Monthly Archives: June 2010

Are you a trusted advisor?

June 12, 2010 By in Employees, Leadership Tags: , , , , , , Leave a comment

Opinions vary on  the concept of a trusted adviser. Like many useful ideas it has been used and abused particularly by large organizations that have proved unworthy of their promises. Ed Kless expressed the frustration experienced by many last year with his brief post  “stop with the trusted advisor”. It’s annoying to hear people make promises to this effect when they know very little about you. While I acknowledge this is a lofty goal, I still aspire to be a trusted advisor to my employees. So, how I do try to up my game in this regard? My goal is to make a more conscious effort to integrate this approach into my management style. I am currently reading a book “First among equals” with some excellent suggestions in this regard. I’d like to share them with you now. Most of these suggestions actually come from a book by the same author called “The Trusted Advisor” I add some of my own perspectives and experience in brackets on the qualities identified.

Trusted advisors seem to:

  1. Seem to understand us, effortlessly and like us. (Do you listen to people’s advice if you don’t like you? Neither do I!)
  2. Are consistent; we can depend on them. (It’s frustrating when you don’t know when you don’t know where you stand with someone when you rely on them for help)
  3. Always help us to see things from fresh perspectives. (I always enjoy discussing topics with people who can help me see things from a different perspective)
  4. Don’t try to force things on us. (If a decision is made, tell me. If the decision is really mine, let me know)
  5. Help us think things through (it’s our decision)
  6. Don’t substitute their judgment for ours. (Have you ever been “mentored” when you know someone is trying to make you come to a different conclusion but you don’t know what it is? Can be annoying)
  7. Don’t panic or get over-emotional: they stay calm.
  8. Help us think and separate our logic from our emotion. (When I am worked up or anxious I am least likely to make a good decision)
  9. Criticize and correct us gently, lovingly. (I am not sure how many of my bosses loved me. My guess is none! I do agree with the gently part.)
  10. Don’t pull their punches: we can rely on them to tell us the truth. (This is a quality I really look for in a leader)
  11. Are in it for the long haul; the relationship is more important than the current issue. (So true. This really builds trust)
  12. Give us reasoning (to help us think) not just their conclusions. (Sometimes mentors are wrong. They have “flawed mental maps” and assumptions like the rest of us).
  13. Give us options, increase our understanding of those options, give their recommendations, let us choose.
  14. Challenge our assumptions: help us uncover the false assumptions we have worked under.
  15. Make us feel comfortable and casual personally, but they take their issues seriously.
  16. Act like a person, not someone in a role. (I sometimes struggle to connect with people who define themselves with rigid professional and personal persona’s. The lack of consistency here makes me wonder how well I really know the individual)
  17. Are reliably on our side, and always seem to have our interests at heart.
  18. Remember everything we ever said (I disagree with this one. I can’t even remember everything I say. Besides, people often experience the same events and words very differently)
  19. Are always honorable; they don’t gossip about others (We trust their values)
  20. Help us put our issues in context, often through the use of stories, and anecdotes. (Many decisions make a lot more sense when additional context is provided. Not always possible but appreciated when it is)
  21. Have a sense of humor to diffuse our tension in tough situations. (A wonderful skill. It’s great for a group of people to find the humorous when discussing divisive issues)
  22. Are smart sometimes in ways that we are not. (My mentors are typically much stronger in areas where I am weak or less experienced)

In conclusion, employees desire autonomy, mastery and purpose in their roles. An important aspect of my job is to help them find this in their work. I try to add value where I can, then get out of their way so they can be best that they can be. My sincere hope is if I can integrate the suggestions outlined above I can really make a difference in my employee’s careers.

I’d love to hear from anyone with thoughts on this topic……

My employee inspires me

June 10, 2010 By in Building teams, Employees, Leadership, Motivation Tags: , , , , , Leave a comment

I saw something today at work that truly inspired me. I was in casual conversation with two testers in the hall. A co-worker joined us and requested that one of the testers attend a meeting. The meeting is designed to improve collaboration for all QA testers across the various sprint teams in our organization. All testers attend in rotation; but this employee’s consistent attendance is desired by the employee’s peers.  This person is the “unofficial” leader of our QA  team. Seth Godin would describes this person as a linchpin, someone who is indispensable to the organization.

My nickname for this tester is “Peter Panic”. The de Paor siblings called my mum Peter Panic because try as she may, she could never stop worrying! Like my Mum this tester never stops worrying about peers and the project. Now that I think of it perhaps the employee could be considered  the mother hen of our department. Someone who is always looking out for us. The interaction today got me thinking. What are the qualities the employee demonstrates that has earned them the privilege of being requested to lead the QA team?

Here is what I came up with;

  • The employee is honest. The person speaks their mind when they have concerns. You know where they stand on an issue.
  • The person is independent.They will support an idea if they think its right. They support management publicly if they think we are right (even if the team thinks otherwise). They challenge the management team publicly and constructively if they have concerns. This is tough to do but they pull it off.
  • They see the best in others. They don’t align their perspective with a self-serving perception of what might be in it for them. When an employee was struggling I asked this person to mentor the employee. When things didn’t work out they continued to gently remind me that we needed to do the right thing by this employee even though they had left the organization.
  • This employee really cares about their work. They are totally committed to the product, project and their team. Sometimes, your strengths maximized become a weakness. Sometimes one can care too much. Give me this challenge to work through with someone any day over another who is ambivalent about their work.
  • The employee is  a true team player. They are happy to lead or support depending on the value they bring to task at hand.
  • This person is human with flaws like the rest of us. They are wonderful but not Mother Theresa. They don’t make me feel inferior in any way.
  • They acknowledge an error if they perceive they have made one.
  • The employee plays to my strengths and weaknesses which I really appreciate. If I am weak in an area (example – attention to detail) the employee manages that weakness for me and leverages their strength to compensate for me. The employee leverages my strengths when it makes sense to do so. I am willing to take risks and speak publicly at a higher level which they don’t feel comfortable doing.
  • The employee holds me accountable. If I say I will do something they remind me if I don’t. (which I like)
  • The employee regularly takes initiative to propose solutions to problems.
  • The employee is tenacious. They continue to follow-up until the issue  receives the appropriate attention.
  • This person demonstrates a sense of urgency. Once they raise an issue they want to ensure this issue is fixed.
  • The employee has patience. They are willing to explain a scenario multiple times until I understand it. As I had no background in R&D this was particularly helpful when I first joined the team.

Sometimes change is happening right before our eyes if we are perceptive enough to see it. The QA team is starting to self-organize, share information and slowly drive change. Employee empowerment is becoming a reality. How exciting. Now, how do I get invited to that meeting …….

Donal

Ambiguity in Agile

June 6, 2010 By in Agile Development, Building teams, Employees, Management Tags: , , , , , 2 Comments

When major change appears our first inclination is not to look at the benefits of the change from an organizational perspective. We have more important concerns! What does it mean to me? Many of us need to get comfortable with this aspect first before we consider the merits of change for the overall organization. At work the management team has concluded if we truly want to excel as an Agile organization we need to evolve. Not everyone shares this view. Naturally, talk of this nature tends to freak people out. Many are unconvinced that further change is necessary.

Although many are skeptical about it’s benefits I remain convinced that Agile can really help us become a better R&D organization. In a recent post I discussed the competence compulsion and the paradox that when we are in learning mode we don’t perform: Yet without upgrading our skills we are doomed to obsolescence. An Agile transition is a great example of the challenges an organization can face in this regard. Think about the primary reasons for performance problems Gervaise Bushe identifies  in his book Clear leadership:

  1. The employee is unclear on what is expected in their role. (Role\objective clarity)
  2. The employee doesn’t know how to do what is expected of them. (Competence)
  3. The employee doesn’t want to do what is expected of them. (Motivation)
  4. The employee doesn’t have the information, tools or resources to do what is expected of them. (Infrastructure)

Before I review these, I’d like to give the readers some context about my work environment. I am part of a team (approximately) one year into our agile transition. We have accomplished a lot but there is more to do. I’ll speak to my personal experience with the transition to date.

  1. As a QA manager I am often unclear how best to contribute to the team in our new Agile organization. I am responsible for Quality yet have little influence on many decisions that are made that pertain to quality.  I find it difficult to know when to intervene or when I am interfering. I know many employees experience similar anxiety performing their roles due to ambiguity in decision-making, roles and responsibilities. Sometimes managers and employees long for the good old days when managers just made decisions!
  2. Agile is also a game changer in terms of how we test the product and manage the project.  The waterfall methodology and the command and control hierarchical organizational structure appeared to make it easier to ensure that quality was adhered to from a QA manager’s perspective. If I was dissatisfied I could refuse to accept a build or request additional time to ensure that the code was stable. This responsibility now resides in the sprint teams where it belongs. My role now is much more about being a quality advocate and evangelist. Please know that I believe delegating responsibility for quality to the team is a better approach.
  3. The reality is that some people do not enjoy the greater visibility, accountability and teamwork  necessary in agile. If an employee makes the choice not to participate productively in a team, managers must make the tough calls and remove people who become roadblocks to the organization. This is stressful for all concerned.
  4. Employees feel they are setup to fail when they don’t have access to the appropriate tools or have the proper training to perform their roles effectively. We invested in a new software designed specifically for agile development called VersionOne.  The software was an impediment to performance until staff learned how to use it. I often wonder whether we are truly leveraging VersionOne to its truest potential. I propose we hire an agile coach to join the organization full time to facilitate our change effort; someone experienced and credible to advise rather than direct the teams on the fundamentals of agile.

I highlight how the changes have impacted me not to complain but to demonstrate the new demands of my role.  My perception is that employees often wonder why managers make so many changes. Let me ask, how often do you consider the impact of the changes on your boss? The chances are they were impacted significantly as well. As a manager I would love to be able to convince my team that I feel their pain.  I don’t enjoy the constant disruption in our professional environment either!

Why am I willingly sign up for more change then? I believe I can influence future of my organization in the pending re-org. I also realize the more I develop my skill-set and capacity to change  the more likely I am to succeed in future roles. With change comes opportunity for those willing to take risks. Those perceived to be flexible and willing to assume new roles are also likely to enjoy more employment security……..

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