I began life as a child, and still continue to behave like one. I started my working years as an individual contributor, and still continue to be one. In addition to this in my wonderful journey of life and work I have also become a parent and a team manager. What\u2019s more interesting as I look at life \u2013 the period when I shifted gears to become a parent and a team manager were nearly in the same time frame of my life. Several years later, I have contemplated how I have handled these two shifts. The more I looked at it, the more I found a lot to learn in life. I am never a believer that any paradigm is absolutely right. However, I also firmly believe that when we keep our mind wide open, we always have something to learn from one context and apply it in another, to be even better. So the same is true for what I pen below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I am sure many of you have been through this journey, or have seen others in this journey. Once you read this, I would like to listen to your perspective. I am fine between complete agreement to total disagreement with what I have penned. Even more interestingly, if you have anything orthogonal to what is here, that will be of value to listen and learn from.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Parenting<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

When my daughter was about ten months old, like all parents I looked forward to my daughter starting to walk. Every little attempt was cheered. When she attempted to move and fell, the fall only made me feel more resolute \u2013 that she\u2019s getting closer to walking. So many umpteen attempts to stand and move, I had the patience and willingness to see her joy in doing that. She may have hardly moved a feet or two, I felt it was a cause to cheer her success. So she learnt to start walking. Then over the passing weeks, she soon learnt to improve from the gingerly steps to walking without holding the wall or the railings. Her quality of walk and the time she could walk without support started to increase. Months later she was on her own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During this journey when she fell very many times. Sometimes I would be tempted to think that I should support her more, so that she would not fall. After all I was not a sadist to see a kid fall, much less mine! But this brief thought would quickly vanish, stating that she will learn from it and soon walk. So the only time when support would come would be if she got dangerously close to the staircase.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Years later, when my son was born this story would repeat all over again. My son\u2019s progress was a little slower in this process. He eventually made it too. In the meanwhile I noticed that my son\u2019s ability to count was very good. So I would encourage and see with joy that he did it well repeatedly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now in this process, there were brief moments when I would compare the progress of my son with my daughter. But within moments the thoughts would be replaced with what my daughter was quick and good at, what my son was quick and good at. So there was no real comparison, but instead a willingness to support them with their pace of growth. There was an attempt to see them maximize their potential (e.g. my son\u2019s love for arithmetic).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today they have grown up into two wonderful children \u2013 similar, yet different in their own right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Team Manager<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

As the project started would assemble the team and get cracking with the objective of completing it on schedule, under budget with the right quality. Even in the best of the defined projects soon I would find that the requirements would be subject to change. The team with all its skill, was not a perfect match to the needs. Just when I thought this was a stable technology, would run into issues that were never foreseen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Soon the pressure of time, meeting the week\u2019s schedule would creep in. I would quickly look at people who can do things by themselves, assign them \u201dthe tasks\u201d  that I deemed important. Then with the others, I would now push them hard, give them the \u201cother\u201d tasks. I would exactly let them know what\u2019s to be done. They would do it. If they fell into the rut some would get lost, others would walk up to me to help them solve. It was a relief for me. They came with the problem, and with my years of experience would help solve it. Off they went with it and voila! The program would start working.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Soon the next week would begin, and the pressure of the week\u2019s delivery would creep in. So my magic formula of managing the time pressure would repeat. The team was by and large happy \u2013 as we were managing the pressure of delivering on time. The \u201cprogressive\u201d team members were independent \u2013 they were happy to take the challenging part of the work. The \u201cother\u201d team members were also fine, as they were learning from my experiences and were not getting stuck with their problems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Soon, there were unforeseen changes from the customer in the project. Now there was a real risk that we may not meet the schedule or budgets. I have been very successful all through my working life. I was on fast track. I had now moved up quickly. So, I was not going to fail, was I? Soon this thought would keep coming to me on and off. I was pushing the team hard, whipping them, making it clear that failure was not an option. After all who would want to fail?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Months later the project was delivered. There were some hidden quality issues. We could not review all the code, but then we managed to get the system accepted. Everyone was happy, it appeared. The management felt I did it again with my team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When I introspected, I realized that I handled the pressure of time well. A good part of the team felt relieved that they did not fail. So my theory of using the pressure of failure seem to work. Quality was reasonably there. Well the code reviews did not happen because the customer kept changing the needs \u2013 so he had to pay some price for it, isn\u2019t it. As far as my teams learning was concerned \u2013 yes this was a tough project, they will have future occasions to learn to solve the problems themselves. For now they have learnt to run to the leader when then had a problem to solve \u2013 without wasting time. The management was happy as the schedule and budgets were managed well. After all the undiscovered issues, could be future source of revenue!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, when I look back, many of them have repeated this formula\u2026 solve the problems for your team. Ensure that fear of failure will push people to work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The comparison \u2013 Parenting and Team Manager<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

On both counts I have been successful. Definitely on the face of it, there seems to be no issue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s look at what I did as a parent:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

- I was focussed on the purpose and the big picture  (Even when my son took longer I did not get the pressure of time to make me get it done)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

- I was happy that my children learnt how to walk, by themselves (in spite of the innumerable times they fell in the process)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

- I applauded and  as the quality of walk improved, so my children learnt the right way to walk<\/p>\n\n\n\n

- I celebrated their success (did not focus on their failure).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today I am reasonably sure that my children have learnt to do things on their own independently. I don\u2019t feel any loss of power when they do things on their own. On the contrary I am happy about it. They have learnt how to learn by themselves. They know what\u2019s good. So the fear of failure or time pressure does not hit them. They have learnt to use their potential to the best.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s look at what I did as a team manager:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

- I was happy that my team would come back to me when they had a problem. This minimized the delays.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

- I made sure the team understood that failing was not an option (fear of failure). I ensured that not failing in challenging projects was the motivator.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

- I made sure that the team did what I wanted\u2026 so there was no urge to think out of the box.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

- I made sure the customer got it on time, albeit a little lower quality (the price he had to pay for the constant flux).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today I am reasonably certain that some of my team members have continued with this formula. So the manager continues to be powerful, as the team comes back to him\/her to solve the problems. They always use fear of failure, as the bogeyman to pressure. They expect quality will give way due to changes. They are good at what they do, they fear every change. They have not been prepared for the constant change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Conclusion<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Did I do well as a manager? Was the organization aiding and abetting me in what I did? Did the employees truly learn? Are we using their potential to the fullest? Is fear the best motivator? Are we getting too focussed on the \u201cnow and here\u201d approach?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The lessons from parenting I would carry into managing a team (both the manager and the organization):<\/p>\n\n\n\n

-  Coach the team to be a self-learning team. When the future is unknown, solving their problem today, will not help prepare them for tomorrow\u2019s unknown needs and problems. It will make them (and the organization) self sustaining. I allowed my child to learn to walk. It fell down many a time. Did not prevent that from happening. So my child eventually learned not just to walk, but also got to know how it can learn something new on its own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

- Build the belief that quality is in-built. It\u2019s not about compromising, when we can. This will ensure that teams can work on newer thing, that add value. Initially my child would hold the wall. Persisting with encouragement, the child believed that it can walk away from the wall \u2013 not just one or two steps but forever.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

- Allow the team to own the process. When done that way, you don\u2019t have to follow through. Otherwise, we create a dependency on us when faced with the slightest of the issues. It can be a little slow in the beginning. Once we get past that early stage \u2013 we have a team (and an organization) that owns the need. So the sense of responsibility to make it happen is built into them. When my child fell many a time, I did not push it make it the next day. My child wanted to do it, and so despite the many falls, it made it happen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

- I know that all of us are afraid of something. So we believe the fear of failure will propel the team to do it. It may appear so in the short run. However the sheer amount of mental fatigue that it creates would result in less energy towards the purpose we work. So it can be self-defeating. When there\u2019s no fear, learning becomes easier and joyous. Did I not notice that with my child?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

- Celebrate genuine effort and success. This helps the adrenalin to flow in. It keeps us going longer even when faced with uncertainty. When my child saw that I really liked what it did, it naturally continued. Guess what could have happened with my child if I shown my anger, at not being able to learn to walk quickly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today as team manager we live on a week by week basis. As an organization we live on a quarter by quarter basis. If we went about doing the important things right (learning and quality), the urgent things (time and fear of failure) would take care of themselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I am eager to listen to your perspectives, your stories.<\/p>\n","post_title":"A study in contrast - Parenting and Managing a team","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"a-study-in-contrast-parenting-and-managing-a-team","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-01-29 14:04:27","post_modified_gmt":"2024-01-29 14:04:27","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"http:\/\/pm-powerconsulting.com\/blogs\/?p=3399","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":3391,"post_author":"25","post_date":"2015-06-24 08:53:00","post_date_gmt":"2015-06-24 03:23:00","post_content":"\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Over the last three decades of my corporate life, I have always found that this topic has always evoked passion at all points of time. Everybody has a perspective and a logic to go along with it. My own views in the early part of my career used to be biased based on which approach left me feeling good. Of course, now I believe I have the ability to take a step back and look at them dispassionately.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So then which is the good system?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Well first let me put the two systems in perspective, before I give you my logic. Feel free to critic, add, buttress with what you believe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bell Curve<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Bell Curve proponents would typically cite the likes of Jack F Welch in their favour. The argument being that there has to be some one in the (say) bottom 5% who need to be regularly weeded out. This way the organization retains only those who can live up to the pressure of staying in the race. Then by the same logic (say) only the top 10% have to be rated outstanding in the relative sweepstakes. This way the organization truly recognizes the top of the pile who make a larger difference. This will ensure that everyone wants to race to the top\u2026 After all does anyone remember the participants in the Olympics sprint \u2013 only the winner is recognized, even if the victory was in a photo-finish, isn\u2019t it.  So this model does sound good and seems to promote performance, isn\u2019t it or does it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, if (say) only the top 10% are going to make it big, will there co-operation among the top 20% \u2013 30%? Would you rather see your peer fail, and you make it to the top, than the organization succeed? Everyone is now running their own race. If the bottom 5% are going to be weeded, will the bottom 15% feel this as a place to stay or start increasing the churn more than you want? Will they all be looking at contributing to the project on hand or be worried about their future? Will this further impede their contribution to the project?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Absolute Performance<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The absolute performance proponents would state that the goal setting exercise sets the expectation. So when it comes to measuring if you have performed better than the goals (how many ever in the team), everyone then deserves to be ranked an out performer. If you have missed the goals by a pre-set margin, only then you are an underperformer. Well all through our school days it was clear what would give a distinction or what would cause me to fail the exams isn\u2019t it. This would be reinforced by the fact that in a team model \u2013 the team is not in a race amongst themselves, so everyone will be willing to help thy buddy to succeed as well, thus reinforcing the team first principle. If someone still underperforms, then it\u2019s appropriate to let go. After all everyone feels happy when everyone around them is happily rated. So this model sounds good too to promote team performance, is it or is it not?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, if a whole range of them outperform the targets \u2013 what does it mean? Was the manager setting the target too low? Or would we land up in the situation where even a 99.5% does not guarantee you an admission in St. Stephens College, Delhi?  Would everyone really be happy if the majority are declared to be outperforming (will the share of the cream in the cake be sufficient for all of them)? Would we start sympathizing and enabling the dead wood in the organization to some how cross the minimum threshold? Will we eventually land up with mediocrity?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How do you choose the system?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I am sure all these thoughts and many more go through the minds of the managers, the HR folks, the team, the organization leaders when they set up and run the systems. After all both systems have their own merits and have their own draw backs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I don\u2019t believe the systems per se are the issue. I believe it\u2019s the implementation that\u2019s an issue. Additionally an organization, should be keeping the system aligned with the expected behaviour from its employees. How much does team performance matter? How much does individual performance matter? Or can the organization go beyond this?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What are the real issues ?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

So where do the real issues come in then, with appraisals?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

First, I have seen that when I as a manager have not been giving regular feedback through the year, and helping with the development plan of my team member, I run into a problem at the end of the year. The appraisals look more like reprisals to the employee \u2013 because if they had appropriate feedback, they could have taken necessary pro-active steps to ensure their success and eventually the organization success.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Next, when the stated organizational position is absolute performance, but then an organization thru unwritten action pushes the manager to necessarily fit a bell curve \u2013 it creates invisible chaos. I have noticed many a manager then succumbs to the pressure, because after all his\/ her own rating would be at stake if the unwritten expectation is not acted upon. Later when briefing the team there\u2019s a disconnect when the team member questions the ranking. The manager cannot explicitly state he did not stick to the organization philosophy and neither state he succumbed to the chain of command\u2019s unwritten message.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Or when in an absolute performance system, there\u2019s an initial euphoria \u2013 with everyone knowing that they probably bettered the stated expectation. However if the organization has not outperformed \u2013 the limited goodies that come along now get split more evenly with more people. So does it now lead employees to believe that the good grading is a placebo. Should the organization have been more diligent in the level of the target being set early on in the game? Will it now start making the team not worry about the grading and encourage mediocrity?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition to all these, not every thing we do is easily measurable, much less comparable. So the objectivity of the manager is already subject to his\/ her pre-existing perspective. So, can the manager ensure that it does not cloud the appraisal process?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Conclusion<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In conclusion, I would say that if the true strategy of the organization and its execution is aligned and well stated, it will make any system work reasonably well. Or not doing that every system will create only a set of issues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Personally, I would like to see a system where the organization decentralizes this decision at the level at which people can make the decisions on allocation of budgets, career moves, promotions, hiring and firing \u2013 which in many ways are the outcome of this process. The closer you bring this to the place of action, the better aligned it will be to the needs of the team. The process of allocation from the corporate to these groups itself, should also be made clear up-front. That to me is true empowerment. That to me will show the ability of the corporate to create a self-managing organization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What\u2019s your thought? Do you think these systems can be fairly built or is it a mirage? If yes, how do you do it? If you think it\u2019s a mirage, then how do you lead in today\u2019s knowledge industry?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Performance Appraisal : Bell Curve or Absolute Performance - What's good?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"performance-appraisal-bell-curve-or-absolute-performancewhats-good","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-09-23 20:14:40","post_modified_gmt":"2024-09-23 14:44:40","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"http:\/\/pm-powerconsulting.com\/blogs\/?p=3391","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":5},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_3o3","class":"epic_block_11"};

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S Srinivasan

Coaching

A study in contrast – Parenting and Managing a team

by S Srinivasan

July 7, 2015

Business Agility

Performance Appraisal : Bell Curve or Absolute Performance – What’s good?

by S Srinivasan

June 24, 2015

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