1. How many people are in the team you manage?
There are five guys I manage. One is local and the rest are remote.
2. What are ways you measure your team's effectiveness?
An objective way I measure effectiveness is with an annual plan, based on a set of quantifiable and specific objectives, initiatives or projects. They have to be actionable, reviewable and time-limited. I very carefully coach the team to use bullet points. They can be in phases.
Within that, I require them to make a weekly one-on-one agenda for me. It covers three areas:
- What progress did you make last week?
- What are you working on this week?
- What are the obstacles I can help you with?
A subjective way I measure effectiveness is within one-on-ones to get a pulse for team dynamics, cohesion, communication, clarity of priorities, and conflict.
On an annual basis, I ask for peer reviews - identifying those who will be able to speak into their performance over the past year. On a regular frequency, I'll have teams present status updates about their performance compared to the objectives.
3. How do you set expectations for your team on what they are to deliver?
I listen to them and talk to them about what wakes them up in the morning? How can I craft a position for them where they can maximize their creativity in advancing the objectives of the company. People really like that.
Last summer I brought in two interns. After talking with them and discovering their heart and their passion, I discovered that they were better suited for opposite projects, so I swapped projects, and it worked out awesome.
Compensation is key in fulfilling expectations. I find out what it is they value beyond money, such as recognition - anything they count to be significant.
4. What are ways you have shaped your team's culture?
By "team culture," I take that to mean the dynamics of the team and how they work together. If the team members don't understand their unique contribution, what tends to happen is "counter momentum." Instead of competing with the guys down the street, we end up competing with the guy across the hall. We tend to cross over into each others' responsibilities or make up stuff to do to prove we can add value.
My credo is that we under-promise and over-deliver. I strive for open and honest communication. Finally, I make sure we have fun. An example is "skeet and eat," an evening where we skeet shoot, and then go eat barbecue. The team always talks about the events afterwards, for a long time.
I always challenge them to give me one personal non-work goal, such as learning a language, doing public service, or traveling abroad. I want people on my team to be developing themselves. Otherwise, they tend to become myopic, hone in on the work at hand and lose the broader context that I believe adds creativity to the mix. If it's, "I want to beef up on this, " then let's get you some training. I'm always looking for them to develop both professionally and personally.
When it's appropriate and doesn't cross over any boundaries, I focus on other areas too. I formed a prayer group with members from across the organization. Several have said that it's their favorite part of the week.
Conclusions
I truly enjoyed my interview with Mr. Fryar. His experience as a manager is very evident. He embodied several of the principles Hill (1995) mentioned. One example is his clear understanding of the authority and autonomy paradox. His team members have a very clear comprehension of his position of authority and yet they are free to express their creativity on projects that they are working on. He helps them identify and discover their own strengths, so that they can bring those to the team.
Mr. Fryar identifies the strengths of his team members and amplifies them to help the results that the team produces. He seeks to help his team members gain the tools they need to fill the gaps in their abilities. This reflects a principle Hambrick (1987) identified: "How should the gaps be narrowed?"
References
Hambrick, D. C. (1987). The top management team: Key to strategic success. California Management Review, 30(1), 88-88. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/215885383?accountid=14749
Hill, L. (1995). Managing your team, Harvard Business School, 1-22.
A line in Hill comes to mind ... "teams often fail because their managers are confused about which type of team they desire." Fryar sounds like the kind of confident manager for whom it would be a pleasure to work. He's zooming in on not only the functional needs of his network but on the personal dynamics that keep his guys motivated. Would you say that these team members play "on" the team or "as" a team?
ReplyDeletePaul, I am glad you hit on team culture and motivation - we will be talking about both these topics in the coming weeks. I wonder if it would be helpful to publicize the agenda he has his team members create for him. Do you think it would make the team more efficient if each person knows what the others have accomplished and what they are planning for the coming week? Or are there drawbacks to this?
ReplyDeleteI'm interested to read more about rewards/compensation shortly.
ReplyDeleteCraig said that compensation is key in achieving expectations; I would be interested in hearing what other factors (besides money) he finds useful in motivating his team. Recognition is great, but only goes so far. Obviously, I have my own internal rewards (pride, satisfaction, etc.) that keep me going, but ultimately, those things can be affected by lack of financial reward. Did he mention any of the other compensation methods that have worked for him in the past?
To Will's point, I am amazed at how some managers might be effective in managing operations yet they do not know how to manage people. So the fact that he encourages non-work goals is tremendous and shows that he get the big picture. Well-rounded and happy people make better employees. I especially like how Fryar makes it a point to ask how he might be able to help his people. That would go a long way in my world, where there's a "what have you done for me lately?" mentality.
ReplyDeleteWill: I think Craig's team definitely plays "as" a team. I think the "playing together" aspect helps!
ReplyDeleteDr. Pade: If the team members created Part A. and Part B. of their weekly reports, it would be helpful for the whole team. Part A. would be for the whole team to see and Part B. might be aspects that are for Craig's eyes only. This could be helpful for cross-motivation!
Brian: He didn't mention other non-financial rewards. I'll have to ask him, the next time I talk with him!
Phillip: You are right. It's rare to find a manager that is genuinely concerned for the welfare of the whole person, in terms of his or her employees.
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ReplyDeleteLike many of our classmates, I really enjoyed your interviewer's discussion of how he helps shape the team's culture. The video Dr. Pade asked us to view before tomorrow's live session speaks to the importance of building trust between team members. It also seems like Mr. Fryar is adept at conversing genuinely and spontaneously with him team. Hinds and Mortsensen (2005) posit that shared identity built through spontaneous communication leads to reduced team conflict and increased team performance, and this has always been the case in my experience!
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like Mr. Fryar is dedicated to communicating with his team members regularly and motivating them consistently. I think consistency is a key ingredient that is sometimes overlooked. There is nothing worse than the mandatory semi-annual group outing at a company where employees don't otherwise interact in fun and spontaneous ways.