Shit, I’m A Manager

1. Shit, I’m A Manager An introduction to the soft skills of people-management for the previously proudly unmanageable. Tom Dolan tom@sparklefluff.com Current version at: www.sparklefluff.com/siam

2. Becoming a Manager is Cack Because… • This is a new job • It is harder than the old one • You are answerable and taking blame • You’ve probably had no training for it • Your confidence may be shot

3. So What Is This ‘Management’? • Working out what you want staff to do • Telling them it so they can do it • Making sure they are still doing it • Working out how to do it better next time

4. Who measures your success?(and at what?)

5. Corollary When the going gets tough the LAST THING you should do is your old job

6. The General Traps • Doing what you pay your staff to do • Managing your staff’s staff • Being the weak link in the business chain • Having to win • Slagging off other teams/managers • Sticking to your own (new) kind • Wanting to be liked • Too much email

7. Myths of Management • The perfect manager • You can’t ask for help • You must have the solution • Geek knowledge isn’t power • Budgets are hard and scary

8. Empowering Staff • “That’s unfortunate. So what are you going to do about it then?” • (Jon Lewin 1959-1999 RIP. He was fab.) • “You have to give producers something to produce” • (Anthony Pugh) • “If you can let people do the thing they really want to do, they will do a good job” • (Mark Cossey)

9. Feedback • Behaviour not people • You are giving the feedback • Stick to facts • Avoid ‘the praise sandwich’ • Empathy: Drill down to root causes, weaknesses and interests. • Is it actually you? • Start small, and do it immediately

10. Communication • Team meetings - for team-wide info only • Routine meetings - for each staff member, not you • Task-setting meetings - do your homework! • All other meetings - is just chatting?

11. Hire, Fire, Sire. • Don’t hire in your own image • Prepare your staff for moving on • Appraisals • Training requirements

12. So what can I do? • Acknowledge it’s new • Stop buying technical books • Develop your skills • Talk to other managers about the process • Ask your staff where weak spots are • Debug your management • Lead by example

13. The Payoff • This starts off hard • Remember what your job is • Improve your skills one day at a time • One day, you’ll stop missing your old job

14. Any Questions? Some further reading to write down while other people are talking • For negotiation, skim the first few chapters of • Willam H. Ury - Getting to yes • Susan Jeffers - Feel the fear and do it anyway • Borrow from your parents/boss • Blanchard & Johnson - The one minute manager • Be inspired by • Andy Law - Experiment at Work • Eddie Obeng - The Project Manager’s Secret Handbook • Get your life in order with • Mark Forster - Get everything done and still have time to play • Mark Forster - Make your dreams come true • Admire the extreme machiavellianism of • Andrew Rawnsley - Servants of the People • Neal Stephenson - Cryptonomicon - the Epiphyte strand. • Perhaps buy (I’ve got no idea if it’s any good) • Paul Glen - Leading Geeks