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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. Becoming a Manager is Cack Because…. This is a new job It is harder than the old one
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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
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
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
Corollary When the going gets tough the LAST THING you should do is your old job
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
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
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)
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
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?
Hire, Fire, Sire. • Don’t hire in your own image • Prepare your staff for moving on • Appraisals • Training requirements
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
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
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