“What’s the major benefit of a huddle meeting first thing in the morning?” I asked. The team looked around at each other to see who might jump in first.

“To share the plan for the day,” said Shirley.

“To make certain assignments,” chimed in Fernando.

“To schedule lunch,” smiled Paul. Everybody stifled a brief laugh.

“Lunch is important,” I said. “Now, most of you are too young to remember Woody Allen, but he said that 80 per cent of success is just showing up. One of the major benefits of a huddle meeting first thing in the morning is to firmly establish the starting point for the team.

“Lots of time can get wasted as people trickle in, fritter around, sharpen pencils (who uses pencils anymore?). But, if you have eight people on your team and you lose fifteen minutes, that’s two hours of production.

“A huddle meeting can start the day. Sharp and crisp. Five minutes. Let’s go. Hit it hard.” -TF

“I was one of the guys, now I am their manager,” said Jeremy. “I mean, I know what to do, it just feels weird.”

“Tell me about it.” I ask.

“Well, on Friday, we used to always go out for happy hour. Now, I am holding back. Maybe I will show up once a month after work, but I will usually only stay for one beer, then I beg off and hit the road.”

“What’s changed about the relationships?”

Jeremy took his time to respond. “I guess, instead of a friend, the relationship is one of accountability. I mean, it’s okay to be friendly, but sometimes you have to hold the line, sometimes you have to confront, sometimes the conversation is difficult.” He stopped. “And sometimes you feel by yourself.”

“So, who can you hang out with now?”

“Well, now, it’s the other managers in the company. They have all been supportive. It is a different perspective. I’m the new kid on the block.”

“And what about your old team, from when you were a supervisor?”

“They are still under me, but now I work through their new supervisor. That relationship, it’s not accountability anymore, not with me. Now, it’s more like a mentor relationship. It’s a longer view. Instead of me, telling them what to do, I do more observing. Their new supervisor is more concerned with their day to day productivity. I am actually looking for the one that will emerge as the next supervisor in another year.”

“Why do you think all this feels weird?” I ask.

“It’s new,” said Jeremy. “My role is different. I never thought there was this much difference between being a supervisor and being a manager.” -TF

More from the Ask Tom mailbag.

This story continues from yesterday’s question where a team member with no supervisory authority is left to request production from another team member. We focused on the difference between authority and power, acknowledging that, while a manager may have the authority to direct a project, the team member ultimately has the power to control the speed and quality of the execution.

Response

“But your company may have it right. The fact that your team mate reports to another manager may be perfectly appropriate. Though you depend on this person, the relationship is not one of accountability, but one of interdependence. This interdependence is very real.

“The bottom line is that it doesn’t matter whether the relationship is one of accountability or one of interdependence, the team member still has the power to control the speed and quality of the execution.

“The accountability authority you seek has little to do with influencing enthusiasm, energy and discretionary effort. Discretionary effort comes from a positive decision on the part of your co-worker. You do not need authority to create the conditions for this positive decision.

Tomorrow, we will tackle how to create those conditions and what to do first. -TF

Victor was staring at the floor, head cupped in both hands. “What a stupid decision.” He was quiet. I was quiet. Silence can do a lot of heavy lifting.

Finally, he continued. “I want to involve my team in decision making. But when we take a vote, they often make the wrong decision. As their manager, I feel like a heel, going against their vote. But I don’t want to let them do something stupid and waste a bunch of time.” He lifted his head.

“Victor, first, do not let them vote. Between you and your boss, who is accountable for this decision?”

“Well, I am,” he said.

“If you are held accountable for the decision, then you have to make the decision. You can involve your team, ask them for input, but you are the manager, the decision is yours to make. Here is what this sounds like to your team.

“Hey, Team. As your manager, I have a decision to make. This is an important decision and will have an impact on every team member here. So, I want to you to help me consider all the angles. After I consider your input, I have to make this decision. When I do make this decision, I will need your support and your full efforts to make this happen. So, who has the first idea?

“Victor, understand, people will support a world they help to create, even if it is not totally their idea. You should involve them, but the decision is yours. And you will be the person I hold accountable.” -TF

“I just don’t understand,” said Chris. “Our productivity is on a downhill slide and when I walk the shop floor, not a single person seems to know what is going on. They all seem confused.”

“And who is responsible for the confusion?” I asked.

Chris stopped. He was hoping the answer had someone else’s name on it.

“Chris, high productivity does not come from a state of confusion. One of the most important activities of a manager is to create crystal clear expectations. Ambiguity kills productivity. So, what are you going to do?” I asked.

Chris’ mind began to churn. “I guess I am going to start by having a meeting to make sure everyone knows what is expected.” -TF

“Can you take a look at this job description?” asked Stan.

He slid the paper underneath my nose. It was well organized into different Key Result Areas. Each area contained descriptions of tasks, activities and responsibilities.

“What is the desired outcome in each Key Result Area?” I asked.

“What do you mean?”

“Well, the problem with most job descriptions is that they tell you what to do, but don’t tell you how well something should be done, or by when. In each Key Result Area, what result does your manager expect?”

“I’m not sure,” replied Stan.

“If you can nail down the expected result, you will find this job description much more useful. Go spend some time with your manager and find out. I want to see an outcome connected to each Key Result Area.” -TF

“Everyone says they have integrity, but I have to tell you, when Roger was talking about how he managed to skip out on the maintenance fee in that contract, I got a queasy feeling.” Alice was having difficulty even talking about this. “I know it was only a $130, but he was so proud that he was able to beat the vendor out of his money, I don’t know, it was just weird.”

Every agreement you make with other people, you are ultimately making with yourself. When you cheat other people, you ultimately cheat yourself. When you break a promise to yourself, you teach your brain to distrust your intentions and your behavior. You begin to sow the seeds of self doubt. You undermine your strength and integrity.

Every agreement you make with other people, you are ultimately making with yourself. When you keep your agreements with other people, you teach your brain to trust your intentions and behavior. Agreements you keep with yourself, that are invisible to others, are the most powerful because they are pure. They sow the seeds of self confidence. You build on your strengths with a foundation of integrity. -TF