Leadership Part 1 Building QA Leaders Unleashed. Copyright 2006-2007. MSQAA Federation Chapter....

Leadership Part 1

Building QA Leaders Unleashed

Copyright 2006-2007. MSQAA Federation Chapter.

Agenda

Leadership and Management Challenges Bottom Line Q&A Reference


Leadership and Management



Leadership Leadership and management are two different things. A manager works within the system following the accepted

practices of the system. A leader determines where the organization needs to be, and then

does what is necessary to get there. In a business context:

– Leadership is the ability to build the commitment of employees, to endow an organization with a positive perception of itself.

– And to give employees a positive perception of their role within business.



Leadership Traditional management techniques focus on employee behavior,

not the employee. Without messages of achievement, recognition for good work, and

a sense of meaningful professional advancement it is impossible to build employee commitment.

Most employees need realistic feedback on their performance. True leaders provide this type of feedback, naturally, in their day-to-day actions.



Leadership Fundamental mistakes a would-be IT leader can make:

– Isolation– Inability to reward– Lack of business perspective

Quality leadership begins with quality management knowledge. Leadership includes focusing on the importance of the customer

and on teamwork. New behaviors required of quality leaders:

– Modeling– Coaching– Reinforcing



Leadership New behaviors required of quality leaders:

– Modeling Consists of “Do as I do.” Quality leaders show their employees

the preferred way of acting, using the quality management language.

– Coaching Means helping others implement quality management correctly.

It takes the form of: – Instruct: When they see others are unsure of how to do

something. Instructions include: Correcting Consulting Reviewing



Leadership New behaviors required of quality leaders:

– Direct: When employees do not know which action to take next. Directions provide the “what” and the “why” by settings priorities for employees.

– Prompt: When others need a hint.– Reinforcing

Positive reinforcement is the effort to praise people for their accomplishments.

Positive feedback should become second nature to management. This is the best source of motivation that a leader can provide, a

simple “thank you” may suffice.



Quality Leader Behavior Model



Quality Management Cultural Changes



LeadershipPractices that need to be used for IT leadership are: Assess the real business needs

– A leader must know what the customer or business really wants. Leaders do not accept the stated requirements but probe until they believe the real business needs have been identified, and then develop solutions.

Provide problem-solving vision– Leaders look for the most effective ways to solve problems,

not the traditional ways.



Leadership Understand and work with human nature

– A leader understands that solutions come with, and through, people. To make this happen, leaders give workers feedback needed to do their job effectively, and provide them with appropriate rewards when warranted.

Stay in touch with customers/producers– The leader constantly works with and calls on the parties who

have a vested interest in the success of the project. The leader continues to have the pulse of the marketplace and the workers producing the products.



Leadership Set priorities

– The leader establishes the priority for work, knowing what must be done first, and ensuring that it is done.

Set standards for performance– A leader never leaves it up to the workers to determine the

required level of performance. A leader establishes clear performance standards, and then works side by- side with the workers to ensure those standards are met.



LeadershipThe Importance of Establishing Mentoring Relationships Mentoring allows the more senior employees a means to pass

their experience and insights to junior employees. Mentoring is normally not in a person’s job description, but it is an

activity that should be encouraged and rewarded. Mentoring can include how to deal with organizational politics,

how to prepare for job opportunities, and how to solve job work challenges. Quality professionals should actively promote mentoring programs in their IT organization.



LeadershipEstablishing Trust Mutual trust is mandatory for building management-employee

process improvement teams. Management must trust employees enough to ask for their help

and to share with them the responsibility for continuous process improvement.

Employees must trust management enough to respond to this

request by contributing their knowledge and their ideas.



LeadershipEstablishing Trust Actively listening down, not talking down, can be the first step in

establishing trust. Listening down helps establish two-way communication, and carries two-way responsibility.

Those being listened to should have something constructive to say. Ideas for improvement, not yesterday’s complaints, are needed.

Those doing the listening need to be ready to react to the ideas that will be generated.



LeadershipCompetition to Cooperation While competition is “the American Way," within an organization

competition is a hindrance to quality improvement. Cooperation is required to improve quality and to implement

quality management. Cooperation leads to increased creativity, These are all characteristics of high-quality organizations.

Teamwork, one of the cornerstones of quality management, is based on cooperation.

Cooperation requires objectivity. An atmosphere based on “I win, you win,” as opposed to “I win, you lose,” must be established.



LeadershipTeam Development Phases Forming

– In this first stage, teams are dominated by feelings of confusion and anxiety, and are not able to focus on their purpose for long. Individuals may come to the team proud to be selected, but wondering why, and wondering about the other members.

Storming– Conflict, defensiveness, and competition are key during this

stage. Team members still think individually and wrestle with loyalties outside the team. As ideas emerge, they are attacked and defended. There may be confrontations, disagreements.



LeadershipTeam Development Phases Norming

– The individuals start to become a team. Personal agendas, concerns, and loyalties are minimized. Conflicts are resolved constructively, and the team focuses on its real purpose. As trust develops, riskier ideas are proposed and feelings exchanged. The willingness to discuss for the sake of the team grows, which results in better communication and cooperation.



LeadershipTeam Development Phases Conforming

– During this final stage, the team has matured into a cohesive unit. Individual strengths and weaknesses are understood and appreciated, leading to an overall satisfaction with the team membership. As steps are made toward the team's goals, there is individual learning and growth, and people feel satisfied with progress.



LeadershipEstablishing Group Compatibility

Characteristics of an individual can be explained in termsOf three interpersonal needs below: Inclusion

– Inclusion is the need to associate with others and the need for togetherness. This need manifests itself through behaviors designed to attract attention. A person with a strong need for inclusion may be overly friendly, amiable, and possessive. They may punish friends who attempt to establish friendships with others.



LeadershipEstablishing Group Compatibility Control

– Control refers to the decision-making process between people. The need for control varies from the need to dominate others versus being dominated by others. A person with a high need to be controlled is compliant and submissive to others; a person with a high need to control displays rebellion and refusal to be controlled.

Affection– Affection refers to close personal and emotional feelings

between two individuals. Love and hate represent the two extremes.



LeadershipFormula for Effective Behavior Change

Behavior = Individual + Environment

– This formula indicates that if neither the individual nor the environment changes, there is no change in the behavior.

– It is easier to change the environment in which an individual operates than to change an individual’s attitudes and beliefs.



LeadershipSix basic attributes of executive management Purposeful

– Stands and sits straight.– Walks briskly. – Knows where he or she is going and how to get there. – Looks people directly in the eye.

Competent – Organizes thoughts before speaking. – Is brief, simple, specific, and direct.– Stays calm. Does not appear rushed or harried.



LeadershipSix basic attributes of executive management Analytical

– Does more asking than telling. – listens to the answers. Does not accept generalities.

Decisive – States the problem, then the solution. – Always talks straight, does not waste time.

Confident – Talks about challenges, not obstacles.– Is not tense with superiors. Knows the art of casual conversation.

Appearance – Dresses up one level.


Challenges


Challenges

These are a few challenges faced by a QA Leader:– Time to mentor team members

Ways to deal with this challenge:– Implement personal organization techniques to manage

your time properly.– Plan the mentoring.

– Keen eye to detect problems in the team Ways to deal with this challenge:

– Implement QA Tools to identify causes of the problem (e.g., brainstorming, cause and effect analysis)

– Follow up on action items.– Persistence on Action Items.


Challenges

These are a few challenges faced by a QA Leader:– Encourage team members to be proactive

Ways to deal with this challenge:– Introduce Quality Management philosophy to the team.

– Build trust between team members Ways to deal with this challenge:

– Introduce Quality Management philosophy to the team.– Patience to deal with conflicted people

Ways to deal with this challenge:– Introduce constructive criticism techniques.– Introduce Listening Process.


Challenges

These are a few challenges faced by a QA Leader:– Promote Communication in the team


– Promote a teamwork climate Ways to deal with this challenge:

– Introduce Quality Management philosophy to the team.– Formula for Effective Behavior Change:

Behavior = Individual + Environment


Challenges

These are a few challenges faced by a QA Leader: – Instill confidence to the team on the application

Ways to deal with this challenge:– Introduce Quality Control Principles and Concepts: “Check

the quality of the product and not the quality of the producer” – Break barriers between teams (Onsite, NearShore)


– Promote importance of Quality principles Ways to deal with this challenge:

– Implement Training Sessions.


Challenges

• These are a few challenges faced by a QA Leader:– Backup team members when needed

Ways to deal with this challenge:– Introduce Quality Management philosophy to the team.– Formula for Effective Behavior Change:

Behavior = Individual + Environment – Commitment to the project (Good and Bad moments)


“Code of Ethics”


Challenges

These are a few challenges faced by a QA Leader: – Broad perception of the project

Ways to deal with this challenge:– Implement Leadership and Management Concepts.

– Promote cooperation between team members Ways to deal with this challenge:

– Introduce Quality Management philosophy to the team.– Know when to help a team member in trouble


“Trust management to raise issues on time


Challenges

These are a few challenges faced by a QA Leader: – Dealing with Attrition in the team


“Trust and Commitment”– Provide realistic feedback on a daily basis

Ways to deal with this challenge:– Implement Leadership Concepts.

– Importance of trust and commitment Ways to deal with this challenge:

– Introduce Quality Management philosophy to the team. “Trust and Commitment”


Challenges

These are a few challenges faced by a QA Leader: – Encourage Team members to voice their opinions


– Outsourcing - Dealing with cultural differences Ways to deal with this challenge:

– We need to be open minded to understand that people have different cultural beliefs and ideas, thus we need to adapt to some of them.

– Also we need to voice our ideas and reach consensus within the team, to factor in the best idea to the project.


Challenges

These are a few challenges faced by a QA Leader: – Keep the team members motivated

Ways to deal with this challenge:– Invite the team to a lunch.– Share treats with the team.– Team building activities.

– Participate in organizational Activities Ways to deal with this challenge:

– Implement personal organization techniques to manage your time properly.


Bottom Line


Bottom Line

1. Do you think leaders are born naturally with those skills?

2. Do you think leaders can be built by teaching them the appropriate skills?


Bottom Line

1. Do you think leaders are born naturally with those skills? Some People are born with those skills. However, those skills need to be polished.

2. Do you think leaders can be built just by teaching the appropriate skills? Yes, any individual can be a leader, the key factors to

pursuit this goal are: Willingness Belief Perseverance Commitment Education


Q&A

Any questions…


Reference

CSQA study Guide 2006


Thank you…

Leadership Part 1 Building QA Leaders Unleashed. Copyright 2006-2007. MSQAA Federation Chapter....

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Transcript of Leadership Part 1 Building QA Leaders Unleashed. Copyright 2006-2007. MSQAA Federation Chapter....