Talk Up: Beyond Numbers
Everything started when a workmate talked to me about a new challenge to lead a small group. His question was simple and led us to a great dialogue with a large weigh. Here it comes:
He: How can I lead a team at the first moment?
Me: What do you suggest as a starting point?
He: Well… How about offering projects about new issues, delegating tasks, tracking processes and taking notes of results to build metrics so as we can know how many tasks the team can produce, to name a few…
Me: Interesting! But which kind of professional do you want to become? A manager or a leader? I can address you in both ways, However, I quite believe in only one way! Look, your suggestions are excellent when we think about managing a project. After all, those items you are talking about are possible to show numbers for the Board of directors and make the company work, opening the chance to hire more people. :)
I kept speaking… Once I also believed in a robust closed process where all that mattered was being good with results and numbers, I could perceive that I was a number and a result for someone. I started to think about it: what do I have to develop is adding value for me as professional and as a person or only adding value to the company? So, is there a balance with equals weigh for both of us, company and professionals? Theses weigh should be: goals, objectives and expectations? That was when I started to observe my team as professionals with the same needs — even when some of them had not yet awakened to train their thoughts about growing professionally.
The first impact happened when I changed my paradigms and my thoughts; although I know the importance of numbers, nothing should have most value than each one of our collaborators. Then, I looked for answers to some questions as follows:
How much do I know from each person from my team?
What are their professional goals, objectives and expectations?
And how can I balance them with the company’s needs?
How can I challenge each one of them daily keeping themselves motivated? That was some of my thoughts just to questions a few.
From there, I started to plan a strategy: collect the answers and put my thoughts into words. Some actions were implanted: I wrote a profile of each one of my workmates; we started to know which QA’s dimension is better for each one (websiteLink); I provided courses to improve their technical skills by aligning both needs: for them and for the company; I give constant feedbacks (when those where necessary); I gave them freedom to think, take decisions and assume the risk of their decisions (following and giving suggest when necessary), to points a few.
The result was incredible, I helped people to reach auto-managing skills with different and complementaries profiles. Some of them, even being a JR. already leading a development team, as a focal point of business. Sometimes the team came to hang-out and talk about new technologies and processes that could be implanted in our cycle of life; they stop thinking about the task levels and nowadays they work focused on the results. They are innovators, professionals and I am proud of the team I have. Oh! And how about numbers? Over the past three years, the Test’s area grow up from 1 to 9, and counting rising… :) A quite important point: It is not a fairy tale! People also are complicated and lost. Hiring the best ones will help you during the process of creating a team. Be careful because they cannot mix freedom they feel with the satisfaction of their needs and wills. Then you won’t lose your authority.
After a while, I found a great book by Google “How Google Works” which reflects well the actions that I have done in the past and it let me really proud to know that there are great minds who think like me:
“You can get great talent if you are willing to take a risk on people by challenging them to do new things. They will join you precisely because you are willing to take that risk. And those willing to take risks introduce the exact self-selection tendency you are looking for.”
And at the end of our hangout moment, he demonstrated he was a bit thoughtful and self-motivated. He wanted to do his best.
P.S.: It is incredible the numbers of professionals who are not able to perceive their real importance into a job market and how come they hadn’t developed values for themselves, only for company. I hope to be a change agent in these professional lives.
