Author Archives: Tom Foster

About Tom Foster

Tom Foster spends most of his time talking with managers and business owners. The conversations are about business lives and personal lives, goals, objectives and measuring performance. In short, transforming groups of people into teams working together. Sometimes we make great strides understanding this management stuff, other times it’s measured in very short inches. But in all of this conversation, there are things that we learn. This blog is that part of the conversation I can share. Often, the names are changed to protect the guilty, but this is real life inside of real companies.

Measure Mental Horsepower

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“Well, that makes sense,” Jonas replied. “My team member has been a valuable supervisor, but this leap to manager is a big leap. The responsibilities are bigger.”

“How big?” I asked.

“Really big. I need someone with more than a Post-It Note mentality.”

“How can you measure that?” I pressed.

“I’m not really sure,” Jonas paused, searching his bag of mental metrics.

“What are the goals attached to this managerial role you are thinking about?”

“Oh, there are goals. We have a complete role description for this position.”

“Good. I would expect that. But when you look at the goals, you know, the what, by when, how long are the by-whens of each of the goals, longer or shorter than the goals in his current role, as a supervisor?”

“Longer,” Jonas snapped, instinctively. “I guess that’s what makes them more complicated. The goals in this new role, as a manager, take longer to complete. More things can go wrong. The manager has to think ahead, create contingency plans, recognize when things are going off track, take corrective action. It takes more mental horsepower.”

“Did you know that you can measure that mental horsepower by measuring the Time Span embedded in each of the goals?”

Hooked on a Feeling

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“How do I know?” Jonas asked. “I have a team member who wants a promotion, but I am not sure if they are ready.”

“How long have you been this person’s manager?” I asked.

“Eighteen months. In direct supervision, I’ve seen the good times and the bad times.”

“And who is your manager?” I continued.

“Brian,” Jonas replied. “And I have talked to Brian about this. As the Manager Once Removed (MOR), he has an interest in this person. He is always scouting the organization for talent.”

“And?”

“And he is not sure either,” Jonas explained. “That’s my dilemma.”

“So, your team member feels that he would like a promotion, you feel like you aren’t sure and the MOR is interested, but feels the same way. Are you going to make this decision based on feeling, or on facts?”

“I don’t know. I don’t have any facts to go on. This person does well enough in their current role, but this promotion would be a different role. I would hate to make the promotion and have things go wrong.”

“I will cut you some slack,” I nodded. “Most managers make promotion decisions based on feelings. That is why they often don’t work out. Get your feelings out of this decision. A promotion decision is a matter of managerial judgment. Managerial judgment is not a feeling. What facts do you know that you can base your judgment on?”

Jonas shook his head. “This person has never performed any of the functions in this new role.”

“Without giving this person the promotion, can you test their performance in some of the functions? This is important. Take your time. Build the case with real evidence of performance. Then make your judgment.”

The Hat Trick for Every Manager

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Michael Cardus has a new URL to his Team Building site. Yesterday, he was curious and posed the following question.

Question:
Is Time Span capability something you are born with? Or is it learned? Can it be taught?

Response:
Nature or Nurture. The short answer is nature. We are born with our innate capability curve, which can be measured in Time Span.

The longer answer is that we can only see a person’s Applied Capability. Applied Capability, what a person demonstrates, at work, at home can be dramatically affected by education, skill development and training. I may have the capability to perform a function at work, but without the proper skills training, you will never see it.

The hat trick for every manager, working with a team member, is to discover that potential, so we can see it.

Lifelong Learning

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From the Ask Tom mailbag:

Question:
It appears easier to identify training and skill development for Strata I, II and III in the organization. What training and development do you recommend for Strata IV and V?

Response:
Training and skill development is the typical playground for corporate training departments. Understanding Time Span helps us add another dimension directed to the development of personal effectiveness.

Skill development has two sides to it. Side one is a piece of technical knowledge. If the skill is to effectively throw a ball, there is some technical knowledge that must be acquired. What shape is the ball? Round or oblong? What is the size of the ball? Does the ball have seams? Is the ball thrown overhand or underhand? What sport is the ball used in?

But side one requires side two. I can tell you all about the ball, I can even show you how to throw the ball, but if you want to get good at ball throwing, you have to practice.

Training and skill development earns its butter on side one and two, technical knowledge and practice. Yet, as we grow up the layers in the organization, especially for Strata IV and V, traditional training and skill development begins to disappear. Development needs center more on circumstance and often the prescription is to “read a book about (you name the managerial dilemma).”

When I look at training and development, I start by looking at the role. What is the superior purpose for that role and what are the tools used to accomplish that role?

Stratum I – the role is typically a production role of some sort. This leads to traditional training contexts using the tools of production, which turn out to be “real” tools, machines, equipment, fork lifts, trucks. If the role is clerical, the tool is likely a computer.

Stratum II – this role is typically one of coordination, making sure production gets done. The primary tools in Stratum II are schedules, checklists and meetings. While the technical knowledge of compiling daily, weekly and monthly schedules may be straightforward, even with computerized scheduling systems, it is the practice that emerges important. How to schedule and how to change the schedule, coordinating materials, people and equipment in concert to produce the product or service on time at a specific quality standard.

Stratum III – this is the systems role, creating systems, monitoring systems and improving systems. The tools are flow charts, sequencing, time and motion, planning. Root cause analysis can be used to solve problems. These activities go way beyond “best practices.”

And so now we arrive at Stratum IV – this role is engaged in system integration. As organizations grow, so do their systems, and at some point, those systems begin to compete for resources, budget, priority. For the organization to move forward, these competitive pressures must be resolved. Where Stratum III solves problems through root cause analysis, Stratum IV must engage in systems analysis. I encourage managers at Stratum IV to pay attention to Peter Senge (Fifth Discipline), looking at reinforcing systems and balancing systems.

These conversations are rare inside most organizations because there aren’t that many Stratum IV thinkers in the general population. One in two hundred (age 21-50). Professional development in Stratum IV can benefit from participation in facilitated peer groups. They need exposure to other managers at this level to help each other grapple with these systems issues.

Stratum V conversations are even rarer. The frequency of Stratum V thinkers in the general population is seven in 10,000 (age 21-50). Professional development for Stratum V (Business Unit President) also benefits from facilitated peer groups created for discussion of business issues where longer Time Span elements can be considered.

If you have more specific concerns for professional development at any level in the organization, follow the link to Ask Tom.

Resource: https://practicepath.com/2024/02/26/practicepath-expands-business-intelligence-solutions-to-unlock-next-level-mid-to-enterprise-medical-practice-performance/

Roles in a Service Environment

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From the Ask Tom mailbag:

Question:
You describe Requisite Organization often using manufacturing examples. How can I apply this in my service business?

Response:
I use manufacturing examples, because most people, even outside of manufacturing can visualize the roles that people play in that environment. So, let’s look at the organizational structure in a service environment. This service environment might be carpet cleaning, pest control, plumbing, air conditioning.

Stratum I – (Time Span range – 1 day to 3 months) Technicians who perform the direct service to the customer. Their day to day Time Span task assignments typically range from one day to one week in the performance of a route. Your most effective technicians will have longer Time Span task assignments to cultivate a route of repeat customers and maintain those relationships.

Stratum II – (Time Span range – 3 months to 12 months) This layer in the organization would act as a coordinator, making sure that all customer assignments are appropriate routed to appropriate technicians. This role would also deal with the inevitable changes in technician schedules and customer requests. The tools of the coordinator would be schedules, checklists and meetings.

Stratum III – (Time Span range – 12 months to 24 months) This layer would be responsible for the design and implementation of operational systems in the organization. This would include the selection and implementation of computerized dispatching, development of equipment preventive maintenance systems, training systems (both initial and recurrent), identifying recurring problems in the technician delivery systems and making appropriate changes to the systems to prevent those problems or mitigate the damage from those occurrences.

Each of these roles becomes necessary as the organization grows in customer count and employee headcount. Simultaneously, depending on the business model, administrative systems (finance and record keeping) would be developed to support the technical operations.

Different business models will dictate the specifics of the organizational infrastructure, but these roles can always be calibrated using Time Span as a metric.

Essential Role of the Supervisor

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From the Ask Tom mailbag:

Question:
What’s the difference between a supervisor and a manager? And why does there have to be one Stratum difference?

Response:
Elliott Jaques is one of the few researchers who recognized the power and the necessity of the “first line manager” or the supervisor. Companies who give this role short shrift do so at their peril. For a complete discussion, I will yield to Herb Klopowitz, posting for the GO Society.

Which is the Best Method?

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Working Leadership Online Update
We still have open slots for our next Subject Area that kicks off on Monday – Bringing Value as a Manager. Follow this link for a Free Introductory Membership.

“What kind of questions?” asked Ted.

“Look, in your position, as Manager, you often don’t have the technical details necessary to make a decision. As a Manager, that’s not your job. Your job is to bring value to the problem solving and decision making of your team.” I waited for Ted to catch up.

“By asking questions?”

“Most Managers think their team will see them as weak if they have difficulty making a decision, even if the Manager doesn’t have the technical details. So, sometimes, Managers make a decision because they think it’s their job.

“If you have two engineers, each with a different method of solving a problem, you may not know which method is technically the best way.”

“So, how do you make the decision?”

“You don’t bring value by making a decision and telling them what to do. You bring value by asking questions.

  • What were the top three criteria on which you based your recommendation?
  • What impact will your recommendation have on the time frame of the project?
  • What two things could go wrong with your recommendation?

“Your job, as Manager, is not telling people what to do. Your job is to bring value to their problem solving and decision making.”

Committed to Bring Value?

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“Yes, but shouldn’t these people be reporting to me?” asked Ted.

“That depends. Functionally, their roles produce results you are interested in, but are you prepared to be their Manager?” I replied.

“I think so. I think they can report to me. I think I can hold them accountable for producing those results. I think I can check up on them to make sure they are working,” Ted proposed.

“That’s only the surface part of being a Manager.” I stopped to draw a picture. “Here you are, and these people, you believe, should report to you. But are you prepared to be their Manager?

“Your most important role, in the Manager relationship with your team, is for you to bring value to their problem solving and decision making.” Ted stared at the simple picture of circles and lines. “Are you bringing value by telling them that their reports are due on Friday and then reminding them Monday morning that their reports are late?”

Ted was still staring, but putting the pieces together. “Well, no, not when you put it that way.”

“Then, how, as their Manager, do you bring that value? And are you committed to bring that value? Are you willing to commit the time to bring that value?

“The answers to these questions will determine whether you should be the manager of this team.”

The Music Clicked

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“What do you mean, bring value?” Joan asked. “Sounds easy to say, but I don’t know what you mean. How does a manager bring value to the problem solving and decision making of the team?”

“So, you and I are sitting here talking,” I nodded. “And in our conversation, am I telling you, directing you on how to be a manager?”

“Well, no,” she replied.

“And would you say that our conversations are valuable, valuable to you, in your role, as a manager?”

Joan followed the nod. “Yes,” she said slowly.

“I am not telling you what to do, yet, I am bringing value to the conversation?” I could see Joan making a leap in her mind to follow. “How am I doing that? If I am not telling you what to do, what kinds of sentences am I using?”

The music clicked. “Questions,” she responded. “You are not telling me what to do. You are asking questions. And your questions are bringing value to the decisions I have to make and the problems I have to solve.”

Not a Personality Conflict

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“She ignores me, like I am not even here,” Joan complained, “I know she has been here for twelve years and I have only been here for nine months, but, I am her boss.”

“What is the behavior you observe?” I asked.

“I call a meeting of my staff, she doesn’t show. I walk past her in the hallway and she doesn’t acknowledge me. She is focus forward. I have seen personality conflicts before, but this one takes the cake.”

“How do you think you will gain her respect?”

Joan shook her head. “I just want her to be nice. At this point, I have about given up on respect.”

I waited for the pity party to settle for a few seconds. “First, this is not a personality conflict. Second, I don’t care if she is nice to you, I just want her respect.”

“Yeah, right, how is that going to happen?”

“It is really very simple. All you have to do is bring value to her problem solving and decision making. Stimulate her thinking. Help her improve to the next level. You cannot gain respect by giving directives or demanding that she be a nice person. You can only gain respect by bringing value.”

The next Subject Area in our Working Leadership Online program begins August 2, 2010 – Coaching – Bringing Value as a Manager. As is our custom, we are opening 50 slots with a Free Introductory membership (one month). If you have an interest, please follow the link.

Free Introductory Membership