Better Software - June 2008 - (Page 20)

Management Chronicles Advice for the New Leader by Michele Sliger It was time to go. Jim had packed up his things and was surprised to see how many boxes he’d filled. One little cubicle could really accumulate a lot of stuff after two years! It was a good thing he was only moving across the quad. Jim was sad to leave, but he was looking forward to his new position as the manager of the R&D product group. It was a newly created department, and there were going to be a lot of challenges ahead. Jim was excited about having the autonomy to build great teams and foster innovation—something he’d been a part of in his current position as a team leader under Alicia, the manager of the Gemini product line. Jim thought about the path he’d traveled and just how he had acquired the skills necessary to be accepted for this new position. It was more than his solid knowledge of the existing product lines and more than his knowledge of the industry as a whole. Jim realized that he truly owed a debt of gratitude to Alicia, who had helped him become a better team leader. Alicia had mentored and guided him through good times and bad, always asking just the right questions to help him look at things in a different way. She never told him what to do, but gave him the opportunity to experiment and learn about what worked and what didn’t. She never berated him for his failures, but instead would smile and ask what he’d learned as a result and what he would do differently next time. Wondering what else he could learn, Jim hopped up and headed for Alicia’s office, hoping to catch her before she left for the day. She was a staunch believer in working at a sustainable pace, which meant that most folks in her department were out the door by 5:00 p.m. It was just after 5:00, so Jim hurried down the hall. He was in luck—Alicia was still in her office. “Hi, Jim! Did you stop to say goodbye? I figured you’d be here until eight tonight, trying to pack up that rat’s nest of a cubicle!” 20 BETTER SOFTWARE JUNE 2008 “Ha ha. I’m all packed and ready. And you know this isn’t goodbye. Heck, you’ll probably see more of me now that we’re peers and have to go to all those management meetings together. I actually stopped in for one last piece of advice. Do you have a minute, or were you heading out the door?” “I’m done with my work for today, but I’m not in any hurry to leave. What can I help you with?” Alicia sat down in one of the chairs in front of her desk and invited Jim to do the same. “First I wanted to thank you for helping me grow as a leader over these past two years. I think that’s why I got this new position. Now you can help me by telling me: How on earth did you do it?” Alicia’s eyes went wide and she burst into laughter. “You’re kidding, right? Jim, you were there, too, you know! And I’m pretty sure—or at least I was— that you are an observant fellow.” Jim smiled and nodded. “Yeah, I know. And believe me, I got the basics.” Jim started rattling off all the things he’d learned from Alicia. “Focus on the goal and the intent of the vision. Never tell, but instead ask questions, A LOT of questions. Listen, really listen, without trying to think faster than others and solve their problems before they have a chance to. Be patient. Remind people that failure is not a bad thing—it’s an opportunity to learn and get better. www.StickyMinds.com Don’t forget that this is just a job and what’s important is often outside these walls: friends, family, quality of life.” Jim paused. “Did I forget anything?” “That sounds good,” Alicia responded. “So, what’s your real question?” Jim paused and thought. Alicia waited patiently and did not try to fill the silence with answers. Jim realized this was another good technique she’d used with him before, helping him to look past the surface question to pinpoint the real concern. He was ready to try again. “You don’t solve problems, you allow us to. Isn’t that hard? I’m worried that I will want to get in there and help create solutions with the rest of the team. How do I take a step back? How do I know when to step back?” Now it was Alicia’s turn to ponder. “I think in the beginning, you may be more involved than is typical because it’s a new department with a new vision and a new staff. But you’re going to be so busy, Jim, that you won’t have time to be with the teams much. You have to build this department, and there will be a lot of administration and organization problems to solve. You have to focus on those issues so your team can focus on the work at hand. I never assume that I can do the job better than the folks I’ve hired. So it’s back to asking the right question, which in this case is asking the teams, ‘How can I help?’” ISTOCKPHOTO http://www.StickyMinds.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Better Software - June 2008

Better Software - June 2008 Contents Mark Your Calendar Contributors Technically Speaking eLightenment Code Craft Test Connection Management Chronicles Agile Model-Driven Development The Myth of Risk Management Stop the Insanity! Product Announcements 10 Things You Might Not Know About … The Last Word Ad Index

Better Software - June 2008

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