The Manager - Edition 33 - from Rob Lambert
Cultivated Management Newsletter
Hi,
Hope you had a nice weekend and are all set for the week ahead.
I’m finding it more and more curious about Agile and Management and why there is a rapidly growing belief that;
a - you don’t need managers in an agile business
b - managers should never tell people what to do
c - managers should not address performance issues - they should be addressed by the team
Have you seen any of this?
It’s certainly occupying my world a lot recently.
I had a CIO get in touch and asked me to come in and do some work to help their teams as they were underperforming. When we talked through the structure - he had put all three of the above in place as “rules” of agile. He had removed the role of management, told "team leaders" never to tell people what to do and encouraged the teams to give feedback to each other. Let's put it this way - they were a far from high performing team.
Let’s take a look at each one.
a - you don’t need managers in an agile business
In most organisations hierarchies form naturally as people jostle for position and leaders emerge.
In my view, it makes sense to make sure the person who does "head" up the hierarchy knows what they’re doing, treats people like people and achieves business results.
Someone was telling me about their company’s flat structure the other day, where technically nobody is in charge. When I asked who she would speak to about a personal issue - she didn’t know - "HR I guess".
What about a problem with a colleague that cannot be addressed directly - no idea - "HR I guess". What about if you have a complaint, or want a pay rise, or want to move teams - HR apparently.
Right....having been in HR I can say with absolute certainty that HR exist to support the business - not you. Will they put you first? Will they know your work? Do they know you?
When you dig below the surface you realise that there is always somebody in charge - someone who has the responsibility, role power and decision-making latitude - so it pays to make sure they’re competent at what they do. Otherwise it’s a little like being at school - if you’re cool and personable and the person in charge likes you (or you fake being their friend) - you’re fine. If you’re mischievous - people will avoid you. And if your odd - you’re out. I was always the odd one at school :(
b - managers should never tell people what to do
Utter nonsense. The business needs results. Those results come from strategy and direction given by the executives (in high performing organisations) translated in to action.
Leaders give us the why.
Managers talk about the what.
The team decide how.
But to say a manager should never be telling people what to do, is to assume that everyone in the organisation knows what they are doing, why and how.
It’s to also assume that everyone has the maturity, skills, experience, knowledge and commercial awareness to make the best decisions. And sometimes, people make decisions that are hurting the customer, company and team - and managers should be there to encourage people to perform better - and that sometimes requires telling someone what to do.
c - managers should not address performance issues - they should be addressed by the team
This one is odd. To assume that all teams are so high performing, so safe psychologically and that people have the right skills to talk about performance is insane. Some teams are. Most teams are not. Some people would be fine having a tough conversation about performance, some people will not be - even with plenty of coaching and training.
So, to assume that performance issues will be addressed by the team alone is madness from a business perspective. To be fair, most managers never talk to people about performance, so I can see where this agile management myth comes from, but frankly, it’s madness.
If someone is underperforming a manager needs to explain why and help them to be better - either just through feedback or coaching alongside. Sure, the team can also do it, but sometimes it needs a manager.
---
We seem to have entered a time where management is being thrown out when teams go agile, with a belief that agile means having no hierarchy.
The reality is most teams will build a hierarchy, often informally, and often at the detriment to the business. The business must get results, and these should be achieved whilst retaining good staff.
But from what I’ve seen recently there seems to be a belief that building fun teams without managers = they will be high performing. I for one don’t believe that. In fact, I don't see it very often at all.
I believe in management.
The sort of management that fixes systemic issues, hires great people, articulate the why and what, let’s people decide the how, coaches and trains, protects and supports and provides encouragement for people to become the best they can be. And this requires a hierarchy (a low touch one) with the right people in it.
Business should not be like the playground at school where only the cool are included and the mischievous are left alone. Business should be inclusive of those who get results, are nice to others and build a business that supports individuals and puts their strengths to use - and that, in my opinion, requires amazingly good managers :)
Stuff To Click On :
1 - 10 Agile Axioms - Odd article in that it seems to have taken some of the agile principles to an extreme, but interesting to read none the less.
2 - Happiness is something you must decide upon. Ancient advice on happiness from Aristotle.
3 - Why business’s must invest in social capital. I.e. looking after people - the best companies always have done...
4 - Leadership is all about relationships. Yes. Yes it is.
5 - Loneliness also affects business - here are some good ideas on how to address loneliness at work
6 - Dealing with negative feedback - some ideas on how not to take it so personally.
7 - Some good cover letter tips for those seeking employment…and still having to send a cover letter
8 - The skills needed to work alone. I do find working from home quite tough sometimes. I like to talk to people :)
9 - In the tech world we seem obsessed with tech and robots - but are they making our world more boring?
Thanks for reading this week's edition of The Manager.
Thanks
Rob..