Positive in Public

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From yesterday’s mailbag:

Question:

How do you bring in a new team member to an existing team?

Response:

Kurt pointed out (in a comment to yesterday’s post) that the job of bringing on a new team member begins long before the arrival date.

That being said, I believe the new team member is already on site. Now what?

This rite of passage for the new team member is a group issue. It needs to be dealt with by the group. It is up to the manager to create the environment for a positive discussion. The initial topic will be to introduce the new member. And I mean a proper introduction, at a regular team meeting.

What is the previous work experience, what positive qualities were identified during the recruiting process, what role this new person will play? These are all great questions to answer in the introduction.

Subsequent team meetings should provide discussion on Getting Things Done and focus on skills and talents that each team member brings to the table. Part of the discussion should be on the diversity of skill, talent, attitude and energy that will be required from the team as a whole.

I want to create these positive conversations in public with the team rather than allow private pairing conversations to occur at the water cooler. -TF

Bringing in a New Team Member

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From the Ask Tom mailbag:

Question:

How do you integrate your team’s newest member when she brings a personality that is more intense than everyone else? Let’s say that she strikes you as being, at times, slightly passive aggressive while the other five teammates are typically a very easy going bunch. There is no doubt that she is productive, but so is everyone else.

Might they have trouble working through in a crisis, if she will not buy into their laid back attitude? What obstacles would you watch out for in this situation?

Response:

Bringing a new person into a team is always the beginning of change for that team. The fastest way to change the culture of any team is to bring in a new team member. For better or worse, things will change, and everything that happens will create a precedent for future events, future relationships within the team.

Before we start looking out for things to go wrong, let’s start with how to productively bring in a new team member, especially one that brings energy, enthusiasm, a fast pace and other great attributes.

Let’s open this up for comments. If you have an experience, observation or recommendation, please post your comment. More tomorrow. -TF

Supervisor’s Control System

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“So, I am with you,” Joyce agreed. “Moving from Team Leader to Warehouse Supervisor is a different role. Talk to me about skill sets.”

“Okay, as Warehouse Supervisor, the role is no longer doing the work, but making sure the work gets done. What tool does the Warehouse Supervisor use to make sure all the work gets done?”

It had been a couple of years since Joyce had spent much time in the warehouse, but she was quick to respond. “Well, there is a daily shipping list containing all the orders available for the day, actually for the next four to five days.”

“That’s one skill set. Checklists. Remember, the role is to make sure the work gets done. A checklist is one of the primary tools of the supervisor. It’s the foundation of many control systems. Yet, how often do we sit with our supervisors and talk to them about how to create effective checklists (control systems) for all the work they make sure gets done?”

“You know, you are right. We just told Phillip that he got a promotion, he was now in charge. Something as obvious as a checklist never crossed my mind. I would bet that Phillip is trying to keep everything in his head.”

Different Skill Set

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“So, what do you make of this mess I seem to have made with Phillip?” Joyce asked.

I took a deep breath. “Based on what you have told me, Phillip’s current capability is greater than one month. That Time Span holds up to the task of a Team Leader. Phillip’s next step would be a transition to a Supervisor. But don’t think this is simple. You don’t sprinkle fairy dust and think Phillip is a Supervisor.

“Up to now, Phillip has been doing the work along with his team members. Being a Supervisor is a different role with a different skill set. Phillip will need training and coaching. Even beginning Supervisor tasks generally carry Time Spans of three months.”

“How much of a difference could that be for Phillip?” Joyce asked. “How different could the skill set be for Phillip to begin to be a Supervisor?”

“Let’s take a look at the Tools of the Trade for Phillip,” I began. “Up to now, the tools for Phillip in the warehouse have been real tools, forklifts, picking baskets, picking tickets, staging tables, shipping boxes, cartons, packing tape.”

Joyce nodded.

“The role for a Warehouse Supervisor is no longer doing the work, but now, making sure the work gets done. It’s a completely different role and requires a completely different skill set.”

Joyce continued to nod. She was ready for more. –TF

Our next Leadership program in Fort Lauderdale begins July 16. For more information, visit www.workingleadership.com.

Our next Leadership program Online begins in September. Watch for details. –TF

Managing With Precision

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“What could I have done differently?” Joyce asked. “I thought Phillip was the right choice. I know now, that I was wrong, but how do you make the decision on whether or not to promote someone?”

“Why did you think he was a candidate for promotion?” I asked.

“Well, he has been with us for a little over a year. He knows the ropes. He was a team leader, had the respect of his team,” Joyce replied.

“And what do you think his Time Span was?”

“Well, based on what we have been talking about, his current capability seems to be about four weeks or a little more, but not a lot more.”

“So, how could you find out how much more?”

“Well, he was successful at four weeks. I could have given him a task that took six weeks to complete, or eight weeks.”

“Exactly,” I pointed out. “The best way to determine performance is to test it. The problem with testing, is that, until we talked about Time Span, you had no way to determine the complexity of the task. With Time Span, you can now measure with more precision. Your job, as his Manager, becomes more precise.” -TF

Our next Leadership program in Fort Lauderdale begins July 16. For more information, visit www.workingleadership.com.

Our next Leadership program Online begins in September. Watch for details. –TF

Bone Headed Promotion

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“So, Phillip can handle tasks with a one month Time Span, but falls short on tasks with longer Time Spans,” Joyce confirmed.

“So, what does that tell you about his role? You told me that you promoted him to Warehouse Manager. Based on Time Span, is that appropriate for Phillip?” I asked.

Joyce knew the answer, so her hesitation was from reluctance. “No. Now it begins to make sense. What we expect from a Manager, even the Warehouse Manager requires a Time Span of twelve months. Phillip is not even close.”

“So, if you had determined his Time Span before the promotion, you might have done something differently?” I prompted.

“Absolutely. When I look at Time Span, it becomes so obvious that his promotion was a bone-headed decision.”

“And who was responsible for that bone-headed decision?”

“That would be me,” Joyce replied.

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Our next Leadership program in Fort Lauderdale begins July 16. For more information, visit www.workingleadership.com.
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Our next Leadership program Online begins in September. Watch for details. –TF

Performance Becomes Predictable

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“So, he does well on tasks that require a one month look-ahead, but he fails on tasks that require a three month look-ahead,” explained Joyce. We were discussing Phillip, her warehouse manager. Joyce was disappointed in his failure to complete longer term projects.

“So, if you ask your Manager to look at this same data, what would she say?” I asked.

“Oh, I have already discussed Phillip with her and we are on the same page.”

“So, making this assessment of a person’s Time Span is pretty evident.”

Joyce nodded, “When you put it like that, it sticks out like a sore thumb.”

“Knowing this about Phillip, how does that help you as his Manager?”

“If I look at all of his tasks in terms of Time Span, I can predict which ones he will do well, which ones he will struggle with, and which ones he will fail at.” A calm look came over Joyce’s face. “The pattern of his performance becomes predictable. I can almost plan around that. It’s beginning to make sense.”

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Our next Leadership program in Fort Lauderdale kicks off next Monday, July 16. Visit www.workingleadership.com for registration information.

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We have completed testing for the online version of our Leadership program, scheduled for September 2007. If you have an interest in this program, please reply to this email so we can make our plans. -TF

Measuring Tasks

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“Then, how are we going to measure that capability?” I repeated. Joyce and I were discussing Phillip. Though he had been made manager, he was having difficulty with some of his responsibilities.

“So, you are suggesting that we look at all the tasks on Phillip’s plate and assign a Time Span to them?” Joyce asked.

I nodded.

She began to brainstorm out loud, “If I look at his Key Result Areas, as Warehouse Manager, Phillip is responsible for:

  • Personnel
  • Receiving
  • Picking
  • Shipping
  • Warehouse Layout and Work Flow
  • Security
  • Equipment
  • And Safety.”

“And which of those has the longest Time Span Tasks?” I asked.

Joyce pulled out a sheet of paper to make some notes. “Receiving, picking and shipping are fairly short term things. The look ahead is probably no more than a couple of weeks.

“Warehouse Layout and Work Flow, though, really has a much longer Time Span. We have a lot of seasonality to our product lines and we have to make decisions about inventory bin placement four or five months in advance. Some of it is a feedback loop to sales and purchasing about inventory turns, raw materials in stock, finished goods in stock. There is a lot to control, but it’s easy if you think out far enough into the future and plan.

“That’s where Phillip messes up. He just doesn’t plan out far enough, so it’s always chaos.”

“So, if we were to measure Phillip’s capability in Layout and Work Flow, he does not live up to four months?” I confirmed.

It was Joyce’s turn to nod.

“So, let’s look at his other tasks, assign some Time Spans and see if we come up with a pattern of his capability.” -TF

They Don’t Get a Promotion

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From the Ask Tom mailbag:

Question:

When is a team member ready (capable) for the next step? How do we measure capability so we can create and fill in opportunities? Which methods do you use to measure capability for the next step?

Response:

Evaluating is team member is much simpler and more precise than making a judgment about an outside candidate for a position.

Checking readiness is a matter of testing. Testing for skill and testing for Time Span.

Step One is to examine the current tasks and determine the Time Span required for each task.

Step Two is to gather three people (the Team Member, the Team Member’s Manager and the Manager Once Removed) to discuss the following question. “Is this person performing below, at or above the Time Span required in the current position? It is a very simple question. You will be amazed at how quickly the three will agree.

If the three agree that the Team Member is performing above the Time Span required, the next step is to test the Team Member. Again, the test is simple. Give the Team Member tasks typical of what they would encounter at the next level, with the difficulty of those tasks measured in Time Span.

This testing process is a totally different mindset for a Manager. You no longer give an individual a promotion to see if they can handle it. You now test them with typical tasks. They don’t get a promotion, they earn it. -TF

Not a Matter of Skill

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Joyce had her thinking cap on. Her dissatisfaction with Phillip was not from a lack of performance, but from a lack of capability.

“I want you to begin to think about capability in terms of Time Span,” I prompted.

“You’re right,” she replied. “Phillip seems to stay away from, or procrastinate on all the projects that take time to plan out and work on. And then, it’s like he jams on the accelerator. He even told me that he works better under pressure, that last minute deadlines focus him better. I am beginning to think that he waits until the last minutes because that is the only time frame he thinks about.”

“Give me an example,” I asked.

“Remember, I found him hidden away in the warehouse, rearranging all the shelves himself. It’s really a bigger project than that. We are trying to move the high turning items to bins up front and slower moving items to bins in the back. But it’s going to take some time to review, which items need to be moved, how to retag them, how to planagram the whole thing. We started talking about this three months ago with a deadline coming due next week. So, only now, Phillip gets stuck in the warehouse doing things himself. And the result is likely to be more of a mess than a help.”

“Is it a matter of skill, planning skills?” I ventured.

“No, I don’t think so. It is a matter of capability,” Joyce said with some certainty.

“Then how are we going to measure that capability?” -TF

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Our next Leadership class in Fort Lauderdale begins July 16. For more information, visit www.workingleadership.com. We have only four available seats left.

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Management Skills Blog will take a short vacation over July 4th, returning July 5th. See you on Thursday.