July 16 kicks off our summer Leadership program here in Fort Lauderdale. For registration information, please visit www.workingleadership.com.
__
"So, the relationship between the supervisor and the line worker or the manager and the supervisor is all about the work. And that relationship is an accountability relationship," I explained.

Sylvia nodded, so I continued, "What is the appropriate relationship between the manager and the line worker? What is the nature of the relationship for the Manager Once Removed?"

"It can't also be an accountability relationship, because the line worker would then have two bosses. That's a little schizophrenic." Sylvia's head turned. "But the conversation I was having with Muriel, our line worker, wasn't about the work. I was interested in how she was doing as a person. I was interested in how she was adjusting, how she was finding things with the company."

It was my turn to nod. Sylvia continued.

"As the Manager Once Removed, I think it is important to have those kinds of conversations. Her supervisor will talk with her about the work, making sure the work gets done. My role, as a Manager, is to create the system, monitor the system. It's important for me to find out the condition of the system."

"Is it also your responsibility to be grooming your next wave of supervisors?" I asked.

"Yes, and my next supervisors are going to come from my best team leaders. As the Manager Once Removed, I need to be having conversations about career paths and opportunities within the company."

"And, as a Manager, do you also have an accountability relationship with the supervisor who reports to you?"

"Yes, and I can find out a lot about Vince's performance as a supervisor by having a Manager Once Removed conversation with Muriel."

From the Ask Tom mailbag:

Question:

How do you handle Managers who take credit for your work (my immediate manager and his boss)? My immediate manager does not know the job well and depends on everyone for support. The operation has downfalls due to his shortcomings. Only a few immediate individuals know the truth and feel uncomfortable going to upper management.

Response:

The Manager and the Manager-Once-Removed are both absolutely responsible for the output of their teams. I hold them both accountable for the team's successes and the team's failure. So, they DO get the credit when times are good and they shoulder the blame when things go bad.

And often, it is not necessary that a Manager have in-depth technical knowledge. That's what the team is for. I often lead teams where I have zero knowledge of their internal processes or technology.

So, my concern is for the downfalls in operations. Why are they happening? And how can we get better in the future? I use the following questions to debrief. You might be able to share these with your boss so your team can make some progress.

• What did we expect?
• What did we do well?
• What went wrong?
• What can we do next time, to prevent that from going wrong?
• When will we meet again?

When the team focuses on these questions, things begin to change. Complaining to upper management accomplishes little. -TF

"What kind of questions?" asked Ted.

"Look, in your position, as Manager, you often don't have the technical details necessary to make a decision. As a Manager, that's not your job. Your job is to bring value to the thinking and work of your team." I waited for Ted to catch up.

"By asking questions?"

"Most Managers think their team will see them weak if they have difficulty making a decision, even if the Manager doesn't have the technical details. So, sometimes Managers make a decision because they think it's their job.

"If you have two engineers, each with a different method of solving a problem, you may not know which method is technically the best way."

"So, how do you make the decision?"

"You don't bring value by making a decision and telling them what to do. You bring value by asking questions.

• What were the top three criteria on which you based your recommendation?
• What impact will your recommendation hav on the time frame of the project?
• What two things could go wrong with your recommendation?

"Your job, as Manager, is not telling people what to do. Your job is to bring value to their thinking and their work." -TF

Greetings from St. Louis, MO.
__
Our next Leadership program begins Wednesday, April 30, 2008. For more information, visit www.workingleadership.com.
__
"I'm not sure I know what you mean, bring value to a person's thinking and their work. I know what it means, I guess, I am not sure how a Manager does that," asked Ted.

"Do you bring value by telling a person what to do?" I replied.

"Well, I could make suggestions," Ted answered. "But you are right. Technically, these guys run circles around me. I don't know the technology and I don't have their experience."

"So, even if you did make suggestions, there is a high likelihood that you would be suggesting the wrong thing?"

Ted nodded his head.

"So, if these guys can technically run circles around you and have much more experience, then how can you, as their Manager, bring value to their thinking and their work?"

Ted was stumped.

"As their Manager, Ted, you don't bring value by telling. You bring value by asking questions." -TF

Greetings from St. Louis, MO.

I would like to welcome our new subscribers from Toronto. I was there last week in a series of workshops on Time Span and the research of Elliott Jaques.
__
Our next Leadership program begins Wednesday, April 30, 2008. For more information, visit www.workingleadership.com.
__
"Yes, but shouldn't these people be reporting to me?" asked Ted.

"That depends. Functionally, their roles produce results you are interested in, but are you prepared to be their Manager?" I replied.

"I think so. I think they can report to me. I think I can hold them accountable for producing those results. I think I can check up on them to make sure they are working," Ted proposed.

"That's only the surface part of being a Manager." I stopped to draw a picture. "Here you are, and these people, you believe, should report to you. But are you prepared to be their Manager?

"Your most important role, in the Manager relationship with these guys, is for you to bring value to their thinking and their work." Ted stared at the simple picture of circles and lines.

"Are you bringing value to their thinking and their work by telling them that their reports are due on Friday and then reminding them Monday morning that their reports are late?"

Ted was still staring, but putting the pieces together. "Well, no, not when you put it that way."

"Then, how, as their Manager, do you bring that value? And are you committed to bring that value? Are you willing to commit the time to bring that value?

"The answers to these questions will determine whether these people should report to you." -TF