Leading a Team of Hundreds? Try Intrinsic Motivation. Here’s How.
Imagine managing and being available at all times for a team of more than 170 people. Well, that’s Nastassia, Ruangguru’s Educational Content Manager, who on top of juggling the needs and responsibilities of her large team also ensures that every content and learning material for Ruangguru’s in-app ruangbelajar product are under control.
Of course, managing a team that big is no easy task. If anything, it’s intimidating. The great thing is that Nastassia has learned a thing or two about team management. Lucky for you, she is sharing them with you here. Keep reading and find out how Nastassia keeps her ground while growing her team!
Open communication. Little miscommunication.
Everybody has a voice. Everybody has the right to ask, share, and acknowledge what’s going on. But think of how many chats Nastassia would have if she has singular chat windows with every individual in her team? This sounds like a mighty challenge for a team of hundreds.
Therefore, she encourages using big group channels for internal communications. What if it doesn’t pertain to certain members of the group? It’s okay, she said, as long as it is not confidential. Such information might benefit others in different contexts. Nastassia also does this in the hopes of avoiding miscommunication and assumptions. “It saves time too,” she added.
Feedback goes both ways. Always.
“To be respected, we need to respect. To grow, we need to be open to criticism,” Nastassia said.
Nastassia knows that giving her team feedback is not enough. Feedback must go both ways. It’s important that she reflects on her leadership skills based on her team’s perspectives. So, what does she do? She sends out an annual Manager Feedback Survey. This survey is anonymous, of course, so everyone can comfortably and confidently share their thoughts. She also takes time with each team member’s one-on-one session seriously for bidirectional feedback.
Nastassia said it’s crucial that her team knows she’s listening, and she ensures that her team also acknowledges that she is putting the effort to implement their feedback and acting upon them (or at the very least, try!).
Shared responsibilities and contributions
There is a huge misconception that effective managers must give orders. That’s why Nastassia simply gives directions and guidance for her team and encourages them to decide on their own instead. Refraining from one-way orders. That’s the goal.
Since contribution and collaboration is key, it’s crucial for Nastassia that everyone steps up their game. Her team of hundreds is divided into 10 groups based on various school subjects: Math, Chemistry, Physics, Biology, History, Economy, Geography, Sociology, English, and Bahasa Indonesia. If a group or team member is in urgent need of help, Nastassia and her team of super leads motivate others to assist and alleviate such burden at the cost of other members’ responsibilities.
“We need to be a mentor to those who need guidance but also be a mentee to those you want to learn from,” she said.
In the educational content department, everybody has the skills and knowledge of multiple roles. Even so, each person is in a position based on their strengths. Nastassia said that when there is a time of need, anyone can fill that role effortlessly.
In other words, the mentoring culture is big here. There’s a lot of teamwork and working towards one goal so everyone has a sense of responsibility.
Learning through reading
Nastassia’s weekly English book club is currently reading The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom. Why? Because she encourages her team’s personal growth beyond the company — enhancing writing, reading, speaking, and analytical skills — and she believes she can achieve this through reading books.
Many teams have also learned to take this kind of initiative by starting their weekly sharing sessions. These teams would take turns reading various research papers or books to strengthen their content knowledge. Nastassia supports by facilitating these teams with reading materials and books in hopes of elevating everyone’s expertise, knowledge, and skills, as well as advancing her team’s learning experiences. Upon reading new content materials, each person is encouraged to internally share what they learned from it, which Nastassia believes fosters teamwork and discussions.
Aligning the work with the mission and vision of the company
Some things Nastassia thinks will help her and her team going, in the long run, is a deep understanding of why they are where they are and what they are working towards. The impact, belief, and hope.
“It is especially important they we remind each other once in a while how the company’s purposes align with each individual’s passion,” Nastassia said.
This motivates her team to take initiative in their work. Some teams would hold sharing sessions to discuss new learning topics every week or holding a class for the graphic designers and animators in their team so that they further understand the materials for the videos they work on.
It goes beyond just meeting deadlines, it’s so much more than that!
Those are the five methods Nastassia implement in managing her team. Nothing is perfect, but she finds that they ensure her team’s efficacy and that she’s managing it as best as possible. As long as her team is happy, thriving, and growing, she surely is too.
If you’re looking at working in a team of passionate teachers with team leaders and managers who foster your personal growth, check out Ruangguru’s career page to see if there are available positions for you.
