Make Your Team Drivers
One year passed as a team lead and I have reflected a bit on the driving force behind teamwork.
The premise is that as a leader of a project, I believe it is important to make my own time to deal with critical issues and potential hits.
By no means do I not want to be consulted by my subordinates.
1. The importance of Team Pyramid
The number of people who can supervise at one time is limited.
On a case-by-case basis, it is three people that you can take care of directly.
A year ago, when I lead two teams at the same time, I manage nine people as flat without a pyramid of team.
At that time, having a morning meeting is not enough to understand progress or to discuss issues that my team members are facing.
As a result, we set up more meetings.
It takes time, to deal with the critical issues and potential hits of the project, away from team lead.
If this situation continues, the project will quickly become a yellow/red light.
It is necessary to create three subteams and assign subleaders directly under team leader.
2. What to Look for in a Sub-leader
It is not enough to have a sub-leader. It is meaningless if the sub-leader (subordinate) does not have enough driving power.
Give them missions and transfer the authority necessary to promote it.
By transferring authority, it is necessary to give them freedom and responsibility, and to make them aware that they must promote the mission themselves.
Make it their own business.
If not their own business, they ask for advice without having any ideas of their own.
Once you give them a solution, they will think they can easily get it if they ask.
We want them to make it their own business and promote it, but as a result, they will be depended on team lead.
Sub-leaders shoud practice the school motto as described in this blog.
3. How Sub-leaders Perform Their Missions
The missions you are given are often abstract.
It is important to break down abstract missions and create clear sub-missions to find a way forward.
For example, it is a good idea to write down and organize as like following.
Mission/Task 1
Sub-mission/task 1: Completed- Sub-mission/task 2：In progress
- Sub-mission/task 3：Open
Mission/Task 2
Sub-mission/task 1: Completed- Sub-mission/task 2：In progress
- Sub-mission/task 3：Open
If we do not find a way to clear the mission, we cannot adjust when a problem arises.
Also, we cannot understand how many more submissions need to be completed.
As a result, the schedule is delayed.
After giving an abstract mission, I want the sub-leaders to find a way to win by break down abstract missions.
And you shoud give advice after sub-leaders makes clear the missions.
4. Like Spinning Plates
One you builed team pyramid, all that is left is to watch which subteams need your help.
It is difficult to detect and actually intervene when you are looking at nine people at once.
It is difficult to spin nine plates at the same time, but you can do it by reducing the number of plates, and when you get used to it, you can increase the number of plates at that time.
Start with a small number of plates and watch for wobbling plates, and if there are any, team leader can help them and give them propulsion.
Conclusion
It is impossible to drive a project forward alone.
In order to make time for critical issues and potential hits, you must coach them so that they can improve thier drive force for project after building team pyramid.