IT Manager's Handbook: Getting Your New Job Done (6 page)

Meeting the Staff

Unless you were told otherwise, it’s probably safe to assume that your staff is like many other IT staffs with a healthy cross-section of technically brilliant people, socially challenged people, hard-working people, under-performers, and various combinations in between. To make things more complicated, your boss (demonstrating his professionalism) didn’t give you his thoughts on individuals because he thought you should form your own opinions … and he’s right.

Unless it was made clear to you at the outset that your staff is a serious problem, you can probably assume that you have not been hired just to “kick some butts,” although you may determine later that some kicking is called for. Most likely you were hired to demonstrate leadership, professional maturity, management, and to provide direction.

On that first day, you’ll be introduced to everyone, and in short order you’ll forget their names, their faces, what they do, and where they sit. That’s okay, that’s normal. Hopefully, you were provided with the department’s organizational chart; it can be a handy map to help you become familiar with your new surroundings.

If your new role is a promotion at your company, you’ll be starting off with your own ideas about the staff. There may be some colleagues who you always thought were underappreciated and those that you thought should’ve been let go years ago. However, instead of having those thoughts as a mere coworker, you’ll now be in a position of authority to act on those thoughts. Also, you may find that you look at the world differently (and it looks at you differently)—through the lens of management.

Those first days will give you a chance to talk to your staff, perhaps as a group. They’ll be judging what you say and how you say it.

A Few Ideas for What to Say to Break the Ice

Whether these are people you’ve worked with for years or you’re just meeting them for the first time, here are a few things you might bring up in that first meeting:

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A little bit about your background (last company and position you held, areas of IT you’ve worked in, different industries you’ve worked in)

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Some recent projects the group has completed (hopefully, if you’ve changed companies, you got this information from your new boss)

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Upcoming projects and challenges facing the group (again, information your new boss provided)

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What goals you have, and what areas are important to you (e.g., customer service, reliability of systems, documentation, etc.)

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Why you’re excited to be part of this company, and your new role

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“My door is always open” (although don’t say this if it isn’t true)

Use these as a way to let them get a sense of who you are and what type of manager they can expect.

Some Don’ts

As much as you want to get those first days off to a good start, you also want to avoid doing anything that leaves a bad taste in anyone’s mouth:

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Don’t talk too much about yourself and your accomplishments. You’re not trying to impress them, just give them a sense of who you are.

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Don’t try to make them afraid of you or to make them love you. You want their respect.

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Don’t say things you’re not reasonably certain you can do. For example, don’t say you want to get everyone trained and then discover that you have virtually no training budget.

Be careful, but don’t stress too much over this. You only have to look at the news to see that everyone from celebrities, business executives, and politicians has had their share of gaffes and putting their foot in their mouth.

One-on-One Meetings

More important than the small talk when you get started, however, is having one-on-one meetings with your staff. Even if you have a very large organization that has several layers below you, you should try to meet everyone on your staff. You’ll benefit from hearing everyone’s perspective, and they’ll be pleased that you took the time and effort to talk to them. In many cases, the act of simply having a chat can be of more value than anything specific that’s discussed.

Even if they are people you’ve worked with for years, a chat like this is very worthwhile. It’ll be the first time you will have a discussion with them as the new boss. It will help set the tone of the relationship going forward and can be a strong foundation for it.

Of course, some of those one-on-ones may prove to be challenging. Your direct reports are probably seasoned enough to have a “conversation.” However, those from the lower ranks may be uncomfortable, scared, or just not great at holding a business conversation with the big boss (especially one they just met). Then again, some may really bend your ear.

If warranted, especially if you have a large team, you may want to meet some of the lower level staff in small groups. This may dilute the pressure that some of the quieter ones may feel.

Some Topics to Get the Conversational Ball Rolling

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How long have you been working here?

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Where were you before?

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What do you like best/least?

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What projects are you currently on, and what’s your involvement?

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What are the best and worst things about the department/company?

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What’s your function? Have you always been doing that?

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What areas, projects, or type of work would you like to get involved with?

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What do you think of the department?

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What needs to get done?

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Is there anything you’d like to ask me or tell me?

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What are your concerns?

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What are the areas that you think need improving?

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Do you have any ideas for those improvements?

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Do you have any advice for me?

The last question may elicit some surprise that you asked for advice, and you may be surprised by some of the things that you hear. But it will probably buy you some goodwill as it’s an indirect way of saying that you don’t have all the answers and that you are eager for other people’s input and help. Since no one is going to expect you to remember everything, it’s okay to take notes during these conversations. Not only will the notes help you later when you’re trying to remember who said what, but it shows the staff that you care enough about what they say to write it down.

Remember to treat everyone with respect and professionalism.

What to Say to Those Who Wanted Your Job and Didn’t Get It

It’s almost certain that someone on your staff (maybe even a peer) wanted your job—some may have even actively campaigned for it. For those who didn’t get the job, they may not have really wanted it (and just applied as an opportunity to gain some visibility and face time with decision makers) and may even feel relieved they didn’t get it. For others, though, the emotions may still be strong.

Unfortunately, you may not learn until later who wanted your job, why they were denied the opportunity, and, most important, what (and how) they were told about why they didn’t get it. In a worst-case scenario, they only learned that they didn’t get it when they heard you were showing up to take that spot.

If you do know who applied for your job, you probably are better off not mentioning it to them directly. They may feel like you’re rubbing salt in the wound. Also, even if you try to be sensitive, they may resent the sympathetic posture from the person who took the job they wanted—you certainly don’t want to appear condescending or patronizing.

The emotions from these individuals can be a combination of resentment, depression, disappointment, and indifference. The best thing you can do is to treat everyone equally with respect and professionalism. Over time, they’ll come to terms with their disappointment and focus on their jobs. If they don’t, that will be a signal that it’s time for a heart-to-heart conversation with them. This conversation doesn’t need to be any different from any conversation a manager may need to have with an employee demonstrating performance or outlook problems, which are discussed in the section
“Disciplinary Problems and Terminations”
in
Chapter 2, Managing Your IT Team,
on
page 54
.

There is also a chance, hopefully very small, that one of the individuals may be so bitter that they are actually working
against
you. The smart person, although disappointed, should realize that their best approach is to align themselves with you so that they become your indispensable right-hand person. Invariably, anyone who tries to sabotage their new manager will end up losing in a number of ways:

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Squandering the opportunity to look good to the new manager

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Losing the confidence and trust of the new manager

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Showing that they aren’t a team player

In some cases, one of these individuals may have been unofficially filling your role while the position was vacant. It might be a very good move for you to allow them to continue doing some of the tasks that they had taken on—running some meetings, leading some projects, etc. If you let them know that you respect and value what they do, that you want to work with them, and that you’re not going to take things away from them just because you’re the new big boss, you’ll be sending a very strong message about the type of person you are.

How you deal with individuals and individual circumstances is often a tough judgment call. But exercising judgment is pretty much what your job is about. How you deal with people who applied for the job you have now might be one of your first big challenges, and one of your first big opportunities, as a new manager.

Establish a Relationship with Your Manager and Your Peers

There are two key factors that can ensure a successful relationship with your new boss:

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Knowing what she expects from you

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Earning her trust that those expectations will be met

Both take time, and you can expect occasional missed signals or miscommunications along the way. Things to look out for include:

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Does she prefer e-mail, telephone, or in-person communications?

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What are her priorities: projects, technologies, certain applications or specific user groups?

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Does she prefer constant updates on details or just periodic status reports on the big picture?

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Does she like to get right down to business or does she enjoy a little casual conversation?

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What did she like most (and least) about the last person in your role?

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Is she more impressed with form or function?

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Is she focused on process or metrics?

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Is she involved with her staff, the mood of the department, etc.?

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Is she focused on building an empire and her own status and growth or is she just focused on doing the best job possible?

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Are her decisions based on raw data, judgment calls, or input from her staff?

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Is she a consensus builder?

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Is she more focused on strategy or operations?

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Does she make quick decisions and judgments or does she like to form opinions over a period of time?

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Does she have a very formalized project management methodology or does she prefer the “let’s just get it done” approach?

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What is her own boss like? What is her relationship with her management—do you know what they expect of her?

Keep in mind that while you’re figuring out how to deal with a new manager, your new staff is doing exactly the same thing with you. This frame of mind can help you keep some perspective about the dynamics of the situation.

Remember, your new manager wants you to succeed. When you succeed, it makes her life easier by having a winner working for her. Also, it makes her look good that she hired a good manager. You have a built-in ally.

In a similar vein, your peers (your fellow managers) also want you to succeed. They might have been frustrated that your team hasn’t had much direction and leadership without a manager, and might have atrophied while there was a vacancy. They may also be a little bit more forthcoming about the weaknesses they see in your team’s members and operations. They can also give you some insight into the culture of the department, your boss, the company, hot-button projects, and issues.

Just like you need to do with your boss, you’ll want to build relationships with your peers, demonstrate that they can count on you, and that you’re eager for their guidance and input as you get settled. You don’t have to take all their guidance and input at face value, but there can be great value in listening to it.

Learning the Landscape: Key Users and Key Applications

If your new role is in a new company, there’s a lot you don’t know about your new environment, and the sooner you start closing the gap, the better off you’ll be. Even if you’re at the same company, you have to look at these issues with a new perspective.

The first thing you may want to know is who your key users are and what the key applications and systems are. Depending on the industry you’re in, the answers could differ considerably. If you’re working for a law firm, the key applications may be the document management system and the system for recording billable hours. In a manufacturing plant, the key applications probably revolve around the supply chain.