Performance Reviews

Aligning Direct Reports’ and Manager Expectations

This article discusses the importance of creating a personalized document that outlines the expectations of both the manager and the direct reports. The document includes a mission statement, values, manager expectations, expectations of direct reports, details, and an evaluation and compensation cycle. It has been useful for onboarding new members and for performance management. The document acts as a contract between the manager and direct reports, providing evidence of expectations and fair warning of what is expected.

What to do when you are leading a turnaround in your company

This is a story of a healthcare company with a product that had 7 versions of software supporting 1800 healthcare systems. The organization had embarked on a very ambitious new version release with large ownership given to the India Leadership team. Due to complexities, regulatory changes, and first time leadership, the release was delayed by 10 months. The current India Engg leadership was moved out and the author volunteered to step in. Through deep dive sessions, Open AMA sessions, and creating 12 teams of max 9 people, the author was able to commit to a full version release in 6 months and the product was successfully submitted for regulatory approval. The author learned that teams in the trenches always know what's going well and not, to localize and empower teams, to allow teams to take ownership, to create metrics that matter and enable the data to be seen by the team, to always communicate strongly and reiterate the goal and commitment, and to take decisions and keep moving forward.

Gaining Acceptance as the New Manager in the Office

Being the new manager in an office can be a stressful experience, especially if the team does not accept you. To gain acceptance, the manager should use icebreakers, create cohesion among team members, be present and attentive during standups, join conversations, and ask team members about their work. The manager should also approach the situation with humility, listen, and be honest and genuine. Finally, the manager should remember that there may be reasons outside of their control that affect the team's acceptance.

Growing Leaders Through Participatory Goal-Setting

This article describes a goal-setting exercise that was conducted by an organization of 15 engineers. The exercise was designed to be a bottoms-up exercise to get better buy-in and enable creativity. It was conducted over two half-days and focused on solving existing problems and creating aspirational goals. At the end of the exercise, six high-level improvement goals were identified. Each engineer was asked to pick an area they were interested in and brainstorm ideas/projects/processes to meet those goals. The results were great and the initiatives enabled the organization to create a common language about leadership and skill growth. In retrospect, it was noted that six goals were too many and that it would have been better to prioritize the top three goals.

How to Be an Effective New Manager

A successful transition from individual contributor to manager requires a shift in mindset from focusing on one area to keeping an eye out and harmonizing the overall situation. To do this, the manager should have regular one-on-one meetings with their team members and use an ancient Egyptian story of the king as an eye to symbolize the importance of paying attention and observing.

Building Networks for the Transition from IC into Management

This article discusses the importance of building a network of people to support you as a manager. It outlines the steps taken to create an Excel spreadsheet of people to interact with, rank them based on how often they are talked to, and analyze time spent with them. It also emphasizes the need for ample resources, meeting with other managers, having a mentor, and polishing soft skills.