Management Fundamentals

• Managerial roles focus on outcomes not just activities.

What Great Managers Think About

• Purpose, people and process are key considerations for great managers.
• Doing the work yourself is additive, training others to do the work is multiplicative.

Managing in Survival Mode

• When managing in survival mode the priority should be addressing immediate needs.
• Once beyond survival think towards the future.

Management vs. Leadership

• Management is a role whereas leadership is a quality.
• Management is given while leadership is earned.
• Managers can be leaders, but not all managers are leaders.

Routes to Management

• There are four main ways to move into management: Apprentice, Pioneer, Successor, and New Boss.

Apprentice

• This is when your team is growing and you are asked to manage a portion of it.
• This is often the easiest transition because of guidance and familiarity.
• There is a sense of what works from being on the team.
• New dynamics with peers can be awkward and it is tricky to balance individual and management commitments.

Pioneer

• This is when you are a founding member of a new group.
• There is knowledge of the job and ability to build the team as desired.
• This can be lonely with a lack of inter-company support.
• Reach out to individuals in similar positions for support.

Successor

• This is when the boss leaves and you take over the role.
• A benefit is similarity to the apprentice as well as increased responsibility can be overwhelming.
• A downfall can be pressure to do things as the former manager did

New Boss

• This is when you manage an established team.
• There is a chance for leeway for mistakes as the team is new.
• There is a blank slate as to what you were or did.
• It takes time to adjust, invest in relationships, and understand the job.

Art of Feedback

• Feedback can be a gift if used correctly, when not used well it can create resentment.
• Feedback should set clear expectations, and be task-specific, behavioral, or 360.
• Address major disappointments early by having good expectations.
• Promotions: be upfront, don't wait until reviews

Productive 1-1s

• Prepare, discuss top priorities, share feedback, reflect on how things are going, and avoid only task-specific feedback.
• Ask: "What is important to you?" to help zero in on focus, "How can I support you?" to understand them, and support follow-up questions to dig deeper.
• Feedback impacts action, and can be shared often.
• Encourage feedback to feel safe, ensure care in critiquing, and balance hindering with empowering.
• Deliver the tough stuff without upset, in person (not via text), dispassionately, directly, carefully using compliment sandwiches, and owning the decision.

Hiring Well

• Hiring can be just as important as hiring can be at scale as single hires can be valuable.
• Describe ideal candidate, give a great interview experience, use a sourcing strategy, continuously ensure the candidate feels wanted, and gamble smartly based on past work.
• Seek trusted recommendations, have multiple interviewers, and look for passion while avoiding weak hires.

Interview Success Points

• Prepare targeted questions to use during the interview process.
• Avoid those showing toxic behavior.
• Create great diverse teams with complementary skill sets and backgrounds.
• Hire capable people who are capable of more on top of what is needed.
• Focus on diligent execution to make the process smooth.
• Attract top talent, everyone wants them, focus long term and build relationship.
• Nurture a culture that everyone feels is their job.
• When hiring leaders, have a trickle down effect on the entry/level hire.
• Build a great bench so the team can deal with those on leave.
• Treat team buildings as a top priority, coach them for success, and ensure a nurturing culture.

Culture

• Everyone wants to know about culture before they take a job.
• Culture is best understood based on what you are willing to give up to protect your values.
• What kind of team do you want? What aspirations do you have? Understand what you like and understand what you do not.
• Be sure to nurture what you like and grow or change what you do not like.
• Never stop talking about what's important.
• Discuss tension openly to squash resentment.
• Embrace and voice what is important
• Voicing your values makes you authentic.
• Everything rises and falls on leadership.
• Be unwilling to ask others to go where you are unwilling.

Incentivizing

• Incentivizing should be done in a way that behavior match your values.
• Avoid the following incentives: individual performance most, lack of perceived issues, reward for short term over long term.
• Avoid also, reward the squeaky wheel, can cause resentment amongst the team and a mess for you.