Team Engagement - 10 ways to get loved by your Team - 2/10 Just Be there

Team engagement, doesnt it get trickier as you go on doing it? But doesnt it ease up so many things when you do it? I have known companies spending thousands and thousands of bucks on this one thing, involving people , places and dont know what not... Success in Team engagement is however limited unless that Attitude and Culture is evolved....

Now coming to our next element.... take this situation:

Its 1 in the night actually early morning, you have 4 members from your team working on a very critical issue that has to make the production tomorrow morning, you have no onsite support available. You assign the issue and you leave for the day. You call your team member in the middle of the night or he calls you and updates you that the fix is done. All goes well.

Same scene.. the fix is not done.. what is your reaction now? you organize a call with stake holders, you shout , you yell, you are upset? you reschedule the fix and ask for another day, come to the office and ask them to be there to give you an explanation? firefight, issue resolved but did something go wrong here? The feeling in the Team????

Now same scene.... You are with the Team all the time, discussing solutions, evaluating options, the fix is done and all goes well.

Same scene again but the fix is not done? What will you do now? Since you have a complete understanding of what the team has done so far and what you have being doing all this while.. you can set a correct expectation?

Yes... sometimes you may not be the Technical expert, You may not add any value being with the Team while they are working hard on something.. sometimes it is important just to be there, facilitate things for them, try to check on their needs and try to remove there blockers so they can work well. Its a morale support to the Team... they know who to go back to when you are there. Now if they can depend on you for this, Aren't they surely going to love you?

Today we did a release, one of the fellow colleagues asked me "It is OK if you are not in, we could have taken care of it" I said "No worries, I just like to stick around" a few minutes later the same colleague was stuck with a issue and needed some help from me to reset some user details. I reminded the colleague "When you lead a Team, make sure you are there for the Team, you never know what will come up and when you will be needed" ....

You must have come in this situations very often... Your Team would be working day , night , late hours, weekends... if they see you around with a motive of helping them out... They are going to like it.

A few things to remember and do while you are JUST THERE for the Team

1. Make an arrangement for a quick Pizza grab if they are working late or weekends

2. Give them a ride home if it is late in the night.

3. Ask them about if they need any help occasionally.

4. Get them short breaks if they are working late.. this would release them from some pressures.

5. Do some petty tasks for them... like random tests to help them, or builds, or deploys that can save them some time

6. Get them a coffee on their desk... they may like it

7. A quick shoulder massage... of course for male colleagues is not a bad idea.

8. Appreciate their effort....

Do not

1. Be there to do a status check

2. Do not give a feeling or be there to monitor the activities.

Both of this is showing distrust.

Another small thing... But this can really help making life of Team members and Leads easier... a low cost item that can improve the leads level of engagement with the Team.. Now ask yourself ....On when you were present when your Team needed you the most...

Read More

Team Engagement - 10 ways to get loved by your Team

Donate for Haiti Earth Quake Victims to the Red Cross here

Do you love your Team? Does your Team love you? Alrite do they like you? Alrite do they like to work with you? Alrite do they want to see you in office? Ok.. OK.. OK... I know the answer... You are one traditional Manager who is definitely hated by his Team. Never mind... You are not the only Manager thinking this... there are bunch of them who think they know they are been hated...hated by their teams... Initially i felt that it is just a normal human nature "Hate your Boss" but luckily I realise that it is not so (Thanks to all the bosses I have got in the past from Sakore Sir to Subhash Sangam to Kari to Gert-Jan). They all gave me a feeling that Bosses are one part of your life that can definitely make you one Hell Of a Good Manager.

To what I have learnt all these years from these great leaders and will continue to learn from... I will put down those 10 important elements that can make you love your Team and your Team love you... For those impatient soul's in here, this is not going to come in one shot... so please take I element at a time work over it, try to practice it, wait for the next and then carry on... For those Alpha Managers sitting and reading this, I am sure you may have tried all of these but read on there is nothing to loose if you get a good Idea of this.

Element 1 that will get you loved by your Team

You are leading a Team of 50 odd people, you walk into the office every day remembered ever you stopped by side of one of your engineers and asked him "Tom!!! Are you feeling better today after yesterday's headache?" Or Did you send a Birthday card to one of your new Team members on his first birthday with the company?

Well this is one of the last thing that you as the busiest manager would want to do... but who told you that no matter what you do, you will always be loved... try this with your son or daughter... just ignore them for a day or two and see they wont even want to see your face... So when our kids cant love us if we dont love them... how do we expect our Teams to love us if we dont like them , Love them , take care of them?

What was your reaction when you were mentioned in a big company meeting by the most important person in the company? You were on the 10th heaven? Well similarly when you show the care to your employees, about them they feel good.. and this good feeling is what builds an understanding and bonding that turns it to love... Yes Love for you by your Team members.

So if you havent got this right yet... The element here is your memory.... Yes if you remember the name of your Team member (In case of bigger teams), some important dates that affect them, some important days of their life and some important elements of their life... they love those who care about their personal things... and when they love you they work hard for you.

So how do you do this?

1. Get their important information

This can be done by various ways... I used a funny survey document that I asked the Team to fill. I got to know their hobbies, their partner names , their passion and much more. You can also do a social network check and find a lot about them from the social websites. You have to do some homework and be alert on this.

2. Store it in a way you would be reminded

Just having the information and doing it once is not the right way and thing to do... make sure you store the information at some place where you can retrieve it easily or it can remind you well in time. I use Microsoft Outlook and Remember the Milk tool to remind me of important dates of Team members and even family (considering the fact that I am a workalcoholic, I even store my anniversary reminders in these tools). The funny part is I still have important dates of team members who no longer work with me.

3. Show the care when they are and are not associated with you

Yes it is important that way. Even if you are not directly or indirectly linked, showing care would get the feel of closeness. This will bring more trust and love factor. And your Team would love you even when they are not in your Team.

4. Never mix work with care

"Are you feeling better today? Now since you said yes can you fix this for me now?" well dont mix it this way. Unless it is very important make sure that you keep work and personal care about your team in different zones.

Many of these things dont add up to cost. They are simple smaller things that have a huge impact on effective Team engagement. Now if you see yourself as a Good Manager you have to be honestly good.

So Today is a very Important day.... You just have to find out for which member in your Team....

You can follow me on Twitter at Sameera_cmc

Read More

Does your Boss love you more than sex?

Well I am yet again getting into the mode... but the mood is very provocative, I happen to ask this question as sitting in various chairs you realize what you expect in each of these seats... As a Junior I always expect appreciation for the hard work done, I always expect to be told about my mistakes in private, I always like to not hear bad about me, I always like to get big bonuses and big salary increments.

When I sit in the leaders chair I demand a different thing... I always like if somebody takes initiative and takes it to end, I always like people on time and target, I always like everything to be nice and perfect and I always want the best to done at the less most cost.. Anyways this is how each of us see it... from different sides... however that's not the reason why I write this... I write this to mention that a few things if taken care can actually make life of each of us very easier.. as bosses and as their employees...

A few tips on how your Boss can like you better, but at the same time how your life can be easier in understanding your own expectations as bosses :P

1. Passion... do you have it in you?
Keep the interest at work. Keep your passion level up. Most of the times we get non passionate.. we think what should get done today would be OK even if it gets done tomorrow. You are on a critical task and you leave for the day without even dropping a note to your boss? Your boss is as hard working as you, the only difference is that he has himself to keep him motivated, you have several others. Keep the passion at the peak and see how best you can do your task.. finally its not about pleasing your boss... but instead doing your own things correctly which in turn would ease life of everyone.

2. Loyalty.. does it reflect?
He protects you, you don't know.. but he stands for you. He does his part and is always following up with you if you have everything to do yours. He stands in with you in emergencies, he lets you take your leaves in time of critical importance. In turn what does he expect? a little bit of loyalty... the loyalty demands you do your work in time and as per expectation and do not demand a blame "My boss doesn't do anything????"

3. Do you want to replace him?
80% of employees think that they can do better than their bosses. They think, sometimes they do... but Management is not a task, it is not something that starts on day 1 and finishes on day X, its different .. its ever lasting and is not as easy as it appears... Each one of us want to grow... but the growth is different based on how you want to grow???? If you want to replace your Boss and if that is visible.. its not working well...Last thing your boss would love about you...

4. You Bluff , You get away?
People tend to bluff, its easy to get away... a few bluffs I have heard used to be funny... you laugh on it specially when you know the truth behind... Its hard, Bluff is the easy way to get away in a short run, long run it sucks... Once your boss knows that you are a Bluff master, your future is on toss... you can depend on bluffs not for work items.. above all its the truth what will bring you closer to your task.. bluff takes the trust away..

5. Are you a friend?
You are a friend to your boss? Are you kidding? No its a plain professional relationship, it has a caring touch because that's what your boss role demands...be a friend but don't behave like one... that's the last thing your boss and you would want.

6. Too much of it or too less of it? Yes I talk of initiatives
Less initiatives.. kills, Too many initiatives over kill.. yes when you have no initiatives they cause a block to the work.. your boss wants you to do some things that he always wanted to get done... if you don take initiatives h falls behind...

Too many initiatives???? overkill why??? well you wont be happy if those initiatives cannot be implemented or ideas getting rejected or initiatives not getting justification.. your Boss would be in a situation because he may not be in a state to implement them all...
Initiatives be balanced... they work well then ;)

So a few tips on what bosses like , and what we as employees should think of... Got any views????

Read More

The SEX part of this blog

I was asked yesterday "Why do you think P* Management is better than sex"... brings me to write about the topic that is worth and honestly I never mentioned why the hell is this blog titled as Better than Sex, eventually I never justified this reason on why I think Project Management, People Management is really better than sex... Honestly I never compare it with Sex...

The title is inspired by the statement Jessi from Bolt made..she was the one I heard this from... And I was not too ignorant to not choose this...

Another reason to have this was SRK the famous Bollywood star said "Sex and SRK sell" I cannot sell SRK , Nor Sex .. but I can definitely sell this blog as better as Sex ;)

Why??? OK so here you go.....

Answer these questions for me.. Options are Something else or Sex? and you know it better....

Q.1 : What gives you immense pleasure with your partner?

Q.2 : What demands the most concentration when you are doing it?

Q.3 : What requires you to stay connected and involved?

Q.4 : What makes you feel better, while you do it and after you have done it?

I bet all the answers somewhere resulted in this word???? SEX?

While I go and compare.. here is what and why of it....

Sex gives me pleasure , immense pleasure...

The Adventures that People Management gives you are out of world, interesting and long lasting, The Pleasure is desirable and vulnerable... Imagine how much of pleasure you would take to guide someone to success not only for himself but for you. Imagine the pain you take to explain someone on how he is doing/not doing good and how he should do it better. Imagine handling a conflict where 2 people dont even want to look at each other and you strive to make them buddies for life time.

Sex demands concentration and then gives Ignorance ....

Read the husband/wife sex columns in the bunch of magazines... a common question is My spouse turns over to the other side when he / she is done...

Project , People Management demands concentration, focus and dedication but it ends up into the most required attention. It demands more and more of concentration and it results in more and more of dedication.

It lasts long!!!!

Sex doesnt, unless you are a Pig... The people management practices lasts long.... when you are having wild management sessions with your Bosses or Teams they never end, its pain to begin but at the end Joy .... Joy of convincing , Joy of success...

You are allowed to experiment and make mistakes

With Management you would make mistakes and learn, you would make same mistakes and learn different things each time... With Sex can you afford so? ;)

You get bored, but you don't turn down!!!

With Sex you sleep, With Management you are expected to be Awake ;)

Alright Alright!!!!! I am getting to sexist and the blog would have more porn referrers than ever... And the usual google trick may ask me to change this blog to "Adult Content"... I stop here to let you Do the former and think of the later

Read More