time with my family this suited me fine. I am sure also, that my peers have always understood work life balance to be about time. Is this how employers see it? Is a work life balance even possible?This is a subject that since becoming a front line manager has plagued me constantly. Is it possible to give my employer value for the extra dollars in my pay cheque, meet deadlines and stakeholder expectations and also give my wife and kids the time and attention that they deserve?I was recently beginning to see the glimmerings of a possible answer when I came across a blog post by Nina Simosko over at Slow Leadership. (http://www.slowleadership.org/blog/2008/08/the-misnomer-called-work-life-balance/) Nina took all of my questions and wrapped them up in the perfect manner by moving away from 'work life balance' and discussing the issue in terms of outcomes. More specifically Nina talks of managing those outcomes that you wish to achieve.So lets look at some examples as they apply to me personally.1. Time for the family every day is a prime outcome for me. The way that I ensure this outcome is by leaving work at 4pm every afternoon, which in itself is an outcome to be managed. The way that I do this is by arriving at the office on or just after 7am every morning. I then get to go home, spend time with my family, eat dinner with them, coach my son's soccer team and see my younger kids to bed. If I have pressing deadlines I then log in to work remotely and put in a few more hours, but I have spent that daily time with my family. Outcome managed!2. I wanted to spend a whole two day weekend relaxing recently. I guaranteed that I could free my mind from work concerns for the two days by working on several projects till 1am Saturday morning. It was a long haul but I got my two days, saw some old friends, spent time with my wife and even used the extra work time on Friday night to listen to my favourite music while I worked since I was at home. I also made some positive headway on some work tasks that I had struggled with. Outcome managed!3. I want a better lifestyle for my children than what my wife and I experienced as children.I still dont get the full amount of time that I would like with my family but taking promotions, putting in the extra time and earning those extra dollars ensures that there are resources for my kids to live, learn, develop and socialise in ways that I have always wanted for them. Outcome managed!There are many other great examples of managing outcomes such as going the extra yards to get a late sleep in one morning, or to go see your dentist during the day or just deciding you need a break. Many variations on the theme and ultimately all possible to manage with the right approach to your work life and the right approach to communicating with those you report to at work.So, don't think of work life balance as simply a way of balancing time between work and home, but as a way of examining and managing all of your desired outcomes holistically. Maybe the way forward will become clearer and your stress levels will be a little lower.The next outcome is to find both time and energy resources to learn to play guitar. Who knows, maybe I will manage it.

Work life balance. Is it a reality, a myth or simply not understood?

My employer has always made a pretty big deal about selling the idea of work life balance, and as someone who wanted to achieve a workable balance between my work and quality time with my family this suited me fine. I am sure also, that my peers have always understood work life balance to be about time. Is this how employers see it? Is a work life balance even possible?

This is a subject that since becoming a front line manager has plagued me constantly. Is it possible to give my employer value for the extra dollars in my pay cheque, meet deadlines and stakeholder expectations and also give my wife and kids the time and attention that they deserve?

I was recently beginning to see the glimmerings of a possible answer when I came across a blog post by Nina Simosko over at Slow Leadership. (http://www.slowleadership.org/blog/2008/08/the-misnomer-called-work-life-balance/) Nina took all of my questions and wrapped them up in the perfect manner by moving away from 'work life balance' and discussing the issue in terms of outcomes. More specifically Nina talks of managing those outcomes that you wish to achieve.

So lets look at some examples as they apply to me personally.

1. Time for the family every day is a prime outcome for me.

The way that I ensure this outcome is by leaving work at 4pm every afternoon, which in itself is an outcome to be managed. The way that I do this is by arriving at the office on or just after 7am every morning. I then get to go home, spend time with my family, eat dinner with them, coach my son's soccer team and see my younger kids to bed. If I have pressing deadlines I then log in to work remotely and put in a few more hours, but I have spent that daily time with my family. Outcome managed!

2. I wanted to spend a whole two day weekend relaxing recently.

I guaranteed that I could free my mind from work concerns for the two days by working on several projects till 1am Saturday morning. It was a long haul but I got my two days, saw some old friends, spent time with my wife and even used the extra work time on Friday night to listen to my favourite music while I worked since I was at home. I also made some positive headway on some work tasks that I had struggled with. Outcome managed!

3. I want a better lifestyle for my children than what my wife and I experienced as children.

I still dont get the full amount of time that I would like with my family but taking promotions, putting in the extra time and earning those extra dollars ensures that there are resources for my kids to live, learn, develop and socialise in ways that I have always wanted for them. Outcome managed!

There are many other great examples of managing outcomes such as going the extra yards to get a late sleep in one morning, or to go see your dentist during the day or just deciding you need a break. Many variations on the theme and ultimately all possible to manage with the right approach to your work life and the right approach to communicating with those you report to at work.

So, don't think of work life balance as simply a way of balancing time between work and home, but as a way of examining and managing all of your desired outcomes holistically. Maybe the way forward will become clearer and your stress levels will be a little lower.

The next outcome is to find both time and energy resources to learn to play guitar. Who knows, maybe I will manage it.

]]> 2008-07-22T13:47:00-08:00 2008-07-22T13:47:00-08:00 tag:blog,2008:frontlinemanager.3

What does the word courage bring to mind for you?    - Bravery?    - Knows no fear?    - Never back down from a scrap?When I consider courage, I think of none of these things. The first and central thought that comes to mind is that courage is doing what is right despite your fear, misgivings, reservations or natural inclinations.How does this apply to me in my role as the leader of my team?Following are some scenarios where courage is required to lead.1. A member of your team is not performing well. If you let it ride because the thought of taking that person aside and confronting the issues makes you intensely uncomfortable, are you doing any favours for them, your team, your business or yourself?2. A client has overheated and has resorted to abusive and personal comments to one of your team members without cause. Do you fall back on the old saw 'the customer is always right', or do you come to the defense of your team member & attempt to diffuse the situation despite your natural inclination to avoid confrontation?3. Courage may be a naturally quiet and even introverted leader stepping up to give a presentation to staff, management or prospective clients, simply because it is the best or right thing to do under the circumstances.4. Other stakeholders or senior management in the business are making demands that your team has neither the resources or skills to deal with. Do you fold on the demands and do your best with your team to meet them (risking failure), or do you gather your evidence and data and with logic and reason explain why the demands are unrealistic?5. Courage could also be backing down (even if you believe you are in the right) simply because continuing to push your point at that particular time could be much more damaging to your cause.So, essentially courage in a leader is working past your fear or discomfort and doing what needs to be done. Remember this, do what needs to be done, and witness your team becoming more cohesive, loyal, hardworking and successful.

- Bravery?
- Knows no fear?
- Never back down from a scrap?

When I consider courage, I think of none of these things. The first and central thought that comes to mind is that courage is doing what is right despite your fear, misgivings, reservations or natural inclinations.

How does this apply to me in my role as the leader of my team?

Following are some scenarios where courage is required to lead.

1. A member of your team is not performing well. If you let it ride because the thought of taking that person aside and confronting the issues makes you intensely uncomfortable, are you doing any favours for them, your team, your business or yourself?

2. A client has overheated and has resorted to abusive and personal comments to one of your team members without cause. Do you fall back on the old saw 'the customer is always right', or do you come to the defense of your team member & attempt to diffuse the situation despite your natural inclination to avoid confrontation?

3. Courage may be a naturally quiet and even introverted leader stepping up to give a presentation to staff, management or prospective clients, simply because it is the best or right thing to do under the circumstances.

4. Other stakeholders or senior management in the business are making demands that your team has neither the resources or skills to deal with. Do you fold on the demands and do your best with your team to meet them (risking failure), or do you gather your evidence and data and with logic and reason explain why the demands are unrealistic?

5. Courage could also be backing down (even if you believe you are in the right) simply because continuing to push your point at that particular time could be much more damaging to your cause.

So, essentially courage in a leader is working past your fear or discomfort and doing what needs to be done. Remember this, do what needs to be done, and witness your team becoming more cohesive, loyal, hardworking and successful.

]]> 2008-07-19T05:28:00-08:00 2008-07-19T05:28:00-08:00 tag:blog,2008:frontlinemanager.2

Hey there everyone, this post is a simple introduction to my blog, even though I have already posted on one subject.My Name is Scott. I am a people manager in a large financial services organisation in Sydney, Australia. I have been a manger for only a couple of years but would like to think I have been a leader for much longer.Understanding the need for continual development, I have set up this blog as a part of my Personal Learning Environment in the hope that by exploring the blogs of others, thinking upon my own skills and experience and writing about it all, I may continue to learn and expand my own knowledge.All of that said, I see myself as something of a 'noob' and as such will always embrace comments and constructive criticism of my ideas and thoughts, as this is sure to aid my growth as a manager and leader.FYI: I am attempting to get a blogroll up and running so that I can display links to blogs that have caught my eye. More on this later.

My Name is Scott. I am a people manager in a large financial services organisation in Sydney, Australia. I have been a manger for only a couple of years but would like to think I have been a leader for much longer.

Understanding the need for continual development, I have set up this blog as a part of my Personal Learning Environment in the hope that by exploring the blogs of others, thinking upon my own skills and experience and writing about it all, I may continue to learn and expand my own knowledge.

All of that said, I see myself as something of a 'noob' and as such will always embrace comments and constructive criticism of my ideas and thoughts, as this is sure to aid my growth as a manager and leader.

FYI: I am attempting to get a blogroll up and running so that I can display links to blogs that have caught my eye. More on this later.

]]> 2008-07-17T13:56:00-08:00 2008-07-17T13:56:00-08:00 tag:blog,2008:frontlinemanager.1

I along with Team Leaders everywhere am currently facing the prospect of working through that most mysterious and often stressful time. Half yearly performance reviews. I am very aware that many managers see this activity as something to be dreaded, something that is difficult, stressful and maybe even counter productive. It is my belief that there is absolutely no reason for this to be. How can the 'performance discussion' become a tool for positive growth for every member of your team and even you yourself? Some questions to address. Do I have regular discussions with each member of my team in between the formal 'discussions'? If not, I am short changing everyone including myself. This is not always easy to achieve but if I am serving my team well, I am going to have the courage to push back where necessary on all of those extra jobs and projects that companies load on the shoulders of their managers in addition to leading and developing the team. Have I ensured that all team members have both understood and committed to our goals? This is a must, because I can't expect to succeed in those difficult discussions that are sometimes needed if a team member is failing to meet goals. Are my performance discussions always set in a formal way? They don't need to be. Allow your team members to be at ease and take them out for a coffee and a chat or even organise to go to lunch together and talk over a sandwich. I have actually worked with a number of people who did not like attending any sort of meeting in small meeting rooms as it made them intensly uncomfortable. What is my primary focus during this discussion? Please, Please don't get straight in to discussing failures or 'opportunities for improvement'. I make a point of focusing on what my team member is doing well. A really great way of creating the right focus while encouraging participation in the discussion is to ask them to tell you what they think they are doing well. Then I can ask later where they think there are opportunities to improve, then discuss. In what ways can I help you to better meet your goals going forward? Again I am inviting participation and using the team members own knowledge, skills and creativity to arrive at solutions that will be more sustainable and positive due to how they are created. Please be aware that this is not in any way a negative question. We can all improve regardless of our success to date. How can I help you to develop yourself and continue your career journey? I may not get a response immediately but I am opening the door, and leaving the question there to be pondered. Well, I am sure that there are many other points to be covered, just as I am sure that I do not always succeed in doing all of these things myself. They are however, the core things that I strive for as the leader of my team. Thank you for taking a moment to read my first ever blog post.

I along with Team Leaders everywhere am currently facing the prospect of working through that most mysterious and often stressful time. Half yearly performance reviews.

I am very aware that many managers see this activity as something to be dreaded, something that is difficult, stressful and maybe even counter productive. It is my belief that there is absolutely no reason for this to be.

How can the 'performance discussion' become a tool for positive growth for every member of your team and even you yourself?

Some questions to address.

Do I have regular discussions with each member of my team in between the formal 'discussions'?
If not, I am short changing everyone including myself. This is not always easy to achieve but if I am serving my team well, I am going to have the courage to push back where necessary on all of those extra jobs and projects that companies load on the shoulders of their managers in addition to leading and developing the team.

Have I ensured that all team members have both understood and committed to our goals?
This is a must, because I can't expect to succeed in those difficult discussions that are sometimes needed if a team member is failing to meet goals.

Are my performance discussions always set in a formal way?
They don't need to be. Allow your team members to be at ease and take them out for a coffee and a chat or even organise to go to lunch together and talk over a sandwich. I have actually worked with a number of people who did not like attending any sort of meeting in small meeting rooms as it made them intensly uncomfortable.

What is my primary focus during this discussion?
Please, Please don't get straight in to discussing failures or 'opportunities for improvement'. I make a point of focusing on what my team member is doing well. A really great way of creating the right focus while encouraging participation in the discussion is to ask them to tell you what they think they are doing well. Then I can ask later where they think there are opportunities to improve, then discuss.

In what ways can I help you to better meet your goals going forward?
Again I am inviting participation and using the team members own knowledge, skills and creativity to arrive at solutions that will be more sustainable and positive due to how they are created. Please be aware that this is not in any way a negative question. We can all improve regardless of our success to date.

How can I help you to develop yourself and continue your career journey?
I may not get a response immediately but I am opening the door, and leaving the question there to be pondered.

Well, I am sure that there are many other points to be covered, just as I am sure that I do not always succeed in doing all of these things myself. They are however, the core things that I strive for as the leader of my team.

Thank you for taking a moment to read my first ever blog post.

]]>