it staff management

8/9/2019 IT Staff Management

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The Guideto Managingan IT Staff

an IT Management eBook


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1

contents

This content was adapted from EarthWeb'sDatamation, CIO Update, and IT Career PlanetWeb sites.

The Guide to Managing an IT Staff, An Internet.com IT Management eBook.

2007, Jupitermedia Corp.

3 Why Are So Many ITManagers So Bad?Steve Andriole

5 Learn to Manage IT StaffCharlie Schluting

7 12 Tips for Managing GeeksRob England

10 How Could You Be aBetter Manager?Sharon Gaudin

13 Mastering the Challengeof ChangeClaudio Muruzabel

15 Teambuilding Tactics ThatGet ResultsKatherine Spencer Lee

17 Managing Your ManagersKatherine Spencer Lee

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The Guide to Managing an IT Staff

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3/19

For years, the conventional wisdom surrounding ITmanagers went something like this: You're either apeople person or a tech person, but you can't be

both. As technology becomes an important part ofevery aspect of our lives, the line between tech peopleand those with people skills is blurred.

Managing an IT staff is a complicated endeavor.Increasingly, IT staffs are made up of specialists thatspeak their own lingo and solve unique problems. It'snot uncommon for members of the IT staff to find

themselves responsible for technology that didn't evenexist when they started working in IT.

We've gathered some of leading voices on IT and man-agement that have graced the pages of EarthWeb's ITManagement Channel and compiled their thoughts onmanagement, specifically as it relates to the IT world.It's important to remember that, like the technologythey manage, IT managers need to evolve and con-stantly improve their skills. We hope what follows is astep in that direction.

2 An Internet.com IT Management eBook. 2007, Jupitermedia Corp.

The Guide to Managing an IT Staff[ ]

The Guide toManaging an IT Staff

As technology becomes an important part of every aspect of our lives, the line betweentech people and those with people skills is blurred.


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ment's insistence that technology costs be reducedwhen they fail to discipline the acquisition, deployment,or support processes. I really resent the CIOs and CTOs

that don't have the courage to make the tough politicalcalls when their corporate cultures might support thesecalls. There's no excuse for the lack of discipline that issometimes avoided just to avoid tough conversationswith the boys -- who I guess might not tell the bearerof bad news about Saturday's tee time. An even moreserious concern is for the shareholders of public com-panies that waste millions, and in some cases billions,of dollars on perfectly avoidable technology mistakes.Who is accountable to them?

It's epidemic. Too many companies have too many

applications, too many servers, and too many laptops.Too many CIOs are afraid to make anyone mad. Too

many CEOs fail to demand discipline from their tech-nology executives - yet still complain about technologycosts.

Much of the "technology-is-hard" crowd doesn't payenough attention to the lack of discipline that makes ITso hard! It's not about performance, reliability, or evensecurity. These are solvable problems. The really toughproblems are exacerbated by lack of will, poor disci-pline, our need to be liked, our tendency to avoid con-flict, just about everyone's desire to take the easy wayout, and our desire to dodge accountability wheneverwe can.

No one thinks they will end up in the woodshed.

Maybe we should bring it back.




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Why is managing technical people difficult?Some would say techies are socially inept,and simply can't communicate well. While

that may be true in some cases, saying so doesn't help

managers deal with techies any better: It just defers theproblem. Here are two pieces of advice for bridgingthe communications gap.

First, managers must be open, honest, blunt, and can-did with their subordinates. Every employee wants toknow what's going on, but that especially applies totechnical people. They alsowant to know that they'rebeing given accurate infor-mation. Second, managersmust be humble. There's

nothing worse to a techiethan a manager who justpretends to know some-thing - techies see rightthrough that.

That first point covers awide variety of topics. Let'sbreak it down.

"Open and honest," andto a certain extent "bluntness," refer to dissemination

of information. Management should be honest aboutwhat's happening in the company, and managersshould feel comfortable sharing the real reasons behinda decision. Everything from organizational changes tothe company's financial standing is important and rele-vant information for all employees. In the IT world,people are frequently asked to implement some vaguetechnology and they're given no reason at all besides"someone requested it, without really knowing what itis."

When the technical staff is given information about thereal reasons behind a change, they can often providevaluable insight assuming someone is willing to listen.More than listen, actually: The manager needs to be

able to parse the argument for what it's worth. In a situ-ation where IT staff are simply complaining about hav-ing to implement something new, their argumentsagainst the change will likely be 90 percent complaintand 10 percent valid arguments. An effective managerignores the complaints and ponders the valid points, asopposed to getting upset and simply saying "because

we told you to."

The other half of our firstpoint claimed that blunt-ness and candid discus-

sions are beneficial. Inmany situations this istrue, but it's most impor-tant in performancereviews. There's nothingworse than having to "layoff" an employee whenhe had no idea that hisperformance was sub-par.

When someone makes anavoidable mistake, confront him about it. Make it

known that the mistake was unacceptable. Conversely,when someone does something well, parade that factaround the office as if the president just gotimpeached. Employees who know exactly where theystand are able to either correct their actions, or settleinto their rut, realizing they'll never be promoted. Whenit comes time to let the latter go, there are really nohard feelings at all.

Finally the second point: managers must be humble.



Learn to Manage IT StaffBy Charlie Schluting

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This goes far beyond simply admitting when you don'tknow something. Being an effective manager some-times means playing dumb.

It is almost unbelievable how much friction a managerwho pretends to know technical details can cause.During a secret project a few years back, where an out-sider was forced to work within my group, it becameclear very early on that the outsider didn't know whatwe were doing. Instead of admitting it, she attendedevery meeting and pretended to be a productive mem-ber. In the end, when it came time for reviews, every-one called her out for claiming to contribute equally.When it was all said and done, she said, "I've heardstories about dealing with techies

before, but I didn't think they werereally true."

The stories are all true. Technical peo-ple will be hell to work with if youundermine their hard work and yearsof study by making uninformed deci-sions or by claiming to know some-thing better than them. Have youever noticed experienced managersasking their employees to explainsomething that you thought the manager alreadyknew? There's a reason for that.

When employees are forced to explain the way some-thing works, they often come to new realizations duringthe discussion. Putting a plan into words, so that some-one less technical can understand it, forces the imple-menter to think about it from many new angles. Thisworks much the same way that writing a speech does-n't prepare you nearly as well as practicing it out loud.

So how does asking someone to explain what they'redoing translate into "playing dumb?" Well if theyalready assume you know something, they will skip the

gory details. The details are what truly matter, though.

It may seem counterintuitive to think that technicalpeople want to talk to a manager who doesn't knowmuch. Employees may even seem to get annoyedwhen they have to explain things. This is where yourtechnical skill can sneak in and cause something won-derful to happen. Often, the techie won't realize theerror of his way, and you can easily point it out afterhe's described the plan. It doesn't even take much pre-existing technical knowledge, just the ability to ... man-

age. Technical staff certainly won't

think less of their manager for askingtons of questions-they actually enjoyteaching, most of the time.

It also pays to realize that the techni-cal staff has put years of work intodeveloping their skills, and they reallycan't imagine that any manager hasdone the same. They seek continualimprovement and refinement of theirskills, so much so that they'd probably

be just as happy with a raise as with an all-expensepaid trip to a conference.

The moral of the story is to treat technical people thesame as you'd treat everyone else. They will, however,respond better to certain styles of management, andthey will never respond well to a manager who claims toknow more than he really does. A thick skin and strongattitude are required to deal with technical staff effec-tively, but once you understand what makes them tick, awhole new level of efficiency can be obtained.



The moral of thestory is to treat tech-nical people the sameas you'd treat every-

one else.


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Hopefully most readers will agree that peopleworking in IT can be broadly categorized intotwo groups: those who are oriented around

action (process, business, projects) and those who are

oriented around things (hardware and software technol-ogy, documents, data).

The term geek is usually attachedto the hardware-software group, sowhile it's not universally viewed asa positive term, we use it here todescribe the IT staffers who aremore interested in technology thanthe business drivers to use it.

Because of this group's focus, they

tend to lack respect for many ofthe imperatives that matter to thebusiness. In the extreme this ismanifest as undisguised contemptfor the sordid business of makingmoney, derision of project man-agers' obsession with time andcompleteness, and disgust withmanagement's pragmatic compro-mises and expediencies. To the geek mind only thecore is important, and there is only one way to imple-ment it: the correct way.

Those who run the business lack affinity for technologyso they need the geeks, but they get frustrated by

sloppy procedures, slipped deadlines, tactless commu-nications, mystifying documents, warped priorities, lackof respect, non-compliance, and stubborn resistance.Geeks, in the minds of business types, just don't get it.

I once interviewed a Unix systemsprogrammer in a bank about themachines he "owned." I askedhim what applications ran onthem. He started listing HP-UX,Oracle, OpenView No, I said,applications; what businessprocesses? He looked surprisedand slightly embarrassed,because he had no idea.

For the health of the business it'smost important that managementunderstand the geek mentalityand manage appropriately. Pleasedo make a study of it, as effectivegeek-management rewards theeffort. In the meantime, we canhelp by pointing out the mostimportant threats to watch out for

from geek culture.

1) Assessment of Risk

Geeks tend to underestimate risk outside of their tech-nical domain because they are dismissive of all but thecomponents that matter to them. Make sure assurances



12 Tips for Managing GeeksBy Rob England

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For the health of the business it's most important that management understand thegeek mentality and manage appropriately.


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that it will be all right are backed up with some evi-dence. Get a second opinion.

2) Return on InvestmentThis may not even be considered in a request. Geeksthink the company should spend whatever it takes toachieve a technically perfect outcome. Get architects orbusiness technologists to translate geek-speak andevaluate the business benefits.

3) Compliance with Policy, Rules, and StandardsGeeks don't like bureaucracy, and they don't like dot-ting "I"s and crossing "T"s except when comparingtechnical specs. Get someone else to make sure itmeets all the non-technical requirements.

4) Business ImpactTo geeks, the business is an abstract entity "out there"that does not understand what is important, nor theburdens they have to bear. Implement change controlover infrastructure and have a non-geek review andapprove the timing and implications of changes.

5) PeopleKnown to geeks as "wetware," people are perceived asa major impediment to their effective functioning, sec-ond only to security. Buffer end users from geeks with aService Desk. Invite them to meetings when you have

to. Don't expect them to wear silly hats or go rafting orother "team" activities. And don't let them near

6) ManagementGeeks make bad people managers. Do not allow themto ascend by sheer force of seniority into managementor even team-leading roles. Even worse, do not committhe cardinal sin of pushing them into managementroles they do not want (usually through lack of othercareer paths). Sometimes geeks experience a "road toDamascus" revelation and suddenly begin to under-stand the other half. Most don't.

7) Project ManagementGeeks make bad project managers. Recall that they arething- not action-oriented. They do what they must toget it done. The actual doing is an ordeal to beendured and minimized. Only the essentials matter, butthe technical essentials must be done right: they can'tbe rushed. Coordinating other people, ensuring all thebases are covered and everything fits together, drivingfor deadlines, coping with adversity, expedient adjust-

ment, keeping records, reporting and analyzing - theseare not geek skills. PMs are a specialized group ofunique people: hire them.

8) PoliticsThere are those who make things happen, those whowatch things happen, and those who say, "What hap-pened?" Do not expect geeks to be attuned to corpo-rate politics, or even to know what is going on in thebusiness at large. Make sure their manager is filteringtheir communications and proposals. A geek willdemand a new SAN just as the business reports earn-ings 50% below estimates, or complain that the team isunder-utilized and not appreciated just as layoffs arebeing planned, or tell the new CIO who moved across

from Finance that the users are idiots and never knowwhat they want anyway.

9) EstimatingEverything looks like "a couple of days" to a geek.They are always 90% done. It is the last bug. How any-body who spends their life immersed in technology(the home range of Murphy's Law) can be so optimisticseems mystifying until one recalls that process andaction and time are off their radar. Double everythingand get the project managers to look under the hood.

10) Hoarding Knowledge

To geeks, knowledge is personal power, not a groupasset. Technical cleverness and indispensability are theirantlers, their tusks, and their dominance display. Oncethey return from conferences or training courses, anyintellectual property to be disseminated into the rest ofthe organization will need to be surgically extracted.Systems of Byzantine complexity will be constructedand nobody else will know how to operate or fix them.Make sure you reward people who share knowledge("of course she's going to the conference again thisyear - look at all the good training she ran for us afterthe last one"). Assign young apprentices to study at the

feet of the master. Decline transfers and promotions cit-ing undocumented systems that will fail without them.

11) Greed and EnvyMy old boss, Charles Wang of CA, spoke of how mostbusiness decision-makers are driven by the old Fear,Uncertainty, and Doubt, but technical decision-makers(or recommenders) are driven by Greed and Envy.FUDGE. Geeks are technophiles. Watch out for thevendor-crafted business case that conceals the only real




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driver being that somebody wants one because every-one else has one.

12) Starting with StuffThere is a wonderful IT implementation model: PeopleProcess Technology, in that order. Geeks implementTechnology, in that order. Get business analysts, archi-tects, and other damage controllers involved in anyproject, especially one that is a geek's idea. Find thestakeholders (the geek won't have) and see what theythink. Don't let the geeks rush off and talk to vendorsuntil the people and process aspects are sufficientlyadvanced that the organization can specify what itneeds from the technology.

In ClosingGeeks are sensitive, delicate creatures, easily ruffled, inmany ways helpless. They can also be infuriating, petu-lant, stubborn, and seemingly thick-headed, sometimesdestructive. But if you take the time to understandthem, know their priorities, and find their motivators,they can be effectively managed to give them personalsatisfaction while returning great value. For now youcan use these 12 watch points to keep them behindthe fence, to move breakable objects out of the way,and to minimize damage to the business.




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With IT budgets growing, employees beinghired, and upgrades being planned, IT man-agers have a new host of pressures on them.

And most of the managers dealing with all of this have

had very little real management training.

That could be making a hard situation even harder --for both the manager and the employees, says PamButterfield, president of Business Success Tools, LLC, aconsulting and management coaching company basedin Manchester, Conn.

In a one-on-one interview,Butterfield spoke about thebiggest mistakes that man-agers make, how to tell if

employees are challenged oranxious, and how to helpworkers better handle all thechange that's coming downthe road.

Q: Are most managerstrained or otherwise pre-pared to manage people?No, not at all. I know when Ifirst started out, I didn't have a clue that there werethings I could learn to do that would allow me to be a

good manager. I was technical and I had pretty goodpeople skills. That didn't make me a good manager. Ididn't know how to give feedback to people. I didn'tknow how to manage conflict. I didn't know how tobuild teams. I didn't know the difference betweenbeing a leader and a manager. I didn't know how toevaluate people. Fortunately, I worked for a companywhere I got excellent training.

I don't see a lot of companies giving people that kind

of training and, actually, that's why the individual clientsI have who are getting coaching are paying for it them-selves. These people are failing in their roles as man-agers.

Q: What's the biggest mistake that you see man-agers making on a regular basis?

I think one of the biggest mistakes managers make isthat they're not setting aside time to be a manager.

When you're not a manag-er, you're being paid to getwork done. When you're amanager, you're gettingpaid to define the work, tomake assignments, to mon-

itor the progress and quali-ty of what's being done, tohelp people who aren'tperforming address whatthe gaps are. A lot of man-agers are not comfortablegiving feedback and receiv-ing feedback. It's easier toignore those things.

Q: What's the main thing that people could do tomake themselves better managers?People need to focus on the area of goal setting andthen assigning resources to work on the things that aremost important. You have limited resources today soyou need to use them judiciously. Very often there's agap between what people are doing and what theyneed to be doing to actually be successful. Managershave a hard time closing that gap. Very often peopleare good at solving technical problems but not at solv-ing people problems. That goes back to the lack oftraining and the lack of experience. There's also a lack



How Could You Be a Better Manager?By Sharon Gaudin

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of good managers to learn from.

People also need to seek to understand before jump-

ing to conclusions. I've learned to become a goodquestion asker. It's amazing what you find out whenyou listen to people. Often the thing you thought itwas, it's not at all.

Q: With hiring and budgets both picking up, is thisan easier time to be a manager?There's an awful lot of pressure on managers thesedays. The rate of change is so great right now. You'retrying to get people who are bombarded by change toget today's work done, while you're trying to get peo-ple in a position to handle the change that's comingdown the pike tomorrow.

Part of the challenge for managers is there's notenough time in the day... They may have the bestintentions but they just don't have time. One of theways to do this is to look at everything that has to bedone, including the people management stuff, and pri-oritize. Another thing is to learn how to delegate. Everytime you don't delegate a task, you're losing an oppor-tunity to take someone else in the organization andteach them something.

Q: With the industry doing well, are workers happier

and more confident or is there anxiety still left overfrom the slump?Absolutely, people are still anxious... There's a reasonthey are nervous. This goes in cycles. Downturns.Upturns. It will all happen again at some point.

Q: What's the best way to handle these anxiousemployees?If I'm an IT manager, I'm going to help my people beable to be very comfortable with change. There are var-ious programs that companies provide. It's changemanagement for the individual. People are afraid of

change because they're afraid the change will hurtthem and they won't be able to make the transitionsuccessfully. Feeling like you'll be able to land on yourfeet means understanding what your skills and abilitiesare and how you can use them in a new setting. As amanager, I'll help my people understand their strengthsand talents so as change comes along they'll be ableto adapt and still be able to add value.

Q: Sounds like you might be setting them up tothink they should be looking for a new job. Is that aconcern?

There's a little danger there. The other part of that is Itreat them very well so they won't want to look for thatnext job. I'll look for opportunities to give them newand different projects. I'll give them stretch assignments-- neat projects. I'll spread the wealth a little bit and letthe good and the great employees have good projectsto work on. I'll give them a chance to be creative.

They won't all want that. There are certain highly tech-nical people who are able to adapt to change prettyquickly and then others who resist it. As a manager,when I'm looking at a workforce, I might lead with peo-ple who are more able to tolerate the risks of doingsomething new and different. There are certain peoplewho are really happy to go out and try new technolo-gies. There are others who would be happy to writeCobol the rest of their lives.

Q: How do you tell the difference?There are assessments that I use that will measure aperson's stress in the workplace and indicate whetherthey change quickly or slowly. The one that I use is abehavioral assessment put out by Target Training, Inc. IfI don't have money for that, what do I look for? I'mgoing to look for what people are reading. What are

they learning about? Do they learn? Are they interestedin the latest and the greatest? People who tend to beinnovative and creative are interested in the next bestthing to come along. Are they good problem solvers?Are they curious?

Q: How do you tell if someone is anxious?There are specific behaviors that I look at. There aredifferent degrees of resistance. If people are resistantto change, they tend to be overly critical. They'll besilent. They'll find reasons why it won't work. They'llagree very easily. "Yah, that's a great idea." "Yah, do

it." But they'll fade into the background and never helpyou do it. These are all signs of different degrees ofresistance... I need to start communicating with peoplefairly early in the process and sell the problem, not thesolution. Very often when we're implementing achange, top management works behind closed doorsbecause they've identified a problem. Then they springthe solution on people. You need to educate peoplethat there is a problem and you need to do something




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about it. It's a communication plan, really.

Q: What communication mistakes are managers

making?If you keep introducing change after change afterchange, you nickel and dime people. They start waitingfor the next shoe to fall. You've got to bundle changesso it's not that constant drip, drip, drip where theynever get a moments rest.

It's really tempting to want to avoid being in an uncom-fortable situation so you send out e-mail or a memo.

You think, "Well, I told them. It's off my plate." You

need to sit down face to face with people and talk withthem. Become comfortable with the discomfort. Thathas to be part of the communication plan. If that's theway you communicate with people -- in a consistent,compassionate, believable way -- it can do amazingthings. It can develop trust. It can rebuild it. Memoscan't do that.




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Few words can strike more fear into the heart of anindividual than "change." We are creatures ofhabit and feel most secure when we are doing

what we know.

IT is arguably taxed more than anyother business department to makechanges; it is often faced with exe-cuting numerous transition projectssimultaneously to stay current. Fromthe implementation of a new system,to the outsourcing of an IT servicethat was previously handled internal-ly, to the deployment of a new hard-ware platform, every one of thesemodifications represents a complex

change-management challenge forthe CIO.

Predictably, these transformationprojects are often met with a greatdeal of reluctance and dissention.Any project of any size has to dealwith different constituencies withvery different interests and stakes inthe project.

Successful leaders recognize this and apply change

management techniques to overcome this initial resist-ance.

But what exactly is "change management?" Effectivechange management involves aligning all enterpriseresources - physical assets, know-how, technology andpeople - simultaneously, but with a different intensity at

the organizational, work group and individual levels.

Yes, it is a challenge.

Yes, it is as involved as it sounds.

But change management can besummarized in two sentences:Understand your constituents.Communicate effectively.

By understanding these two simple,

but important ideas and structuringyour efforts accordingly, you canensure the success of even themost complex changes within yourorganization.

UnderstandingConstituentsNo matter how much money you'respending, how much you need the

project done or how cutting-edge the technology may

be, it is human beings that will ultimately decide thefate of your project.



Mastering the Challenge of ChangeBy Claudio Muruzabel

Jupiterimages

No matter how much money you're spending, how much you need the project done orhow cutting-edge the technology may be, it is human beings that will ultimately decide

the fate of your project.


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Depending on the scope and complexity of the taskinvolved, participants in complex IT projects can comefrom various functions, departments, and groups within

the organization. They range from the lowest level pro-fessionals and individual contributors within the ITorganization, through all of the middle managementranks, to the senior team reporting to the CIO.

Most CIOs understand that communicating the value ofthe initiative to participants is a key component of suc-cess. Where many of them miss the boat is how thatcommunication should be carried out.

Communicating change may be a question of execu-tion, but its success also depends upon the leader's

ability to effectively read what is truly at stake for eachparticipant. Unfortunately, it's a question that manyleaders, especially IT leaders, getwrong.

When projects fail, it is typicallybecause no one told the people itimpacted why they should care.Employees act based on what theybelieve the company needs fromthem, and their actions drive produc-tivity, financial results, and ultimatelydecide the fate of the enterprise.

Communicate faithfully with your team, get them excit-ed about the project, get them involved, keep thempositive with frequent two-way communication, andthey will ensure that the change is a success.

And don't leave out training and ongoing support. Itmakes all the difference.

Communicate EffectivelyYou cannot effectively execute and "change manage"

what you have not adequately defined. If you cannotconcisely explain the project in the few minutes it takesto ride an elevator, you will have a hard time gettingpeople on board and ultimately enlisting others to helpwith the persuasion program.

The challenge is to clearly and consistently communi-cate to participants what the project is expected to dofor them, and what they are expected to do for theproject. If you want to motivate people, you must clear-

ly define from the beginning what the project holds forthe participants, how it will impact them, and what itsconsequences will be to their jobs.

By balancing individual needs with group objectives,you can go a long way toward ensuring the success ofyour project. Successful change management requiresa disciplined execution based on key success factors:

Establish a clear direction: Develop inspiring andachievable project vision and mission statements thatclarify why a project exists and what it is meant toaccomplish. Then set measurable objectives that willlead to the realization of these ideals.

Build a focused team: A successful project requires allaffected constituencies be involved. Create championsfrom all affected groups to build astrong team that will help you executeevery step of the initiative.

Develop a plan: Create a measura-ble, consistent, and ongoing commu-nications plan that will reach your par-ticipants through numerous methods,on many different levels. Ensure thatyour efforts are designed to motivateyour participants through interaction.

Account for culture and diversity: Organizational cul-ture takes years to develop, but once ingrained it is dif-ficult to modify. Your change effort must play to yourcompany's culture or you will also be faced with thechallenge of shifting company beliefs and traditions.

Therefore it is essential your communications be craft-ed with this culture in mind, while also taking intoaccount geographical and social differences as well.

Your efforts should be appropriate and effective for allinvolved.

There is no mistake that change can be difficult, but, asthe CIO, you are ultimately accountable for the successof the project. By treating change management as avital process, it will help you to be more successful andachieve outstanding results in the long run.



When projects fail, itis typically because

no one told the peo-ple it impacted why

they should care.


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As much as people in a typical IT department mayseem to have independent roles and responsi-bilities - some doing help desk, others manag-

ing security issues, for instance - they all must feel part

of a team.

When employees have a connection to one anotherand share a common goal, the payoffs can be huge,not only for the individual but also for the departmentas a whole: better com-munication, enhancedproductivity, and greateron-the-job satisfaction.

Whether you're trying tobring together the entire

IT staff, a group withinthe department, or spe-cific work teams, thestrategies for buildingunity are the same:

InspireIf the team's goals are to"optimize productivitylevels" or "implement technology more efficiently,"chances are participants will not be as motivated asthey could be, if at all.

Vague objectives filled with business-speak fail to excitemost people. Instead, give your staff a concrete objec-tive that's easy to understand: "Earn the company'saward for the department with the highest customerservice levels." The mission should be one that directlyaffects his or her daily work so you can generate buy-into the idea and hold everyone's interest over time.

DefineWhen you're initiating a project, make sure everyonewithin the group understands his or her role. Again, be

specific. Rather than saying, "Joe and Maria will helpselect the new desktop systems for the accountingdepartment," narrow it down: "Joe will be in charge ofreviewing the department's needs and will then makerecommendations to Maria. Maria will make the ulti-

mate decision about thebest products to pur-chase."

The better peopleunderstand the parame-ters of their work, the

less risk there will be formisunderstandings andconflict.

Share PowerAlso, make sure you'regiving team membersthe authority to fulfilltheir responsibilities.

Avoid micromanaging and allow people the freedom totest ideas.

When a group encounters a problem, encourage par-ticipants to work together to develop a solution. It's OKto serve as an advisor during challenging situations butbe careful not to rush in and solve every issue for them.

When employees work in partnership and are responsi-ble for the ultimate outcome, they'll gain more out ofthe process, both in terms of bonding as a group andbuilding problem-solving skills.



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Teambuilding Tactics That Get ResultsBy Katherine Spencer Lee


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Build CamaraderieTeam members who understand one another make themost effective collaborators. In the haste to meet tightdeadlines and simply complete the task at hand,though, many companies fail to allow sufficient time forpeople to make a personal connection. Be sure yourfirm isn't one of them.

One strategy that can help is to ask individuals in aparticular group to cross-train one another so allmembers can learn about the responsibilities, pres-sures, and priorities of their teammates. Also, don't beafraid to shake up the typical makeup of a unit toencourage people to bond with others outside theirimmediate circle.

For instance, when forming a projectteam, you might include employeeswho wouldn't normally be asked toparticipate, such as junior staff or indi-viduals from a different specialty inthe department. This can help thegroup formulate new ideas, build rap-port and foster a greater respect forwhat each person brings to the company.

Hold Effective MeetingsTeambuilding exercises outside of the office also canbe a great way to motivate a group; however, theseevents can have the opposite effect if they're not man-aged correctly.

For starters, make sure you're not planning activitiesthat require physical strength or endurance; you'll onlymake those with health conditions or limitations feel

excluded. Strive to keep a balance between work andfun activities.

If events are too serious or difficult, people may findthem draining, while ones with no clear connection tosituations at the office may be viewed as a waste oftime. Off-sites should be scheduled during slower peri-ods so people aren't constantly checking theirBlackberries and cell phones to keep up with work.

Set the ExampleFinally, remember, as a leader, you set the tone for anygroup. If you complain openly about how difficult it isto accomplish objectives when forced to rely on others

in the company, you're effectively

telling employees that teamwork ismore harmful than helpful - makesure your words and actions encour-age effective collaboration.

Teambuilding goes beyond just plan-ning a special outdoor activity orassigning a group of people to solvea business problem, it takes long-

term strategy and refinement.

Even in the best of groups, problems can arise and

changes in motivational strategy may need to bemade. For instance, removing a team member who'sdamaging morale often can spark renewed energybetween remaining participants.

If you periodically re-evaluate what's working and whatisn't and make appropriate adjustments, you'll help sus-tain a group's motivation over time and generate thebest possible results.



Team members whounderstand one

another make themost effectivecollaborators.


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One of the more challenging aspects of being atechnology executive is supervising manage-ment-level staff. The techniques you used earli-

er in your career to motivate less experienced employ-

ees may not work as well with a more seasoned groupof professionals who also manage people themselves.

To encourage top performance from your direct reports,you should treat the relationship as a collaboration.While you can convey authority and certainly shouldmake the final call on important decisions, it is also criti-cal to allow your managersto play an active role indetermining the directionof key IT initiatives.

Share the VisionYou may be in charge ofthe department, but yourmanagers are the onesmaking sure everything isimplemented effectivelyon a daily basis. So besure they understand yourcompany's current technol-ogy strategy. It's also criti-cal you get their buy-in onnew projects from the beginning rather than justinforming them of upcoming plans once they've beenenacted.

Let them know what you hope to accomplish in theshort- and long-term and solicit their input. Your man-agers may be aware of situations, such as staffing short-ages that could prevent tasks from being completedsuccessfully. In many cases, their knowledge of dailychallenges and issues can help ensure the success of

your department's projects.The more involved your direct reports are in new initia-tives, the more supportive they are likely to be overall.They will feel connected to the cause and their enthusi-

asm will help them motivate their own employees.

Don't MicromanageIt is particularly important to delegate authority to yourmanagers. If you don't allow senior-level IT profession-als to make their own decisions and instead monitor

their progress constantly,they're likely to resentyour heavy-handedness.They may believe youlack appreciation for their

talent and authority,which can quickly depletemorale and lead toturnover.

Instead, explain thedesired end result andhow you will be evaluat-ing their work. Be clearabout your expectations:Do you want to beinformed of delays ornotified when everything

is completed? What are the top priorities with key ini-tiatives? How critical are timelines for implementation?

Make yourself available should managers have anyquestions or concerns, but let them take charge onceyou have delegated responsibility. If you have madesmart hiring decisions and promotions, your directreports should be capable of leading their IT staff withminimal supervision.



Jupiterimages

Managing Your ManagersBy Katherine Spencer Lee


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Tell Them How They're DoingFormal performance appraisals and ongoing feedbackare just as valuable for managers as they are for lessexperienced employees. Open communication aboutsuccesses as well as challenges can keep people ontrack with their objectives and renew motivation. Inaddition to focusing on technical competency, also giveinput on such areas as supervisory and interpersonalskills and adherence to ethics.

ListenGet to know your managers by spending time withthem in regular meetings. Strive to create a work envi-ronment in which they can give you candid feedback

without fear of negative career repercussions.

Sometimes the best business solutions are generatedwhen people take a risk and recommend an idea thatgoes against the mainstream. Perhaps there's a more

cost-effective but lesser known technology to considerfor an upcoming project? Or maybe there's a betterway to handle technical support calls?

Encouraging those who report to you to "tell it like itis" and following through with appropriate action willnot only help you stay on top of developments but alsowill show managers their input is genuinely valued.

Treating your management staff with respect, solicitingtheir input on projects and offering them autonomy cango a long way in keeping them motivated and satisfiedin their positions. You'll help to create a reliable teamto support your IT initiatives, which can have a positiveeffect on your entire department.

This content was adapted from EarthWeb'sDatamation, CIO Update, and IT Career PlanetWeb sites.


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