Management Principles #13: Integrity

Management Principles #13: Integrity

Integrity.  The word itself brings many thoughts and emotions.  Integrity is quite possibly the most important aspect of one’s self, and how well it is protected and portrayed is up to you.  I was taught that integrity was like virginity: no one can take it from you, but once you give it up, you cannot get it back.  As I have grown as a person, leader, and manager, I have learned that although this statement is not completely true, it expresses the importance of the need to protect your integrity.  I personally once took a hit to my integrity–my fault completely–and it took years of hard work and self-discovery to gain it back.  I fought hard, as will you if you choose to ever give any part of it up.  Integrity is doing what is right, always.  Doing what is right is not always easy.  Doing what is right when no one is there to see it is tough as well.  You may be tempted to cut a corner when people aren’t looking – that is a hit to your integrity.  You may take advantage of your perceived power, and feel ‘above the law’ – that is a hit to your integrity.  You may knowingly take advantage of a certain situation to advance your own agenda and let others fail – that is a hit to your integrity.  When you see something wrong, and choose to not correct it, or say something – that is a hit to your integrity.  If it sounds similar to trust, it is.  You can gain and lose people’s trust based solely on your integrity.  The question you need to ask yourself every moment of every day is, ‘am I willing to give up my integrity’?  Ultimately, giving up any part of your integrity is a choice, and all choices have consequences.

Management Principles #11: Verbatim Compliance

#11 Verbatim Compliance

                  For the purpose of this portion, verbatim compliance is about following the procedures and the books.  The procedures we use and follow every day in project management have been vetted through the years. I often find that many people think they have better ways to do business other than the way that has been written.  However, their ways haven’t gone through a rigorous process to be verified prior to being written and published.  People run a risk every time they choose to not follow the book verbatim. I understand that business adapts, but one should put forth the effort to get new methods written and approved prior to using them.  There should be no argument in following procedure. You do not get to choose which ones to follow and which ones to ignore, but you always have the choice to submit a change if you feel there’s a better or different way to perform.  I understand that in creative workplaces this may not always be the case, and am open to the argument that verbatim compliance in some organizations is not effective. However, in more traditional workplaces, following the book is a necessity.

Management Principles #10: Responsibility and Discipline & #12 Symptom, Illnesses and Details

Management Principles #10: Responsibility and Discipline & #12 Symptom, Illnesses and Details

                  If you want to be a manager you must accept responsibility.  This does not mean you are responsible only for your actions, but responsible for the actions of others around you as well.  This is a very tough thing for some people to understand.  As managers, we often reap the benefits of the successes of our subordinates. So it only goes to say, if our people make a mistake, then we must be held responsible for that mistake as well.  This does not alleviate those who work for you from being responsible for their own actions, but you have a certain level of responsibility for those actions as well.  The toughest part is realizing how to fix the mistakes that may have been made that you are now being held responsible for.  The first, and perhaps most obvious step, is always stop the continuation of the problem.  The discipline you may have to invoke should always relate to the mistake that was made.  The second step is to identify the source of the mistake and correct it so that it will not happen again.  This may take extra time to do some fact-finding, but will pay dividends in the end.  Finding the root cause and the details will prevent the entire group from making the same mistake twice, causing rework, falling behind schedule, and budgets rising.  It can be as simple as an error in their training, or a lack of preparation for the task.  If you’re going to be held responsible, fix the problem not the person.  If the person is the problem, then you have to find out what that employee’s strengths are and see if they would thrive better in another role. Sometimes though, people just don’t work out.  If that’s the case, you need to do both a favor and help that person find something they may be better suited for.  You cannot feel as if it’s your fault that you failed them or let them down. You need to understand that you are helping this person so they don’t fail again in this role.  If they continue to fail, they will have low self-esteem, and moving them can help them as much as your group.  Bottom line: you’re responsible for your people and their successes and failures.

Management Principles: Technical Competence and Credibility

Management Principles #9: Technical Competence and Credibility 

          The bottom line is simple:  you must be both competent and credible to be doing whatever it is you are doing.  I do not mean you must be the smartest, or you must always be right—you just need to know how to get the right answer.  I do mean that you must have some credibility or else no one will put much energy into your ideas, your work, or even worse, without credibility, you will not be the successful leader your position may require.  What I believe is this: if you are competent enough to know how to get the right answer, and you have the credibility that drives others to believe you did your homework prior to coming up with a solution, idea, etc, then you can succeed. 

                 

          Let’s put this to the test:  You are asked to come up with a plan to complete a complex task.  First and foremost you must come up with the technically correct solution.  This is vital.  “What is the 100% answer”?  It goes back to my earlier writings about integrity and origami.  You must present the right answer even if it is the most difficult.  That is the integrity part.  You must know the right answer before you start to stray from it.  That is the origami part.  NEVER LET SCHEDULE OR COST INFLUENCE THE 100% ANSWER.  Once you have the 100% solution then, and only then, you can start weighing the risks of cost and schedule and how it alters your 100% solution.  This is where the rubber meets the road.  The company will need to decide if taking the less than optimum path in order to meet cost or schedule is the right choice when presented with the impact to the 100% solution.  That compromise must be a conscious decision, and any decision made will come with consequences that need to be understood and accepted. 

                  

          Your job as a leader is to instill this in your people.  Those coming to you with an answer need to not be fearful of being reprimanded for bringing what may be the hard solution.  Instead, they should have pride in knowing they presented the perfect solution and they trust their management to base the final decision from it.  To take it a step further and to be the better leader, you must also allow the person or group that came up with the original plan to be involved with the final decision.  They are after all the ones who know the most from the research they performed, and they will know how cost and schedule will impact that plan.  It also lets them see a glimpse into the struggle a boardroom may have when weighing the risks associated with the final decision.  This is a win for the right answer and the development of our people.

                  

          As a manager/leader this is what you are looking for in your team—competence and credibility.  However, if your team is newly created, or you inherited a team not quite there yet, it then becomes your responsibility to develop your people into being both competent and credible.  This is very achievable but you must not give up on your team.  I believe that as you help them gain there technical knowledge and their credibility, it may in fact be you that has learned the most.

Management Principles: Candor

Management Principles #8:  Candor

              Merriam Webster’s dictionary defines candor as “the quality of being open, sincere, and honest”.  As for the 16 management principles I am using for the basis of my most recent blog topics, it talks about candor as not being afraid of saying the phrase, “I don’t know”. But that is not all candor is; let’s breakdown the very definition of candor.

               Being open.  I see being open as becoming vulnerable, which is not a bad thing. In the workplace, sharing your motives and ideals from the beginning can be a successful tactic that creates unity in the work environment. Being open is crucial to gaining the trust and cooperation of your people. To complete a task with high morale and efficiency, remaining open about your goals is always the first step.

               Being sincere.  Being sincere is one of the best traits you can have. It is very welcoming and inviting, and shows your people that you truly care. They can sense compassion and understanding through sincerity. Once you gain trust based on your sincerity, it is a bond that is tough to break.  If one of your people comes to you being open, as discussed above, and you show sincerity acknowledging their bravery in this time, you will have the respect of those around you as a person who is very approachable. The idea of you being an approachable boss leads to open discussions and allows people to share ideas more freely.

               Being honest.  Honesty should always be a core value in a leader.  Honesty should always be the first thing you think about and a trait you never hesitate to use.  While honesty can be very blunt, you can find a way to always be honest with tact. When asked a question, even a white lie could steer somebody wrong. You must always be honest not only to your people, but to yourself as well. Honesty is rarely easy. When it is time to do a peer review, withholding from your people the truth is accepting the flaws you are choosing to overlook. If they are not performing well and you do not tell them, then they will never know they need to improve. This will hurt you, them, and the company.  If you are honest with them, with tact, openness and sincerity, then they will be open to criticism and together you can create a personal improvement plan that both parties can agree to. Openness and sincerity make honesty easier and more easily accepted.

               Candor is a big deal.  These are just examples of how candor can affect the workspace. What are some of your examples of candor as a leader?

 

Management Principles: Decision Making and Doing Your Homework

Mangement Principles #6 & #7:  Decision Making and Doing Your Homework

             Sometimes the toughest part of management is decision making.  It definitely comes with the greatest amount of pressure, and usually it is a self-imposed pressure because you can become very vulnerable once the decision is made.  Once you make a company decision, or what I call a command decision, you then feel exposed to every one watching and evaluating the outcome of that decision.  This can be very scary for some.  In fact, it is sometimes the reason people who otherwise are very capable for promotions choose not to take them.  Likewise, it is sometimes the demise of leaders who make poor decisions and stick to them, or who simply never make decisions at all.  The worst of these is making no decision at all. It shows the manager to be weak, and it provides no direction to your work force.

               Let’s discuss the direction piece.  By making command decisions you are providing a path for everyone.  Knowing not all of your decisions are going to be the right ones, you must accept that you may alter the decision as more information becomes available.  If decision making were a journey, then standing still or not making a decision would get you nowhere.  Making a decision is the momentum to carry you onward in your journey, and as you learn new things during the journey, you would use the new information to alter your course.  The same comes with making a decision.  You are providing momentum to move forward, but it doesn’t mean that you won’t need to make course corrections during your project.

               What separates those who make good decisions and those who don’t—from those who made a decision and those who won’t—is simply one thing:  Doing your homework.  You doing yours, your people doing theirs, etc.  Only through knowledge can a good decision be made.  It is just like the friend who comes late into a conversation, misses 30 minutes of it, but tries to solve your problem based on the 30 seconds of conversation they were privy to.  It is never sage advice.  I am sure you have had those friends in your life, or even coworkers.  Homework ensures you know what the subject is that your decision effects.  How?  First way to gain a thorough knowledge of your Area of Responsibility (AOR) is to get out from behind your desk and actually get involved at all levels; from the deckplate to the boardroom.  You cannot lead from behind a desk.  Second, engage your people to teach.  If they can teach both at the deckplate and at your level of management then you are creating a cohesive workforce.  Never believe you cannot learn from those junior to you.  They are the next you or more.  Third, ask questions.  The first two steps help you to prepare for anything that may come your way in the future. Asking questions can help you to make decisions in the moment. If a major decision is to be made, it will take your experience and the experience of those at the table to collectively help you make the right decision.  Ask questions and allow those questions to be answered. Even if they become action items to be answered prior to you making the decision, be patient (but don’t waste time, either). 

               Now, it’s time to make a decision.  Once you do, give it time to develop before you take praise or change your decision.  Allow it to grow.  Don’t make a decision then just walk away.  It may need some nurturing.  Slight tweaks.  Stick with it, but do not make the mistake of thinking your decision was the right one because Murphy is always lurking around the corner. 

               On another note, be sure you empower your people to make decisions as well, and support their decisions while nurturing them.  You will develop a team that will go forth and do great things.

Management Principles: Solving Problems and Making Mistakes

Numbers 4 and 5: 

Of the list of topics relating to the Management Principles, these two definitely go hand in hand. 

There are very few things that can upset a manager more than the employee who comes to him or her with problems but no recommendation of how best to solve the problem.  Just problems.  No solutions.  My thought has always been if you are going to come to me with a headache, you’d better bring the aspirin.

                  Fear of making a mistake is another.  If you are always looking for someone else to be liable for what can go wrong, then you will never be successful.  Do not be afraid to make a mistake.  In fact, it shows your true character.  How do you handle yourself when something goes wrong, especially when it was your responsibility?  Do you stand up and admit your mistake, or do you perform some type of new Olympic event with the “duck, shuffle, and point the blame”.

                  So how do these go together?  As a leader I have many expectations.  I expect that when I direct and delegate, that you understand you have the wiggle room to make deck-plate decisions without checking in with me on every step.  In fact, I trust you to use your experience and expertise to make appropriate and timely decisions in order to keep working.  Given this knowledge, I assume you understand that when a problem arises it is you that I expect to come up with a solution and execute that solution.  Will you always be right?  Hell no.  Will you make a mistake?  Hell yes.  But that is the genius part of this.  I believe in you.  I believe you did not make a mistake on purpose. I believe that whatever mistake you have made will in fact be a great lesson learned. 

                  Now, with that being said, there must be some rules to live by:

1)      Some situations will require a boss’s judgment, authority, or experience to come to the optimum solution. Your job is not just to identify problems, but also to develop, prepare, and execute solutions according to the direction given by management. 

2)     We must learn from our experiences and expect our people to do so also.

Knowing this, you and those who work for you should feel more empowered to come up with solutions to the problem.  Identify the risk versus gain, and decide a plan ahead.  If during the execution of this planned solution you make a mistake, it is okay—take a deep breath.  Most of the time it is a minor course correction that will get you back on the right path.  It is so much better to make an informed decision knowing that adjustments will need to be made, than to never make a decision at all.

Management Principles: Following Direction

Number 3:  Following Direction

                  This one seems to be simple; just follow direction. Just do it.  Go on, do what you are told! 

When in fact, it is very complicated—what if the direction contradicts something (e.g. morals, values, higher authority). 

                  As I think about this, I realize that whether I receive the direction or I give it, the expectation is the same….Follow direction.  If you walk away when given direction, then the expectation is you will follow it.  This then becomes your responsibility.  So, if you have a question, concern, point to be made, MAKE IT KNOWN! Do not leave your management thinking all is well if it is not.

                  Likewise, if you direct someone to do something, wouldn’t you assume as they walk away that it was going to be done as asked?  It’s the golden rule simplified; do for others as you expect others to do for you.

Here’s the hitch in this as I have posted in an earlier blog.  When directing your people, be sure to be clear and concise so when they do walk away, you both understand what is being asked.  What exactly are the boundaries of this task? When do you want it done?  Do you want it followed a certain way?  Do you want to be informed at certain points?  Quite literally you could ask these questions all day.  There also has to be a bit of trust in the relationship.  It’s really the 80/20 rule, whereas you spend 80% of your time with 20% of your people.  For instance, after having a good working relationship with my people, I know whom I can give direction to and how they will proceed afterward.  Then, I have those who I must spend time with to insure that they understand what is needed.  It may only be a couple of people, but I spend most of my time with them to ensure the direction is followed.

I also want to take a moment to discuss people in general.  When I was an instructor, I learned that a classroom full of students just meant I had a room full of individual learners.  No two individuals necessarily learned the same way.  While one person needs to read about it first, the other may learn from hands-on training.  The same goes with giving direction.  While one person may need to be told only once, another may require their hand held throughout the process.  Don’t ever forget this, and be sure to understand this and how it can be applied.  It will save you a lot of frustration.  Also, alternately, the same goes for you receiving direction.  Your boss is not necessarily a similar learner.  He/she may give direction, and have an expectation of direction being followed, which you may not comprehend.  This too is very frustrating.  Empathy, in both directions, is the key to your sanity.

 If you as a leader are not approachable; or as a follower are not willing to stand up and speak, then you are now responsible to carry out the direction.  In other words, if I tell you to do something and you walk away, I can only assume that you are going to carry out my direction.

Management Principles: Commitment

Number 2:  Commitments.

If you accept a task, you are committed to it.  If you assign a task that someone else accepts, they are committed to it.  But, what does commitment mean?  Webster defines it as:

1.      responsibility: something that takes up time or energy, especially an obligation

2.      loyalty: devotion or dedication, e.g. to a cause, person, or relationship

Key words are loyalty, obligation, responsibility, devotion and dedication.  If you commit to a task then my expectation—anyone’s expectation—is that you will perform as directed.  Now, if you can’t meet your commitment then be sure to make it known.   The problem with commitment today is that every commercial you see on television says something like “stop with the Hassle fees, switch to Key Bank”, or “your beer has too many calories and not enough taste, switch to Miller Lite”.  Even in sports today we see LeBron undecided where he may end up, whereas Magic never thought that way.  So, we must understand that commitment today may in fact mean something totally different from past generations.  A commitment today may be only temporary compared to what they were before.  With this being known, what does commitment mean to you?  You must realize this:  the definition has not changed through the generations, only the application has.

               Here is what I expect from leaders.  When we task someone or we ourselves are tasked, a commitment is made. It becomes a binding agreement that full responsibility must be taken for, and in the end, if failure has occurred, then you only have yourself to blame.  No one else.  You accepted such a fate when you committed to the task.

               Now you ask yourself, how can I help this situation if things are going south?  First of all, you are responsible based on a commitment.  Imagine that you have been tasked with a major project, one of great importance.  Each of those higher up that you report to in this situation are bears.  If information is food, do you starve the bears or keep them fat?  Easy answer, keep feeding them information as it comes to you.  This keeps those you report to satiated.  If you wait, and give nothing, then the day you need to give an update, good or bad, the bears are going to bite your head off.  They have been hungry and you have failed to keep them informed.  The same goes for you subordinates that you task, in this case though you are the bear.  How would you feel if you were kept in the dark on an important project you delegated?  Hungry!

               My point here is, if you made a commitment, it is your responsibility to keep your boss informed.  No one else holds that responsibility but you.  You are the one who must face the bear with both the good and bad news, because you are the one who has committed to it.  Not only is that expected of you from those you report to, but it is also the standard to which you must hold those who have made a commitment to you.

 

Management Principles: How To Succeed

              Hello there.  I know it has been a while and I offer no excuses.  I am back now, and in full writing mode to share some more thoughts.  In fact, many more.  While I was away from writing I was never far from a notepad to jot down little nuggets of wisdom as I learned them.  I am ready, are you?

               I once heard that the most successful of people listen to books on CD’s while traveling to and from work.  Take this another step, those who are successful read not for pleasure, but to learn and hone their skills and trade.  While I walk through offices of many senior people, I look at their bookshelves to see what is there and what they reference.  It is these books I want to read.  I need to know how my peers and Senior people think so I know how they see things.  Solve things.  Hear things.  You see, I don’t want to clone myself into my management; rather, I want to know how they think so I can get into their heads.  With this information, I have a better understanding of how to present myself in a way I know they will relate to.  I more deeply understand the methods and techniques management uses to reach team goals and can empathize with such direction because of my learning.

               With this, I saw a poster in one the Senior Manager’s office that caught my eye.  It was about management principles and how to succeed.  There were 16 principles, written by J G Barber.  What I want to present to you is these principles, in my own words.  They struck a chord in me.  I like to keep things simple, and this does just that.  Plus, I agree with them.  I have seen these principles in action and can tell you from a first person point of view, it’s about to get real in here.

The Management Principles:

1.       Responsibility

2.      Commitments

3.      Following Direction

4.      Solving Problems

5.      Mistakes

6.      Decision Making

7.      Doing Your Homework

8.      Candor

9.      Technical Competence and Credibility

10.   Responsibility and Discipline

11.   Verbatim Compliance

12.   Symptoms, Illnesses and Details

13.   Integrity

14.   Promotions/Evaluations/Removals

15.   Bad News/Good News

16.   “Bum Dope”

              In the coming days and weeks, I will touch on each of these.  For now, just think about these 16 principles.  How do they resonate with you?  Do you agree that it can be this simple?  Which one means more than the next?  Do they have an order of rank to them according to your principles and values?   

              I will leave you with a quote from Hyman Rickover, the father of Naval Nuclear Power, on Responsibility:

“It is a unique concept; it can only reside and inhere in a single individual, you may share it with others, but your portion is not diminished.  You may delegate it, but it is still with you.  You may disclaim it, but it is still with you.  You may disclaim it, but you cannot divest yourself of it.  Even if you do not recognize it or admit its presence, you cannot escape it.  If responsibility is rightfully yours, no evasion, or ignorance, or passing the blame can shift the burden to someone else.  Unless you can point your finger at the man who is responsible when something goes wrong, then you have never had anyone really responsible.”

               I am really glad to be back writing. As much as I continue to learn, I truly want to share with you my learnings. 

Metrics

¹met·ric noun \me-trik\: a standard of measurement

In project management situations, we often use metrics to define our performance against a plan.  In fact, metrics are used as a way to measure effectiveness using absolutes, thus keeping emotion out of the equation.  Basically when reading those metrics, it should be WYSIWYG….What you see is what you get.  Factual.  Truth.  Nothing should be glaring you in the face and having you react to it such as, “Wow, I didn’t see that coming….”

In fact, metrics are no more than data being used to show a trend.  The trend tracks historical data to show you the future:  Am I going to succeed?  Are we on the plan?  Are we failing?  All can be seen with the crystal ball of good metrics.  So if you use metrics, the more data you have to forecast a trend the more truthful that trend is.  If you use metrics over time, you should never be shocked or surprised by what it is telling you.

But let us understand one thing:  metrics should be used to report to Senior Leaders who are not involved in the day to day running of your project.  You cannot lead or manage from behind a desk.  You need to be out in the field, on the floor, on the deckplate, whatever the metaphor, so you can see, hear, touch, and smell the problems before they become a problem.   Talk to those who are doing the work.  Usually the instincts of your people, who just “feel” that something isn’t right, are right.

The indications are there long before the metrics smack you in the face, you just FAIL to react to them.

            I have recently discovered people arguing metrics that have long been embraced in my field.  Truth is, people are arguing because they have become defensive that the trend is showing maybe a poor performance of a project, which they manage. 

I am also hearing arguments from the other side that, to those the metrics are reported to, are saying they are not ready to push the ‘I believe’ button to the trended forecast.  What they are saying is they don’t believe the metrics which they implemented as the standard.

Project Management:  If the metrics are good, you believe them.  If the metrics show a downward trend, you argue the validity.

Senior Leadership:  When the metrics are reported to you and they are good, you question the validity.  If they are bad, you believe them and chastise your PM.

How it should be:  Metrics are just that--metrics!  They are neither good nor bad.  They show only the trend from the data collected.  Use them for what they are for….if it shows a downward trend, make course corrections to fix.  If they show an upward trend, capture what you are doing right.

That is it.  Simple.  Truth.

Procedural/Process Origami; Why Going Back to the Fundamentals is Necessary

 I’m no magician, however I can turn a widget into Origami, and here’s how:

Imagine I am a new employee at your business.  I am employee A.  I am attending training for a new piece of equipment that will revolutionize my job.  It is called the widget.  I will attend training on this all week.  When complete, I will have a thorough understanding of the widget, including everything from how it is made, the specs of it, and how to use it.  I will have all of the necessary information to perform my job with efficiency.  Over the next few months and years, I learn that the rectangular widget is still very useful, even with a corner broken off.

As I continue to do well in my job, I get a new employee (employee B) to come take my spot as I move on to bigger and better things.  As I turnover my work to employee B, I show him/her the widget.   Employee B has never seen one before.  I explain everything, and leave them, knowing they understood that I told them everything about the widget.  Employee B has accepted my information as truth.

Even though the widget is missing a corner, employee B knows this to be a rectangular widget.  As this person decides to remodel the office, employee B cuts another corner of the widget.  Months or years later, a new employee comes in to take over.  This is employee C.  Same routine; same result.  Employee C believes this widget to be a rectangular widget.  Another remodel, another corner cut. 

This goes on and on until employee Z.  Now the widget has been so altered it is an Origami Swan, but employee Z is still told it is a rectangular widget.

This is what happens to processes and procedures that have been used over time.  People cut corners and explore what they can get away with.  The problem becomes, how many corners can be cut before we become unsafe?  Before we fall behind schedule?  Before costs skyrocket?

If the person cutting corners doesn’t understand the fundamentals first, the next cut may be detrimental. Imagine you are steps away from the edge of a cliff, and I have blindfolded you. Your starting point is the basics, and every step away from the basics could be a detrimental last step. The first corner cut in a process or procedure may be understood well due to a thorough understanding of the basics, but as time goes on that understanding gets blurred and each cut thereafter can become critical.

Empower Your People

Empower your people.

                Instead of holding Senior Leadership Meetings to establish new policies or procedures, or for re-organization and such, all things resulting in change that is better for the company both now and into the future, allow your people to come up with the plan.  Have the mid-level managers of your organization establish a ‘steering’ committee with the charter to create a plan of what needs to be done to affect the change and how to do it.  Provide clear communications of the desire of the company and include all constraints such as schedule, budget, safety, etc. Then, as discussed before in this blog, use your 3 D’s and disappear to let them come up with the plan.  See what they come up with.  Because they are directly involved with the day to day operations of the company, it is they who will know best of what changes need to occur.  Give them a specific timeline to be done, no more than one month.  Then, their plan can be presented to the Senior Leadership to have final say and decide on how to implement.

                This plan creates two important positive results:

1)  It leads to transparency as to the direction the company is moving.  By providing transparency it will harbor less cynicism towards your overall goal of creating a more efficient company.

2)  It empowers your people to be a part of the decision of their overall fate.  Empowerment leads to ownership.  Ownership is the one thing that makes companies GREAT!  Great Companies have fewer turnovers of its employees, and by large are more efficient.

                I have seen this work.  It is written in all of the leadership books.  Give it a chance.