1 of 54

Team management practical wisdom

Alfredo Morresi - @rainbowbreeze

Rome | March 22 - 23, 2019

2 of 54

50% of employees get away from their manager to improve their overall life at some point in their career.

2015 Gallup survey , 7272 U.S. adults

--> @rainbowbreeze <--

--> Alfredo Morresi <--

3 of 54

Managers have strong influence over people work life

--> @rainbowbreeze <--

--> Alfredo Morresi <--

Credits to Unsplash

--> @rainbowbreeze <--

--> Alfredo Morresi <--

4 of 54

“You serve your people, so they can get the job done”

--> @rainbowbreeze <--

--> Alfredo Morresi <--

5 of 54

--> @rainbowbreeze <--

--> Alfredo Morresi <--

Credits to Unsplash

--> @rainbowbreeze <--

--> Alfredo Morresi <--

6 of 54

Alfredo Morresi

Dev Communities Europe @ Google

Tiramisù and snowboard lover

rainbowbreeze@google.com

--> @rainbowbreeze <--

--> Alfredo Morresi <--

7 of 54

Management and Leadership

--> @rainbowbreeze <--

--> Alfredo Morresi <--

8 of 54

Management is about doing stuff - the day to day operations needed for the tactical things to get done

Startwithwhy

--> @rainbowbreeze <--

--> Alfredo Morresi <--

9 of 54

Leadership is the responsibility to see others around us rise

Startwithwhy

--> @rainbowbreeze <--

--> Alfredo Morresi <--

10 of 54

Management is not Leadership

--> @rainbowbreeze <--

--> Alfredo Morresi <--

11 of 54

But we need both to be successful

--> @rainbowbreeze <--

--> Alfredo Morresi <--

12 of 54

“You serve your people to get the job done”

--> @rainbowbreeze <--

--> Alfredo Morresi <--

13 of 54

You serve your people to get the job done

--> @rainbowbreeze <--

--> Alfredo Morresi <--

14 of 54

Find the kind of manager you are.

--> @rainbowbreeze <--

--> Alfredo Morresi <--

Credits to Unsplash

--> @rainbowbreeze <--

--> Alfredo Morresi <--

You need to first understand yourself, before understanding the other. I would say it’s a mutual discovering process. There are lot of positive management styles, based on the person you are. You may be the kind of manager that leave lot of freedom to their people. Or the one that try to create the best environment to allow them to be successful. Or you’re more toward the avoid surprises approach. Or you can be more an introvert person, so you prefer processes to regulate communication. Or a very empathetic one and you infer lot of information from casual conversations with your reportees.

In any case, your people will notice before you. So you need to find it as fast as possible. Ask around to your friends. To your closer colleagues (and not reporting to you). Write down your skills and attributes, there are plenty of this exercise around.

15 of 54

Find the kind of manager you are.

And stick to it.

--> @rainbowbreeze <--

--> Alfredo Morresi <--

Credits to Unsplash

--> @rainbowbreeze <--

--> Alfredo Morresi <--

16 of 54

--> @rainbowbreeze <--

--> Alfredo Morresi <--

17 of 54

You serve your people to get the job done

--> @rainbowbreeze <--

--> Alfredo Morresi <--

18 of 54

Shield your team from external complexity

--> @rainbowbreeze <--

--> Alfredo Morresi <--

Credits to Unsplash

--> @rainbowbreeze <--

--> Alfredo Morresi <--

19 of 54

Create a psychologically safe environment

--> @rainbowbreeze <--

--> Alfredo Morresi <--

Credits to Unsplash

--> @rainbowbreeze <--

--> Alfredo Morresi <--

It’s manager responsibility to create a psychological safe work environment.

Allow team member to feel safe expressing themselves in the team. Who they are, what they think, how they behave.

This is connected with the themes of Diversity and Inclusion. Diversity in the team is a value. And inclusion is a behavior everyone should have.

People shouldn’t spend time and resources in trying to be a different person because they think it’s the only model accepted in the team. If everyone has the possibility to be simply herself, they’ll feel saver, more comfortable and will contribute more to the team, because of the safety.

How to foster it? In the best teams, members listen to one another and show sensitivity to feelings and needs. And managers should favorite this approach. Practice Active listening. Foster empathy. Establish a bond. And those human bonds matter as much at work as anywhere else. In fact, they sometimes matter more.

20 of 54

Connect the dots

--> @rainbowbreeze <--

--> Alfredo Morresi <--

Credits to Unsplash

--> @rainbowbreeze <--

--> Alfredo Morresi <--

21 of 54

Be available

--> @rainbowbreeze <--

--> Alfredo Morresi <--

Credits to Unsplash

--> @rainbowbreeze <--

--> Alfredo Morresi <--

Some managers believe that a certain inaccessibility is the mark of a true leader. A few even think it is a symbol of their authority. They couldn’t be more wrong.

When someone who works for you wants to talk, it’s only good management to make yourself available promptly.

Availability is also a mood. If you are impatient, uninterested, hard to get to, overly critical, or inattentive, nobody is going to consult you about anything until it is absolutely necessary. If they know you’re interested in what they are doing, and if you give them a chance, they’ll gladly talk.

Astute leaders don’t become openly irritated if the news isn’t good. We all prefer good news to bad—that’s human—but when bosses grow angry when things aren’t going right, employees are reluctant to speak up when there’s trouble. Problems shouldn’t have to reach the crisis stage before managers hear about them

Good decisions are almost never made in an ivory tower. Keep in touch, ask questions, encourage feedback. If keeping you informed is a pleasant experience, people will do so gladly. If it isn’t, they won’t. It’s really up to you.

You’re here for them. And not the opposite way around.

22 of 54

You serve your people to get the job done

--> @rainbowbreeze <--

--> Alfredo Morresi <--

23 of 54

Ask why they’re doing what they’re doing

--> @rainbowbreeze <--

--> Alfredo Morresi <--

Credits to Unsplash

--> @rainbowbreeze <--

--> Alfredo Morresi <--

24 of 54

Every person in an entire universe, only partially related to the work

--> @rainbowbreeze <--

--> Alfredo Morresi <--

Credits to Unsplash

--> @rainbowbreeze <--

--> Alfredo Morresi <--

This is tricky and hard. But imagine a person not performing so well. Being constantly upset and uncollaborative. For sure this is not a great team behavior and will influence negatively the other her. Time for a conversation with the boss, to reset the right path, eh?

But what if this person has a very complex situation at home, maybe she’s unable to sleep properly because every night she has to assist the significant other or a parent at the hospital? Or maybe some close friend is going thru a very negative moment, and this reflects a lot in the person’s mood?

As a manager, you won’t be the friend of everyone in the team, or the first person they’ll reach for open-up themselves. Nevertheless, you have to consider how complex every single person is, how external factors can influence the person during the work time too.

And develop this strange attitude called empathy, also known as the ability to put in someone else shoes. Remember, we’re all humans, we have our up and down moments. And, as a manager, your role is to minimize the impact of the down moments, and maximize the benefits of the up moments.

25 of 54

A single approach doesn’t rule them all

--> @rainbowbreeze <--

--> Alfredo Morresi <--

Credits to Unsplash

--> @rainbowbreeze <--

--> Alfredo Morresi <--

26 of 54

--> @rainbowbreeze <--

--> Alfredo Morresi <--

27 of 54

- Domain knowledge +

- Proactivity +

--> @rainbowbreeze <--

--> Alfredo Morresi <--

28 of 54

High performers

- Domain knowledge +

- Proactivity +

--> @rainbowbreeze <--

--> Alfredo Morresi <--

29 of 54

- Domain knowledge +

- Proactivity +

Newcomers

High performers

--> @rainbowbreeze <--

--> Alfredo Morresi <--

30 of 54

- Domain knowledge +

- Proactivity +

Newcomers

High performers

Untapped potential

--> @rainbowbreeze <--

--> Alfredo Morresi <--

31 of 54

- Domain knowledge +

- Proactivity +

Newcomers

Untapped potential

High performers

--> @rainbowbreeze <--

--> Alfredo Morresi <--

32 of 54

Newcomers

Untapped potential

Need mentoring

Absorb (and shape) team culture

They have fresh ideas

Unbiased view on team friction points

High performers

--> @rainbowbreeze <--

--> Alfredo Morresi <--

--> @rainbowbreeze <--

--> Alfredo Morresi <--

Newcomers are just arrived into the team, they don’t know the team culture and they have a vague idea of the team day-to-day and infrastructure.

My added value, as a manager, is to provide them knowledge. Guide them to understand the team, themselves and what they can do for the team.

So it’s important the manager find consistent mentorship occasions for them, both providing themself or involving other other team members, to introduce them to the role and to the team culture.

Newcomers are often able to bring a fresh view to the team, so listening to them carefully is important: they can bring new ideas and they’re generally very good in identifying friction points in the team processes and habits.

Remember, you shouldn’t necessarily be the person providing all of that. But it’s your the one accountable to having this done

33 of 54

Newcomers

Untapped potential

High performers

Empower with autonomy, responsibility and challenges

They’ll leave, sooner or later. Or take your seat

They set the team mood, positively

--> @rainbowbreeze <--

--> Alfredo Morresi <--

--> @rainbowbreeze <--

--> Alfredo Morresi <--

High performers need challenges to keep their enthusiasm high and to valorize their deep domain knowledge. So the main help a manager can provide is to scout for them for these challenges, give autonomy and responsibility.

They’re generally smart, so except sooner or later the team ceiling will become their bottleneck, and they can find elsewhere. Also expect one day they can take your seat, and this may be an opportunity for a manager to move to a new role. If they want, of course: management shouldn’t be necessarily the next step for high performer people, as not everyone like this career path: some people simply want to do, and not to manage.

They also are an example for the team, and are generally very influent

You generally spend very few time supporting these people, as you should spend more time listening to their feedback for you.

34 of 54

Untapped potential

Help to (re)discover their passions

--> @rainbowbreeze <--

--> Alfredo Morresi <--

35 of 54

Help them to find a better place to stay

Newcomers

--> @rainbowbreeze <--

--> Alfredo Morresi <--

--> @rainbowbreeze <--

--> Alfredo Morresi <--

36 of 54

You serve your people to get the job done

--> @rainbowbreeze <--

--> Alfredo Morresi <--

37 of 54

Define the work culture

--> @rainbowbreeze <--

--> Alfredo Morresi <--

Credits to Unsplash

--> @rainbowbreeze <--

--> Alfredo Morresi <--

38 of 54

Fail is OK

--> @rainbowbreeze <--

--> Alfredo Morresi <--

Credits to Unsplash

--> @rainbowbreeze <--

--> Alfredo Morresi <--

39 of 54

Contribute to the team mood

--> @rainbowbreeze <--

--> Alfredo Morresi <--

Credits to Unsplash

--> @rainbowbreeze <--

--> Alfredo Morresi <--

40 of 54

You help your people to get the job done

--> @rainbowbreeze <--

--> Alfredo Morresi <--

41 of 54

Set the vision

--> @rainbowbreeze <--

--> Alfredo Morresi <--

Credits to Unsplash

--> @rainbowbreeze <--

--> Alfredo Morresi <--

42 of 54

And how to get there

Set the vision

--> @rainbowbreeze <--

--> Alfredo Morresi <--

Credits to Unsplash

--> @rainbowbreeze <--

--> Alfredo Morresi <--

43 of 54

Clear assignations and connection points

--> @rainbowbreeze <--

--> Alfredo Morresi <--

Credits to Unsplash

--> @rainbowbreeze <--

--> Alfredo Morresi <--

44 of 54

Protect the added value of your team

--> @rainbowbreeze <--

--> Alfredo Morresi <--

Credits to Unsplash

--> @rainbowbreeze <--

--> Alfredo Morresi <--

45 of 54

You serve your people to get the job done

--> @rainbowbreeze <--

--> Alfredo Morresi <--

46 of 54

Define clear boundaries for a “done” job

--> @rainbowbreeze <--

--> Alfredo Morresi <--

Credits to Unsplash

--> @rainbowbreeze <--

--> Alfredo Morresi <--

47 of 54

Set realistic deadlines

--> @rainbowbreeze <--

--> Alfredo Morresi <--

Credits to Unsplash

--> @rainbowbreeze <--

--> Alfredo Morresi <--

The “job done” happens in a timeline. So it’s crucial to establish deadlines.

Orient the team culture toward specific time limits for specific achievements. One thing is to say “I’ll finish that proposal as soon as I get a chance”; quite another to decide “I’ll finish that proposal before I leave the office tonight.” In the first instance, you are setting the stage for procrastination and excuses; in the second, you are pinpointing a time by which you will accomplish a particular task.

Make your deadlines realistic, that also consider stress levels and external factors. With deadlines come also priorities. It's your duty to have them assigned. Bring focus to the team, so they can accomplish what they’re called to do.

Setting unrealistic deadlines grows team discouraged and team members give up and lose trust in you as a manager.

48 of 54

Celebrate success

--> @rainbowbreeze <--

--> Alfredo Morresi <--

Credits to Unsplash

--> @rainbowbreeze <--

--> Alfredo Morresi <--

49 of 54

“You serve your people, so they can get the job done”

--> @rainbowbreeze <--

--> Alfredo Morresi <--

50 of 54

--> @rainbowbreeze <--

--> Alfredo Morresi <--

51 of 54

--> @rainbowbreeze <--

--> Alfredo Morresi <--

52 of 54

Come to the GDG community booth

--> @rainbowbreeze <--

--> Alfredo Morresi <--

53 of 54

Google Developers Group

--> @rainbowbreeze <--

--> Alfredo Morresi <--

54 of 54

“You serve your people, so they can get the job done”

Thank you

Questions

--> @rainbowbreeze <--

--> Alfredo Morresi <--