A manager task is to deliver what the company needs within given time-scope-budget triangle.
Great projects are delivered by great teams. A great team delivers as a team when everyone delivers.
The only manager task is to create environment that allows the delivery. Usually, it’s done by the means of proactively managing underperformance, and also being less involved in order to create space for direct reports to grow.
That includes a range of processes from the inner circle social dynamics to market forces.
Therefore, a manager is responsible for each individual delivery as part of other risks (Risk management).
The reasons of not delivering were mentioned in Passive DR, but how to avoid them?
The simple answer is to be a part of the team - talk to people and know people before the targets get missed.
Therefore, given the reason solution differs:
- Reason 1 - there is 😞 No desire to deliver a particular task:
- Solution: ask about risks could prevent from delivery and listen carefully. Are there signs of any blockers? There were plenty examples in my career. One memorable is when a person was not taking a task into work that required a significant investment into software integration tests due to a fear of failure. That fear had formed after breaking high-stakes major product release due to a wrong test that didn’t catch The Bug.
- Reason 2 There is 🪫 No ability (mental and physical):
- Solution: Start with simple questions:
- what is the mind-battery level (when was the person last time on vacation, are there other troubles in the family), whether a neighbour has that drilling day? was a person a first day after a having a day off due to sickness?.
- Be sure the battery is not completely empty before it’s too late (About burnout).
- Of course, not every question applies to everyone with the same level of importance. Regardless, it’s the job of the manager to be aware of those things and reduce the risk they impose.
- what is the mind-battery level (when was the person last time on vacation, are there other troubles in the family), whether a neighbour has that drilling day? was a person a first day after a having a day off due to sickness?.
- Solution: Start with simple questions:
- Reason: 🍳 No skill
- Solution: Don’t ask “Am I sure he/she delivers it?”, ask “what will be necessary to delivery: first, second, third skill”. “Have I seen the person had applied the skills 1,2,3? If not, how can I check they are there?” - and act (usually asking directly is a way to get a first insight).
- Work together on acquiring the skill by your direct report if necessary.
- Solution: Don’t ask “Am I sure he/she delivers it?”, ask “what will be necessary to delivery: first, second, third skill”. “Have I seen the person had applied the skills 1,2,3? If not, how can I check they are there?” - and act (usually asking directly is a way to get a first insight).
- Reason: 🌁 No clarity
- There is a joke I find important to keep in mind: “the shorter the question, the longer the answer”.
- Solution: similar things apply to a tech task, as more details you put into describing it, the less ambiguity you leave to fight with.
- “Magic” question to ask here: “how do you want to address this task?”, and then, as usual, listen carefully and challenge with questions, as well as be open to change your opinion.
- Also, Tech workers seniority levels might help to set your expectations about which level of clarity to provide.
- There is a joke I find important to keep in mind: “the shorter the question, the longer the answer”.