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This workshop discusses many aspects of leadership and management, from building a strong team through team/career and project management. In the beginning we discuss various leadership topics, such as team dynamics and decision types.
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Building and Managing Successful Teams
Paul Mueller (@Paul_UserAid)
Alyssa Fox (@afox98)
What Are We Going to Discuss?
Leadership Considerations Building a Successful Team Team and Career Management Project Management
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Leadership Considerations
Leadership Considerations
Leaders provide the vision & direction for the team Team refines the plans & delivers Keys to leadership
North star – everyone knows the goal/direction Tent - invite people into your office for discussions 4 min – listen for 4 minutes, don’t interrupt, listen twice
as much as you talk Give an ‘A’ – don’t hold past perceptions against people More than 1 – there are many ways to solve an issue.
Listen to all perspectives and support alternative solutions Don’t take self so seriously – we don’t know it all, and
everyone makes mistakes.
© 2012 UserAid, all rights reserved. 4
Leadership Considerations
5 Dysfunctions of a TeamPositive teamwork experience
Team trusts each other Team engages in healthy, unfiltered discussion of
ideas Members commit to decisions and plans for action Members hold each other accountable for
deliverables & actions Team stays focused on achieving collective goals
& results
© 2012 UserAid, all rights reserved. 5
Leadership Considerations
5 Dysfunctions of a TeamAbsence of trustFear of conflictLack of commitmentAvoidance of accountabilityInattention to results
© 2012 UserAid, all rights reserved. 6
Leadership Considerations
5 Dysfunctions of a TeamAbsence of trust (invulnerability)
Not honest about own strengths, weaknesses, & mistakes
Don’t ask for help when needed Can’t build a solid foundation to build on & move
forward
© 2012 UserAid, all rights reserved. 7
Leadership Considerations
5 Dysfunctions of a TeamFear of conflict (artificial harmony)
Without trust, no open/honest communication Afraid to tell the truth (don’t be negative, he/she
may not support you later) No honest discussion & passionate debate to find
the best solutions Controlled feedback limits possibilities Guarded comments leads to “yes people” and
“group think”
© 2012 UserAid, all rights reserved. 8
Leadership Considerations
5 Dysfunctions of a TeamLack of commitment (ambiguity)
Without discussion, limited buy-in I didn’t like that idea anyway. I told you so. (without actually telling you)
False, passive agreement without support (talking behind backs, through the grape vine)
Members don’t give 100% effort Flip flop decisions & rehashing ideas No clear plan of attack (avoid action items) Few volunteers, no one is passionate about the
solution
© 2012 UserAid, all rights reserved. 9
Leadership Considerations
5 Dysfunctions of a TeamAvoidance of accountability (low standards)
“It wasn’t my idea, so who cares if it fails.” “It’s not my fault.” (no support for each other) Members don’t hold each other accountable when
deliverables are late or incomplete Members don’t point out counterproductive actions
of others
© 2012 UserAid, all rights reserved. 10
Leadership Considerations
5 Dysfunctions of a TeamInattention to results (status and ego)
Individual needs put ahead of collective goals Ego Career Awards and Recognition
Motivated by individual growth rather than team achievement
Wordsmithing results for positive spin Don’t achieve the initial goals and objectives
© 2012 UserAid, all rights reserved. 11
Leadership Considerations
5 Dysfunctions of a TeamWays to improve trust
Brown-bag lunch - 3 things others don’t know about you Who am I discussions – 5 minute overviews Learn how others communicate & resolve conflict
(Strength Deployment Inventory – Red/Blue/Green) Docquementation Brick – self-awarded when make a
mistake…share mistakes to learn from each other Leaders willing to say:
I’m wrong…I made a mistake. I’m sorry. I don’t know, do you?
Maxim: Don’t take yourself so seriously
© 2012 UserAid, all rights reserved. 12
Leadership Considerations
5 Dysfunctions of a TeamWays to encourage healthy conflict
Focus discussion on ideas, not people Support discussion & encourage disagreement, without
repercussions Have more assertive team members say, “I don’t
agree.” Lead by example, both within and outside the team Refer to previous decision & don’t rehash without
significant change in conditions Close back-door avenues, bring everyone together for
the discussion
Maxim: Listen for 4 minutes. Give everyone an A.
© 2012 UserAid, all rights reserved. 13
Leadership Considerations
5 Dysfunctions of a TeamWays to improve commitment
Decision types: Tell, Sell, Test, Consult, Joint Team discussions & smaller group discussions to get folks
to open up & share Consider cultural differences & create environments to
share ideas & gain commitment Get groups of folks who disagree together to define
alternative solution Develop & communicate a clear plan of action Support final decision even though disagreed Assess during execution, learn from mistakes, adjust plan
Maxim: More than 1 right answer
© 2012 UserAid, all rights reserved. 14
Leadership Considerations
5 Dysfunctions of a TeamWays to improve accountability
Support team members to discuss & resolve issues directly with each other
Support the team when you talk with other teams across the company
Establish clear job criteria & hold everyone accountable. Consistent, annual job reviews & semi-annual discussions
about progress & goals. Tell each other the truth & manage team members up/out Do not accept bad behavior against teamwork Respect each other (I need…)
Maxim: Invite others into your office to discuss actions
© 2012 UserAid, all rights reserved. 15
Leadership Considerations
5 Dysfunctions of a TeamWays to improve results
Give credit to team, not yourself (not “my team”) Reward members based on group goals & objectives
(less individual), & celebrate as team (lunch, mini golf, …)
Recognize teamwork & groups who exhibit characteristics you want all to have
Focus on clear objectives Honestly track, communicate, & assess results Recognize failures as a team (post mortem) Learn from mistakes & don’t be afraid to make some
Maxim: Provide north star, so everyone knows goals
© 2012 UserAid, all rights reserved. 16
Leadership Considerations
Decision types Tell (Inform) – least time & least buy-in; no feedback;
giving assignments, emergencies, Sell (Persuade) – more buy-in; answer questions; use
honesty; help team accept compromise/decision Test (Run it by) – often used between leaders;
validate ideas; minimal feedback requested Consult (Request feedback) – trust & honesty; input is
valued; need enough time to address feedback Join (Group decision) – most time & most buy-in; well-
defined problem; clear decision boundaries; willing to accept group decision; confident in group abilities
© 2012 UserAid, all rights reserved. 17
Leadership Considerations
What decision type would you use? Layoffs Mandatory overtime Team reorganization Team motto/logo/tagline
© 2012 UserAid, all rights reserved. 18
Leadership Considerations
Personality types & how people communicate, work, and resolve conflict
Strength Deployment Inventory Red – goal-oriented and focused Blue – people-oriented and focused Green – numbers/facts-oriented and focused
Myers-Briggs Introverted / Extroverted Sensing / Intuition Thinking / Feeling Judging / Perceiving
© 2012 UserAid, all rights reserved. 19
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Building a Successful Team
Building a Successful Team
Why people stay (unknown resource) Respect Impact Listen Increasing responsibility Money
Why people leave (smartmanager.com.au) Unrecognized or unappreciated No hope for career growth or advancement Position doesn’t match what they were hired to do Overworked and overstressed Lack of coaching or mentoring
© 2012 UserAid, all rights reserved. 21
Building a Successful Team
Interviewing Bad hire can cost 40 times annual salary in lost
productivity and related fire/rehire/retrain expenses Hiring well takes time Involve multiple team members Talk with HR about Dos and Don’ts
Process Define the position (skills & experience needed) Collect and identify candidates (resumes, referrals, …) Phone screen (meet position definition?) Writing samples In-person interview (looking for strengths; why not hire?) Candidate review with interview team Offer or decline
© 2012 UserAid, all rights reserved. 22
Building a Successful Team
Intangibles of a strong team (interview for them) Personality (positive attitude, initiative, …) Skills, knowledge, approaches (problem-solving) Ability and motivation to learn Open to constructive criticism, multiple solutions Open to change Roles within your team
What characteristics are important in your environment? How do you interview?
© 2012 UserAid, all rights reserved. 23
Building a Successful Team
Sample phone screen questions (open ended) Describe your ideal job (what you would love to do)? Describe writing process you like to use Describe info dev & design experience What are your salary requirements (range)?
Sample interview questions (open ended) Most proud accomplishment / Biggest mistakes Characteristics of supervisors you liked most/least Characteristics of team members you liked most/least What if you found someone sleeping at desk? We teach you about a product (you teach someone later) Explore writing maxims and editing of samples
More questions are in additional resources
© 2012 UserAid, all rights reserved. 24
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Team and Career Management
Team and Career Management
Job ladder – clear expectations, multiple levels Functional expertise Technical expertise and product usability Quality Communication and teamwork Leadership
Management and individual contributor tracks
© 2012 Alyssa Fox, all rights reserved. 26
Team and Career Management
How would you define four levels of proficiency in an area or skill important in your environment?
© 2012 Alyssa Fox, all rights reserved. 27
Team and Career Management
Feedback Should be continuous – no one should be surprised in
an annual review. Managing up or out Performance improvement plans
Annual reviews Fast, easy, standard Pros: thorough, get feedback from managers and
peers Cons: can be demoralizing, “once-a-year” feedback
Goal-setting Continuous review Tie in with team/organization/business unit/company
goals
© 2012 Alyssa Fox, all rights reserved. 28
Team and Career Management
Budgeting by numbers Budgeting by items Remember these items:
Staff Tools Software Hardware and equipment Travel Training – conferences, webinars, books Professional organization dues Morale-building activities
© 2012 Alyssa Fox, all rights reserved. 29
Team and Career Management
Training Include in budget. Consider the message. Determine who decides who gets what training. Kinds of training – tools, soft skills, writing, project
management, people management, process.
Training opportunities Online webinars Brown bags/lunch and learns Local classes Books Program meetings for various organizations,
including STC User groups Local/regional conferences National/international conferences
“Train the trainer”© 2012 Alyssa Fox, all rights reserved. 30
Team and Career Management
Changes for your team or organization Additional responsibilities for team members
(usability testing, UI review, content strategy, web design, marketing documentation)
Team mergers Documentation structure Development methodology (agile) The role of your team members on project teams Resource numbers Reporting structure for your team (new boss or
new division)
© 2012 Alyssa Fox, all rights reserved. 31
Team and Career Management
Change management Need for change Guiding coalition Vision Empowerment and action Short-term wins Culture shift Change perpetuation
© 2012 Alyssa Fox, all rights reserved. 32
Team and Career Management
What is a change you need or that is happening in your organization? What is the vision you’ll communicate for what things will look like when that change is implemented?
How will you communicate that change?
© 2012 Alyssa Fox, all rights reserved. 33
Team and Career Management
Managing distributed teams Co-locate where possible. Over-communicate! Have frequent check-ins in various ways.
Meeting tips: Include time for small talk. Share the scheduling pain. Make sure everyone knows who is talking.
© 2012 Alyssa Fox, all rights reserved. 34
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Project Management
Project Management
How does project management change as roles change? Individual contributor – it’s all about you. Team lead – estimate your work, help others
estimate their work, manage your work and sometimes others’ work.
Team manager – team members provide estimates, you help them refine, resource balancing with small set of team members, manage others’ work as needed.
Team group manager – team members provide estimates, you help them refine as needed, resource balancing across multiple teams, multiple business lines, multiple locations, build in buffer where appropriate, rarely manage others’ work unless there’s an issue.
© 2012 Alyssa Fox, all rights reserved. 36
Project Management
Estimating With reliable estimates, you can make good
business decisions about resource planning, budgets, and commitments.
Consistent metrics let you reproduce estimates and more easily train team members to estimate projects.
Consistent metrics help establish milestones and deadlines and defend your estimates to project stakeholders.
© 2012 Alyssa Fox, all rights reserved. 37
Project Management
Process for estimating1. Identify common units of work.2.Find starting metrics for each unit of work (adjust
as you learn).3.List tasks based on work unit and estimate.
Adjust as needed Experience of team members Number/level of reviews Deliverable formats Level of source material Efficiency of project team Distributed team over multiple time zones Processes used
© 2012 Alyssa Fox, all rights reserved. 38
Project Management
Review cycle Types of reviews – organization, content, copyedit Number of drafts Reviews and process Editing levels Quality levels
© 2012 Alyssa Fox, all rights reserved. 39
Project Management
Agile and the whole team approach Gaining clout on your project team
Get involved in ALL parts of the product development. Attend scrum meetings for your projects. Be detailed and specific when asking questions or
giving information to others. Pave the way for other writers that join the team later. Show an interest in the requirements, design, and
thought behind the design of the product. Attend all release and iteration planning meetings. Offer to help however you can. Be a usability advocate. Install and maintain your own builds of the product. Gain your team’s trust by having a solid understanding
of the product. Make informed suggestions for change.
© 2012 Alyssa Fox, all rights reserved. 40
Project Management
Adjusting scope and metrics for agile Reviewing UI and documentation within sprints Estimating topics within sprints vs. larger chunks
of deliverables for whole project Estimating for an individual vs. average estimate
for any team member Estimating tasks vs. entire project deliverables
© 2012 Alyssa Fox, all rights reserved. 41
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Additional Resources
Books of Interest
The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni
It’s Your Ship by Captain D. Michael Abrashoff
Managing Writers by Richard L. Hamilton
Leading Change by John Kotter
Leadership and Self-Deception by The Arbinger Institute
Topgrading by Bradford D. Smart
Think Big, Act Small by Jason Jennings
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