Management in India电子书

Management in India: Grow from an Accidental to a Successful Manager in the IT & Knowledge Industry

Table of Contents

Management in India: Grow from an Accidental to a Successful Manager in the IT & Knowledge Industry

Credits

Foreword

About the Author

Acknowledgement

About the Reviewers

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Preface

What this book covers

Who this book is for

Conventions

Reader feedback

Customer support

Errata

Piracy

Questions

1. Whose Side Are You On?

What is a manager supposed to manage?

How hard can a manager's job be?

What do you do?

Whose side are you on?

Mintzberg — 10 roles of a manager

Interpersonal roles

The figurehead

Leader

Liaison

Information processing roles

Monitor

Disseminator

Spokesperson

Decision-making roles

Entrepreneur

Disturbance handler

Resource allocator

Re-plan

Negotiator

Summarizing the role-play

The mai-baap manager

Visualizing the managerial model

The conduit

The hierarchy or leader of the pack

The orchestra conductor visual

Some questions answered

Summary

References

2. Transition: From Individual Contributor to a Manager

Watch out for

Time

Your work plus more

Less definition

Multiple roles

Indirect tax

Scope of work

Commitments

Information sharing

Not giving up control

Enforcing your will

Defensive approach — being afraid to goof up

Overcoaching

Frustrations of being a new manager

Teaching a man how to fish

A slow world around you

I don't get enough information

I can't get no satisfaction

I'm running all the time

Making it easier

Relax a little

Understanding the information needs of your organization

Know your success measures

Learn to say NO

Get organized

Track the time spent

Start using a calendar

Distinguish between urgent and important

Plan your day every morning

Find someone to talk to

Sign up for formal training and education

Summary

References

3. Basic Skills, Traits, and Competencies of a Manager

Skills, traits, talents, and competencies

Skills

Traits

Talents

Competencies

Top skills, traits, and competencies expected of a manager

Love of working with people

Myth: nice manager

Easy to approach

Myth: I'm easy to approach, I have an open door policy

Farmer mentality: sow, nurture, grow, reap

Myth: fast moving managers — in a tearing hurry

Core values: honesty, integrity, truthfulness, trustworthiness, consideration for others, and more

Not a myth: corporate greed

Tolerance for ambiguity and patience

Good communication skills — especially listening

Myth: quiet people can't be managers

Team building — hiring, retaining, developing good people, and nurturing team spirit

Performance management

Myth: maximum output

Problem solving

Myth: every problem is my problem to solve

Always an eye on the ball — results orientation

Decision-making

Myth: well-informed decisions

Project management and execution — delivery

Myth about flawless execution

Grip on technical knowledge/domain

Think customer — customer orientation

Emotional intelligence

Personal competence

Social competence — how we handle relationships

Summary

References

4. Teamwork and Team Building

Why do we need teams?

Different types of teams

How to build a team

Explain the big picture, purpose, and fitment of the team in the larger universe

The tough part

Defining the composition of the team

The tough part

Define playing positions

The tough part

Clear and defined hiring process

The tough part

Creating visible alignment between team goals and individual goals

The tough part

Make it easy to collaborate and synergize

The tough part

Reward collaboration and unreward non-collaboration

The tough part

Success dose

Team spirit

Team spirit is created by the team and not by the manager

Managers can damage team spirit

An environment of trust and respect

Group traditions: work, play, and celebrate as a team

Don't forget the individual

Rotate the champions

Why teams fail

Expectations, alignment, and team direction not clear

Leadership deficit

Confusion in structure

Not enough time for team dynamics to set in

Groupthink

Summary

5. Communicating

Elements of good communication

Clarity

Context

Two-way

Concise

Rules of courtesy

Watch out

Timely

Similar vocabulary — apple means apple

What managers must know about communication

Interpersonal communication is a process, not an event

Understanding the communication needs of your organization

Understanding the communication needs of your role and work

You set the communication model for your team

Controlling unwanted communication, for example, salary discussions

Cutting down the layers, shortening the channels

The grapevine — don't worry too much about it

Allowing people to vent

Scenarios

Everyday communication

Do the Hi exchange

Enagage in casual chat

Be available to talk

Don't always keep looking for a status update

Don't keep telling them what to do

When someone just walks in with a problem

When people share personal problems

Communicating bad news to an individual, for example, being denied a bonus

Communicating unwelcome news to a group, for example, undesired management changes

Difficult discussions — separate the person from the issue

Communication in a distributed team

Extra communication required

Check alignment frequently

It's ok to have an accent

Acknowledgement response

More back and forth required, more questions to be asked

Different energy levels

Use a mix of methods to communicate

Create opportunities for in-person interactions

Finally, when to keep mum

Summary

6. Motivation

Understanding motivation

Desire is given but action is not

Everything takes some motivation

Everyone's motivation is somewhat different

Basic factors are common

It's not just your responsibility

There's such a thing as self-motivation

Demotivators are different from motivators

Everyone is motivated to work

Motivation theories

Maslow's hierarchy of needs theory

Physiological needs

Safety needs

Love and belonging needs

Esteem needs

Self-actualization

Putting Maslow's pyramid together in today's context

Herzberg's motivation — hygiene and two-factor theory

McClelland's motivational needs theory

Need for power

Need for achievement

Need for affiliation

All three factors

What's motivating in today's workplace?

Success is motivating

Team bonding is motivating

Power is motivating: power to choose, power to shape the future

A challenge is motivating

A manager's confidence and belief in the individual is motivating

Hope of achieving greatness is motivating

Hope of a better future is motivating

What is demotivating?

Uncertainty is demotivating

No social status is demotivating

Fear, threats, and disrespect are huge demotivators

Lack of adequate and timely compensation is a demotivator

Poor working conditions are demotivators

Lack of opportunities to show their potential is demotivating

Lack of learning is demotivating

Signs of low motivation

Lack of attention to detail

Absenteeism

Dragging feet

Dropped catches...too many misses at work

No contest — passivity — low engagement

Less social interaction

Is money a motivator?

Summary

References

7. Hiring

Understanding hiring

Understanding your optimal requirements

Hiring for potential not just current skills

Hiring is a risk

Hiring is not an end to itself

Be open — talking about challenges upfront

Pre-interview: knowing what you are looking for

Advertising and sourcing

Pre-interview: resume screening

Pre-interview: phone screening

Sample phone screen

Warm up (3-5) minutes

Recent significant projects (10 minutes)

Domain experience (5 minutes)

Basic technical questions (10 minutes)

Code writing capabilities (10 minutes)

Closing (5-7 minutes)

How to conduct an effective interview

Interview plan

Reading and analyzing the resume beforehand

Interview tips

Listen to the candidate

Don't ask the same questions to people at different levels

Warm-up questions

Basics plus deep drill on key areas

Look for application and not just theory

Look beyond technical skills

Past work is important

Using behavioral interviews

Feedback recording

Hiring decision

Compensation

Option 1: compensation on par with a team member with similar profile

Option 2: new compensation = previous compensation + 20%

Option 3: compensation based on market data

Option 4: compensation by negotiation

Truth about compensation

What is the answer?

Closing the hiring process

Campus hiring

There is a shortage

Campus day 1

Only one offer

Compensation rules

Elimination process followed by selection process

Interviewing on campus

Campus hiring — allocations

Pre-join attrition

Campus hires boot camp

Summary

8. Performance Evaluation

Understanding performance

Purpose of performance evaluation

Reviewing and reflecting

Feedback

Alignment

Looking ahead

Personal development and career planning

Tracking progress over the years

Positive side effects

Used in reward calculations

Used in layoffs

Organizational improvements

Performance evaluation process

Appraisal form

Competencies

Goals from last year

Open-ended questions

Key dimensions

Development plan

Goal setting for the coming year

Final/overall rating

Usual appraisal models

Employee — manager review

Additional external reviewers

Additional peer reviews

360 degree reviews

The usual once-a-year appraisal process steps

Using the bell curve in performance evaluation

Problems with the performance appraisal process

It has become an event

Always done in a hurry

Hard to remember the details — especially for a manager

Disconnected managers

Proximity effect

Halo effect

Managers shy away from disagreements and having a hard discussion

Subjective ratings — depends on interpretation

Rating some competencies makes no sense

Inconsistency in ratings by different managers

High self-appraisal

Remote manager

Performance management and appraisal as a two-stage system

Ongoing performance management

Short cycle and long cycle performance evaluation

Short cycle

Long cycle

Summary

9. Attrition

Understanding attrition

It's going to happen

Multiple reasons, but one driver

Attrition can be healthy

Don't take it personally

Top 3 reasons why people quit: 'money', 'career growth', 'manager'

Rarely does the decision change

Categories of 'quitters'

The growth-oriented

The dissatisfied

The mismatched

The whimsical

The still searching

The purposeful

The fearful

Cost of attrition

Direct costs

Administrative costs of an exit

Hiring costs

Finding the candidates

Interviewing costs

Cost of background check

Relocation cost for a new employee

Induction and on-boarding costs

Training costs

Indirect costs

Loss of productivity

Learning curve

Loss of tacit knowledge

Loss of personal network

Loss of efficiency in teamwork

Loss of morale for the rest of the team

Loss of customers due to inefficiency

Opportunity cost

Copy cat attrition

Benefits of attrition

Attrition may get rid of deadwood and misfits

Attrition creates space for new perspectives and new energy

Attrition may help achieve a balance in the team

Internal attrition is very healthy

Attrition may lower total costs

Attrition may create space for growth

Attrition helps a manager expand the network

Attrition — watch out

Managing attrition

Expect it: anybody can leave

Know your people

Manage expectations proactively

Enhance team capabilities

Encourage cross-area awareness

Promote openness and be accessible

Create documentation and trainings

Create a fun work environment

Summary

10. Managing — Remoteness, Work-Life, Gen Y, and Diversity

Managing remoteness

Remote employee means

You can't see him/her — visual observation is lost

You only see results, not efforts

Distrust creeps in — wonder what he is up to

Relationship becomes very 'black box'

Out of sight, out of mind

Everything becomes harder, requiring extra effort

A remote leader becomes very important, just for being remote

Making remoteness work

Indulge in chitchat

Embrace new technology to get closer

Set expectations with the remote employee to communicate more

Formalize some of the communication

Make it two-way

Drive by setting clear goals and success criteria

More frequent checkpoints

Open sessions

Get into detail rather than just 'everything is fine'

Evaluate if it's working

Don't become the only face of the remote team; let them have their identity

Don't overdo it — excessive reporting

Leverage the 'local' for the remote employee

Provision for travel — make it economical

Make travel meaningful

Work-life balance

Understanding work, life, and the balance

What is work?

What is life?

What is work-life balance (WLB)?

WLB is NOT an equal number of hours

Achievement and fulfillment are key

Enjoyment test

Work is NOT life, but work IS life too

Balance now is better than balance later

Why managers should encourage WLB

An individual's WLB is an employee's responsibility; managers only support it

Common reasons of losing WLB

Managing Indian Gen Y

Some characteristics of Gen Y

Gen Y employee behavior

Smart working

Nothing is impossible

Open and transparent

Secure — there's always another job

Don't Alt-Tab

Very social — diverse

Respect for the individual rather than the position

Ownership, decision-making, and choices are important

Managing diversity

Diversity is natural

Shun stereotypes

Early training

Diversity doesn't mean the 'same' treatment

Celebrate the diversity

As an individual, learn about different cultures

Be aware of various diversity programs run by the organization

Enjoy the food

No jokes about a particular community

Be quick to stop a conversation that is bordering on discrimination, even in humor

Summary

11. Effective Planning

Why plan?

Making something happen

Stopping something from happening

Educating and making people aware

Helping to prioritize

Increasing commitment

Showing the path — adds confidence, lowers anxiety

Planning cycle

A good project manager

What to consider when creating a plan

The big picture

Identifying the deliverable and greater purpose

Know the larger 'program management' plan

External environment and dependencies

Governing rules and requirements

Know the stakeholders and their requirements

Understand the level of tolerance for problems

Work assignment and execution

Start with a conservative and flexible plan

Players and their strengths

Choosing appropriate methods of execution

What is a buffer?

Execution plan

Checkpoints

Reviewing the plan

Monitoring

Completion criteria and success criteria

Progress and visibility

Checkpoints and re-planning

Advertising your plan and focus areas

Encouraging and expecting planning from your team

Weekly team meeting — last week, next week

Daily stand up meetings — 15 minutes

Personal planning — 15 minutes a day model

Managing changes and risks

Preparing for risk

Being connected

Planning gotcha: don't follow your plan too closely

Nuances of planning in India

Not saying NO

Too much focus on work — desire to grow

'All is well' syndrome

Too many young players — lack of experience

Regional and cultural issues

Remote teams — out of the loop

Summary

12. How to Grow As a Manager

What does 'growth' mean to you?

Another way: find your way one step at a time

Pre-growth checks

Are you having fun?

Are you able to leverage your unique talents?

Do you fit culturally?

Bare essentials for any growth

Capability

Credibility

Opportunity

Some dos to grow as a manager

Grow your people

Delegate

Almost redundant

Trust your team

Make decisions

Take risks

Nerves

Deliver consistently

Get diverse experience — projects, people, location

Make linkages and network

Spend the time — the eight-hour workday is history

Grow in stature

Some don'ts to grow as a manager

Don't compete with your own people

Don't get sucked into the 'busy' paradigm

Don't get blind in defending your team

Don't be self-righteous, be open to a compromise

Don't forget the real job skills

Summary

13. Summing it Up

Know what you manage

Transition requires a mindset change

Help yourself, get help

Know your success measures

Managers wear multiple hats

Manager as a conduit

Team building — define playing positions

Team building — winning as a team

Communicate in a timely manner — reduce layers, add clarity

Motivation — Maslow's hierarchy of needs

Hiring

Attrition — expect it, manage it

Planning and execution

Decision-making

Manage — all aspects

Summary

Index