building and managing a successful team

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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


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


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



5 Dysfunctions of a TeamAbsence of trustFear of conflictLack of commitmentAvoidance of accountabilityInattention to results



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



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”



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



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



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



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



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.



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



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



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



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



What decision type would you use? Layoffs Mandatory overtime Team reorganization Team motto/logo/tagline



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


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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



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



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?



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


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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


How would you define four levels of proficiency in an area or skill important in your environment?



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



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



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


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)



Change management Need for change Guiding coalition Vision Empowerment and action Short-term wins Culture shift Change perpetuation



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?



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.


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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.


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.


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


Project Management

Review cycle Types of reviews – organization, content, copyedit Number of drafts Reviews and process Editing levels Quality levels


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.


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


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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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building and managing a successful team

Education

mistakes dont

successful team team

truth dont

dont interrupt

leadership considerations3

incomplete members dont

assertive team members

alternative solutions