12 Things I Learnt by Managing Teams

Here is something I had written a few days back. COVID or not, these seem to be equally applicable in any scenario. So here are a dozen things I have learnt by managing teams and working with individuals over the past decade. Your comments, feedback and critique are all equally welcome.

1) Let the team take their tactical and implementation decisions. They will own it better. Often, they will also match your own thoughts. When they don't, don't impose your decision/thoughts on them. First explain the logic to them. Co-create solutions with them. It ALWAYS works. Sometimes even you can be wrong. Have the humility to accept your imperfections.

2) Take time to think through your decisions. Avoid taking decisions in the heat of the moment. Do not delay, but, also do not be reactive. Take a break, and take a 3rd opinion. If needed, sleep over it - to be sure to detach emotions and embrace objectivity as much as possible.

3) Praise in public, and provide the development feedback in your 1-1's. Unless absolutely necessary and requiring a public dressing down - even in that case, ask questions and get the person to accept the gaps. Mostly, the mistakes are recognized by the person themselves. One's work as a leader begins in then setting ways of working / processes / modules, to arrest that gap and help the individual flourish.

4) Keep the best people. Remember to recognize and acknowledge them - just around a critical incident of success. Sometimes good performers leave an organisation, and are THEN told about how valuable they were considered. Nope. Too late. On the other end of the spectrum are those who have consistently not performed up to the minimum benchmark, despite all your earnest interventions. Letting them go isn't an easy decision. But, remember they were mostly just a misfit in the first place - to the culture, the team, the organisation, or even to your industry. Their calling must truly be somewhere else.

5) The team cannot be a single cell organism. They will all have their individual drives, challenges, comfort zones and fear areas. Understand each individual. Our processes should enable them- not stifle them. Set routines in place, but, give them the freedom to innovate. Make your minimum expectations clear - then let the rest flow out of them. That's how you build trust - productivity then becomes an outcome of it.

6) Ethics must be the sound foundation of your working. Do not let short-term goals hamper your long-term vision. Let go off minor gains today, if you know the means are questionable. Ensure that the company's tomorrow is secured in a sustainable way. That's how you leave behind a legacy.

7) Who calls the shots? Has to depend on the type of decision. For super-critical cases, defer to the experienced seniors in your organisation, for their learning and support. For emergency ones, get involved yourself. For operational ones, focus instead on putting in place systems and let the team work in the ambit of those systems - them having the freedom to execute and innovate whenever necessary. If you are autocratic, people will give you short-term productivity, never long term commitment.

8) Panic less, plan more. Plan for the worst, and prepare to celebrate the best. Despite our best planning, we can face challenging situations (this hasn't been more applicable, than in the present COVID-related disruptions!). In that case, take a breather and ask around for help. No one to help? Stand there like a wall. Be like the Black Panther (had to get a comic analogy in) - who soaks in all the pressure, and counter-attacks with mightier force. That. Be that.

9) The confidence level of your team is important. But, in that quest let us not over-commit to them. The only thing worse than addressing their concerns, is telling them you will deliver and then end up not addressing their concerns. With problem-solving, expectation-setting is equally important. And with that, keeping your promises too. Remember point 6 while you are at it.

10) Give your team the opportunity to shine through. Often they will do one better and set new benchmarks, eclipsing your own achievements. Don't feel threatened by their achievements- celebrate them. That's the hallmark of a true leader. A leader, essentially does not create more followers, but enables more leaders!

11) Your team members are not mere human "resources". They are humans first. They have family, kids, parents, grandparents. Your objectivity must not blind you to this reality. Make them comfortable to take time-off to be with their family. What matters more than the number of hours logged by them; is the energy, dedication and passion with which they delivered results while they were present.

12) You should be value-adding to your organisation. But, your success lies not in making yourself indispensable, but redundant to a role. You create processes. You instill a culture. You empower people. Are you scared of how a two week leave of yours, will make everything collapse like a house of cards? Nope. Not there yet. Keep trying.

Remember, you are a work in progress. Be more of yourself everyday. You are limitless.