Managing

Disclaimer: I wouldn't go so far as to call this my management "philosophy", but it is certainly a north-star for me. I am not perfect at it, but this is what I aspire to. This is my framework for how I think about managing people.

 

The Manager as Coach

The metaphor of manager as coach is an apt one. Many people, when they hear "coach", think of coach as a mentor and guide who is responsible for growing and nurturing people on their teams. That is certainly true, but the coach is also the person on whom the responsibility for the team's performance rests. The manager is the person who is ultimately responsible for driving the team to business value.

I see these two goals as complementary - if a manager does their job right, both people growth and business growth should be accomplished together, through the same mechanisms.

As examples, here are some learnings I have internalized over the years (you can also read a list of questions/answers that I've answered for people I've mentored over the last year):

 

Set Ambitious but Achievable Goals

Ambitious goals are necessary to stretch team members, as well as move the business forward. Making them achievable ensures that team members are stretched but not stressed; it is also when optimal business value is achieved.

 

Honest, but Respectful Communication is Key (and it is hard)

Setting ambitious goals is one part, the harder part is keeping the bar high as time goes on, and projects run into roadblocks and obstacles. It can be uncomfortable for the manager to provide tough feedback, but the key is to do it in a manner that is received well by the recipient and facilitates growth. Personally, I've benefited from the use of a technique that the current Microsoft CEO also evangelizes among his teams: Non-violent communication.

 

Align People and Get out of the way

The goal is to provide the right context, feedback and structure (as opposed to tactical direction) and then, to get out of the way. This helps leaders scale and do more, and it empowers employees to make the decisions that the business needs.

Typically, I meet with everyone reporting to me at least once a week, and I ask managers in my teams to do the same. These 1:1s are a great place to align teams. If done right, it should allow me and other managers to get out of many other meetings which the team-members are now empowered to drive on their own.

 

Low Work-Life Balance can be a symptom of Bad Management

One function of a manager is to look at the allocation of resources and time across the entire team. It is the manager's responsibility to anticipate future business conditions, and organize the team's efforts towards that. We hold managers accountable for this function.

When managers ask teams to work long hours for extended periods of time, it is sometimes due to a failure on the manager's part to plan for the future. We should post-mortem when this happens, and if it was due to a failure to plan, managers must be held accountable.

 

Believe deeply in what you do / Have fun

Over the years, I have found that I am most successful - not just in my direct work, but in leading others, and in hiring - when I believe in what I work on. I ask the same of team-members. This is also when people enjoy what they do at work - it doesn't feel like a chore.

The corollary of this principle is that no matter how brilliant a person, if they don't have conviction about what my team is doing, I want to find another fit for that person (on another team even) as soon as possible.

 

A Short Reading List

Here is a reading list of stuff that has influenced me as a manager:

Highly recommended short-form articles from the web:

Recommended Books: