Tag Archives: teamwork

February 4, 2016 · 12:12 pm

My Bat, My Ball

A long time ago I had a boss who used to recite a little rhyme when he’d get into a discussion with other managers about how something ought to be done. It’s stuck with me: 

My bat, my ball
My ass, my call

In other words, as the person in charge of our division, I’m the one who answers to top management if things go wrong, so I get to decide how things are going to get done. I thought of him as I read the results of a survey by General Electric (GE) and Edelman Berland, which asked respondents to choose their three most challenging best practices to implement for enabling innovation  This was reported by eMarketer.  There were two best practices which the respondents found most difficult to implement.

The first was creating a connected culture where idea-sharing is facilitated and where all the contributing parties are recognized and rewarded.  The second was creating a set of metrics to decide which product or service should be funded or killed, as well as having a clear process and structure in place to manage innovation.  These we cited by over 40% of the survey respondents. What struck me about that, and how it relates to my old boss’ saying, is that both are about control.

With respect to the first point. If you’ve worked in any organization larger than a handful of people you’ve probably come across the dreaded silo effect.  You know what I mean: people not allowing anyone outside of their immediate group to see into their area and the lack of communication and cross-departmental support often found in large companies.  As a boss, you can mandate that people play nicely with other departments but the reality is that unless you proactively facilitate it and monitor it, it doesn’t really happen.  The second half of the point about reward is also about control since rewarding subordinates is often how managers keep people in line.  Shocking news: managers often play favorites irrespective of some folk’s contributions.

With respect to the second point.  That same boss had another saying: let’s not let the facts get in the way of a good story. Again, a control issue.  He wanted to decide what we did and how we did it.  We would innovate HIS ideas and we’d kill something when HE decided, irrespective of the data we had.

The real challenge these points raise is that of being adult enough to relinquish control in order to gain control of the business.  Turning a dictatorship into a benevolent monarchy is hard, but necessary.  Are you up to the task?

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April 24, 2015 · 10:17 am

Cooks And Bakers

It’s Foodie Friday and today I want you to think about if you’re a cook or if you’re a baker.  Your immediate response, assuming you spend time in the kitchen, might be “Gee, I do both.”  That’s probably true.  When I’m preparing the Thanksgiving feast, I bake pies and the occasional cake but I am definitely NOT a baker.

One of the bakers at Boudin Bakery in Fisherma...

(Credit: Wikipedia)

Maybe it’s my rebellious nature (those of use who lived through the 1960’s have that streak) but baking is way too rigid for me.  Baking is chemistry.  It’s Baroque music to cooking’s jazz.  One has specific formulas and rules; the other encourages improvisation.  I know how certain flavors go together and armed with just an idea and my tools I can usually make something pretty good.  Try that with baking.

When you make a baking mistake it’s pretty obvious.  Not so with cooking.  I can eyeball a tablespoon of oil for a pan.  Try eyeballing a tablespoon of baking powder armed with the knowledge that if you’re off the whole project fails.  This is not to say I think less of bakers.  They are far more precise and patient than I tend to be in the kitchen.  I can’t see very many bakers I know or see on TV going off on a rant while many of the chefs appear to be aggressive, anxious, and on edge.  Walk in to any restaurant and you’ll see them both.  Which is, of course, the business point.

Like a restaurant, any business needs both bakers and cooks on the team to produce a complete product.  You need the team members who try new things and crave pushing the boundaries.  You also need the ones who are calmer and more grounded in the “recipes” that make your business go.  Which brings us back to my initial question.  Are you a baker or a cook?  There is no right answer, but whatever your answer is should remind you that you need someone to make the other half of the menu.  You might be a cook who can bake a little (me) or a baker who has kitchen skills but finding both types are what will make your business well-rounded and last.

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December 23, 2014 · 10:59 am

Why Me?

As we’re getting to the end of the year the pace slows down a bit and we get a chance to think a little. Oh sure – I know we all apply as much mental effort as we can to our daily tasks but the pace often dictates that we move quickly and there isn’t a great deal of time available for reflection. There is today so I’m doing so.

One thing I’ve learned over the years is the value of delegation. I found out many years ago that as the task list grew so too did the need to involve others in completing it. That required delegation. It’s a lesson that has served me well in my life as a consultant since often my role isn’t to do but to strategize and to recommend courses of action. I delegate (ok, more like beg) the client’s team to do the work much of the time.

Many managers delegate with a statement of what’s required and dismiss the staff member with the task and a deadline. They forget to answer a couple of questions. The first is “why me?”. It’s important for the person to whom you’re assigning the task to know that they weren’t some random choice to complete it. Hopefully you chose them due to specific knowledge they possess or a skill set that makes them the best person for the job. They should know that. It gives them an underpinning of confidence as well as a clue as to how the task is to be done.  You wouldn’t ask the accountant to write a marketing plan nor would you ask the marketing person to do a financial statement.  It’s not just their areas of responsibility that are different.  It’s their mindsets and their skill sets.  Let them know.

The second question you need to answer is about context.  How does what you’re asking fit into the broader business?  What does the desired outcome of the task have to do with what other people are doing and how does it move the business forward?  This helps the person understand that what you’re asking isn’t “busy work” nor is it random.  If you can’t answer those questions, by the way, you might need to rethink either the task or the person to whom you’re assigning it.

It’s easy to get subordinates to do things when you’re the boss.  It’s less easy to get them to do them in a way that helps them grow.  It’s even harder to have them develop themselves and the overall business.  Answering “why me” is a good start.  Make sense?

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