How to coach
1. Tutoring
technique
3. Counselling
behaviour
4. Mentoring
political savvy/
gut feel
2. Challenging
performance
Help the person develop
technical understanding and
competence
Design effective learning
strategies and increase the
pace of learning
Share technical insights
Help understand their
organisation and gain
political savvy
Sensitise to the likes and
dislikes of senior executives
Model the goals and values
of the organisation
Teach the person how to
manage her/his own career
Clarify performance shortfall
and expectations
Gain commitment to
accepting more difficult tasks
Provide strategies and
techniques for improving
performance
Help the person develop ways
to monitor performance and
self-correct in the future
Accurately describe problems
and identify root causes
Encourage the person to
express his or her feelings
Facilitate the development of
personal insights
Explore behavioural
alternatives that could solve
the problem
Management by Objectives
OBJECTIVE
INDIVIDUAL
GROUP Financial levers/
Cash flow
Balanced
scorecard
Milestones/
metrics
Critical
Path/Gannt
Task
assignment
Forward
pipeline
Professional
development
Feedback
Influencing
tactics
Types of
people
Group
stages
SUBJECTIVE
Assertiveness
Handling
conflict
Motivation
Experiments
Diagnostics
Workload
Effective
communication
Why plan and review progress?
• Depersonalises issues: – Data is “out there” and the whole team can look at it
and critique it
• Provides focus: – “What gets measured gets managed” – especially if it
is on the team wall
– BUT you need to make metrics hard to “game”!
• Simplifies communication – Explain stuff once – then come back to the same
points and see how you are dealing with them
GROUP/OBJECTIVE
Different team objectives/situations
.XXX Technical Communications
Power
Language of
product
architecture
Process
You
Targets
α 1.0 β 3.0 undefined
modular
experiential compression
Source: ARM PhD
GROUP/OBJECTIVE
.XXX Revenue targets
0
200
400
600
800
1000
1200
Ju
n-0
7
Sep
-07
Dec-0
7
Mar-
08
Ju
n-0
8
Sep
-08
Dec-0
8
Mar-
09
Ju
n-0
9
Sep
-09
Dec-0
9
Mar-
10
Ju
n-1
0
GROUP/OBJECTIVE
ILLUSTRATIVE
.XXX financial levers
Actionable?
No point showing
junior people stuff
they cannot do
anything about – it
just frustrates
them
Timely?
How often does
the data change –
and how efficiently
can you update it?
GROUP/OBJECTIVE
Revenue = X
# Sales =
Revenue/
sale=
Downloads
Conversion rate
-12%
+23%
-1%
+8%
+7%
ILLUSTRATIVE
.XX organisation chart
.XXX
management team
Customer Product
Market
1 FTE
Support
Develop
3 FTE
Test/QC
2 FTE
Can you create sub-
teams that scale up
more easily?
How will your time be
freed up to manage
external perceptions –
management and key
clients?
GROUP/OBJECTIVE
.XXX product road map
Technology
Product/service
Business/market
Old tool Acquired tool New build tool
Training: www.ifm.eng.cam.ac.uk/ctm/trm/documents/strat_roadmapping5.pdf
Old .XXX customers
Old AAAcustomers
New customers
??? ??? ???
GROUP/OBJECTIVE
ILLUSTRATIVE
.XXX Gannt/critical path
Develop
Test
Release
Support
Develop
Test
Release
Support
Q3’07 Q4’07 Q1’08 Q2’08 Q3’08 Q3’10 …
What is the company year
end for overall budgets?
What is the release
schedule? (e.g.first, new
version, patch)
Who are the critical
resources? (e.g. testers
get pulled into live
support)
What external deadlines
cannot be slipped? (e.g.
major shows, key
clients)C
GROUP/OBJECTIVE
ILLUSTRATIVE
Tech Comms Balanced Scorecard
Source: Mead (1998) Measuring the value added by Technical Documentation, A
review of research and practice (tc.eserver.org/10355.html); Carliner (Physical,
Cognitive, Affective): saulcarliner.home.att. net/id/newmodel.htm
Financial - to succeed financially, how must we appear to our
shareholders? e.g. reducing internal investment, increasing return by
selling documentation, reducing after-sales support calls
Customer - to achieve our vision, how must we appear to our
customers? e.g. customer survey on technical communications project
management
Business process - to satisfy our customers and shareholders, what
business processes must we excel at? e.g. quarterly customer
satisfaction/support surveys
Learning and growth - to achieve our vision, how do we sustain our
ability to change and improve? e.g. training and related cost savings
GROUP/OBJECTIVE
Tech Comms service levels
Source: Kodak photo booths (time to develop – customer workshop), Xerox vs Canon
photocopiers (time between failures – miniaturisation capabilities)
α β
Delivered
service
Cost
Worst point –
high cost but
not different
First iteration
Text/online help
Quick start guide
What dimensions do
end-users value in
Technical
Communications:
-media (file, embedded,
online, live,
community…)
-richness (entry level,
power user)
What breakpoints do
users perceive on
these dimensions?
What service levels do
Technical
Communications need
to deliver to get to each
level?
1.0
Experimental
Embedded error
handling
Power user features
Tested
Live support
Community
Diagnostics
GROUP/OBJECTIVE
Tech Comms: filling out design 1. Research
(2-4 weeks)
2. Design
(2-6 weeks)
Green light
3. Development
(3-12 weeks)
5. Testing
(4 weeks)
4. Writing
(2-10 weeks)
Release
6. Support
scope
error text
topics
full text
diagnostics
What interim
deliverables are
needed at each
stage to scope the
work and support
clean handovers
within the Technical
Communications
team?
What effort is
associated with each
interim deliverable
for each service
level?
QC
GROUP/OBJECTIVE
ILLUSTRATIVE
Tech Comms: forward pipeline
Project Version Stage Start Days ETC Author
1 α 1 25/6 0.5 0.25 Heather
2 2.4 2 29/6 1 0.5 Kirsty
3 β 3 20/6 15 5 Kirsty
4 1.2 4 22/6 40 15 Brian
5 3.1 4 45 45 40 Kirsty
6 2.4 2 30 30 5 Heather
7 α 2 15/7 0.5 0.25 Brian
…
GROUP/OBJECTIVE
ILLUSTRATIVE
Workload
Q3’07 Q4’07 Q1’08 Q2’08 Q3’08 Q3’10 …
When will you need to
start hiring new people
– and what will their
learning curve be to
take up the workload?
Are there short term
blips that might require
sub-contracting staff or
borrowing from general
pool?
GROUP/OBJECTIVE
ILLUSTRATIVE
Good task assignment
• Clean task
– No “long loop”
– Representative user
• Assertive introduction
– Not aggressive
– Right degree
• Shared responsibility
INDIVIDUAL/OBJECTIVE
Interpersonal &
Communication
Results Focus Problem-Solving Knowing our
business
Leadership
COMMUNITY SPIRIT/
TEAMWORK
Showing respect and
support for others and
genuinely valuing their
contribution
ACHIEVING RESULTS
Achieving goals for
organisation. These goals
may include meeting
quality standards,
achieving targets or
working within budget
ANALYTICAL THINKING
Breaking down problems
and issues in order to
resolve them
KNOWING THE
EXTERNAL
ENVIRONMENT
Understanding the
competitive environment
and external forces
impacting upon organization
PEOPLE MANAGEMENT
Facilitating the effectiveness
of others through providing
direction and a motivating
work climate. This
competency is generally
needed by those in a
position of formal leadership
INTERPERSONAL
AWARENESS
Is an accurate awareness
of other people, needs,
motives and feelings,
adapting behaviour
accordingly
OWNERSHIP OF
RESPONSIBILITY
Taking personal
responsibility for ones
actions and
demonstrating pride in
working for organisation
CONCEPTUAL
THINKING
Seeing how ideas and
issues fit together. It
includes recognising
patterns and trends and
the big picture
CUSTOMER FOCUS
Delighting customers by
pre-empting and
responding to their needs
in a timely and
appropriate way TRAINING AND
DEVELOPMENT
Coaching and developing
others to help them achieve
their full potential
RELATIONSHIP
BUILDING
Building and
maintaining
relationships with
contacts internal and /
or external to
organisation
PLANNING
Establishing the route to
achieving defined goals
INNOVATION
Daring to be different by
suggesting new and
radical ideas and finding
alternative solutions to
those that are
established, tried and
tested.
SPECIALIST TECHNICAL
OR PROFESSIONAL
SKILL AND KNOWLEDGE
CROSS-COMPANY
INFORMATION FLOW
Actively sharing ideas and
information across the
organisation This involves
both seeking out and
alerting others to pertinent
information
ADAPTABILITY/
FLEXIBILITY
The willingness to change
priorities and act
differently as the situation
demands, responding
positively to change
INFLUENCING
Persuading others
internally/ and or
externally to support and
buy into desired courses
of action
INTERCULTURAL
AWARENESS
Is appreciating and
valuing others from
different backgrounds,
cultures and expectations
(internally and externally)
RESOURCE USE
Responsible use of the
organization’s resources
and awareness of costs
and financial controls
Personal development INDIVIDUAL/OBJECTIVE
Clean task assignment
No “long loops”
e.g. separating engine design and car chassis
design is ineffective because the size of the
engine impacts the hood and the weight of the
car overall impacts the size of the engine
needed. Expensive changes late in design like
adopting an aluminium engine result.
Representative user
e.g. pick a lead user who will
give feedback iteratively and
whose needs are close to a lot
of the final target audience
INDIVIDUAL/OBJECTIVE
Being assertive “acting appropriately on one’s own behalf while not
violating the rights or stifling the viewpoints of others”
1. Act as if you have the right to assert yourself
2. Volunteer – give them “something to shoot at”
3. Take the initiative. If nobody seems to understand, get up and draw a
picture. Offer to follow-up on something where you have a stake.
4. Make frequent, short contributions. Elaborate on the comments of others.
5. Use strong verbals. Speak firmly and concisely, without overqualifying.
6. Use assertive body language – eye contact, lean slightly towards the
other person, gesture broadly, be animated
7. Know the limits of your personal and psychological space, and know
when those limits are being violated.
8. React when aggressors try to silence you.
9. Practice saying “No”.
10.Extinguish verbal aggression through selective inattention. Point out
offensive words and only respond when those words are not used.
11.Give assertive feedback on aggressive or offensive behaviour.
INDIVIDUAL/OBJECTIVE
Right degree of assertiveness
Do it or else
Do it now
Do it
Please do it
I need you to do it
I would like you to do it
I would appreciate it if you did it
If I’m not imposing, I’d like you to do it
Would you do it?
Would please do it?
Would you mind doing it?
Do you have time to do it?
Could I ask you to do it?
Shall I do it myself?
Okay, I’ll do it!
When do you want it done?
INDIVIDUAL/OBJECTIVE
Effective communication - BEST
Bottom-line
Evidence and examples
Summary
Time awareness
Make it simple, clear,
concise
Prove it. Show how it
applies. Make it specific
and concrete.
Restate key points,
themes. Reinforce.
Keep it short.
INDIVIDUAL/OBJECTIVE
Ask questions! NOT … BUT
Rapid-fire, staccato questions that sound
like an interrogation
“Prisoner’s Dilemma” questions that trap
the respondent e.g. “when did you stop
wasting the company’s cash on that?”
Multiple questions
Questions that respondent cannot know
e.g. “what motivated John?”
Questions that are statements
Why questions (imply disapproval)
Directional questions e.g. Have you
considered selling the technology?
Clarifying and probing e.g. what do you
mean by “incendiary”?
Encouraging participation e.g. Carl, if this
were your call, what would you do?
Facilitating a meeting e.g. Are there any
comments on the agenda?
Building relationships e.g. how long have
you been collecting stamps?
Stimulate creativity e.g. what if you
reversed those steps?
INDIVIDUAL/OBJECTIVE
Handling responses/questions
1. Listen carefully
2. Summarise the response/question if it is long or complex
3. Reinforce correct answers or positive contributions
4. Give partial credit where the answer has some positive elements
5. Acknowledge their effort and redirect the question when the response is off track
6. Defer or deflect questions where you don’t know the answer
INDIVIDUAL/OBJECTIVE
Motivation “The inner force that drives individuals to accomplish
personal and organisational goals”
#1 Interesting work
#2 Full appreciation of work done
#3 Feeling of being in on things
Source: Kovach (87) “What motivates
employees? Workers and supervisors
give different answers”. Business
Horizons 30 58-65
#1 Interesting work
#2 Good wages
#3 Job security
Source: Harpaz (90) “The importance
of work goals: an international
perspective. Journal of International
Business Studies 21, 75-93
caused by:
but!!!!
… factors are not additive and vary with age and income
INDIVIDUAL/SUBJECTIVE
Motivation also varies by role
Bob
Sales Karen
Marketing Jules
Development Zac
Technical Services
Jill
Individual Team
INDIVIDUAL/SUBJECTIVE
Maslow’s hierarchy of needs
Physiological
-good wages
-good working conditions
Safety
-job security
Social
-feeling of being “in on things”
-tactful discipline
Esteem
-full appreciation of work done
-promotions and growth
Self-actualising
-interesting work
Source: Maslow (43) “A theory of human motivation” Psychological Review, 370-396
“lower level needs
have to be satisfied
before next higher
level need will
motivate”
INDIVIDUAL/SUBJECTIVE
Herzberg motivator and hygiene factors
Source: Hertzberg, Mausner, Snydermann(59) “The motivation to work” John Wiley
“If motivators are present,
satisfaction will occur – but
absence will not lead to
dissatisfaction.
If hygienes are absent,
dissatisfaction will occur – but
presence will not lead to
satisfaction”
INDIVIDUAL/SUBJECTIVE
Making jobs motivating
Job enlargement More activities and more
variety of activities
Job enrichment Add higher level
responsibilities and give
compensation if
accepted
Promotion Change job to one with
higher level
responsibilities with
compensation
INDIVIDUAL/SUBJECTIVE
Influencing tactics
Positive
Explaining
Legitimising - authority
Logical persuading - data
Asking
Appealing to friendship - favours
Socialising - disclose yourself
Consulting - appeal to expertise
Stating - Assert
Inspiring
Appeal to values – tell stories
Modeling – give the example
Exchanging – create win-win
Alliance Building – build consensus
Negative
Avoiding
Passive aggressive
Ignoring
Delaying
Threatening
Describing punishment
Inflicting punishment
Carrying, brandishing or refering to a weapon
Intimidating
Using size or power to get your way
Interrupting
Manipulating
Witholding information
Lying or disguising your intent
INDIVIDUAL/SUBJECTIVE
Different types of people
Extraversion E
Sensing S
Thinking T
Judging J
Introversion I
Intuiting N
Feeling F
Perceiving P
Source: Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)
INDIVIDUAL/SUBJECTIVE
Recognising and adapting to types
Recognise How to work with them Recognise How to work with them
Extravert
•Think out loud
•Discuss before writing
•Team meetings
•Assign presentations
•Don’t assign solo work
Intravert
•Like working alone
•Write out ideas first
•Don’t embarrass them
•Listen
•Allow them to prepare
Sensors
•Factual – proven?
•Fine tune not invent
•Give facts
•Outline step-by-step
•Show how risk reduced
INtuitors
•Future/big picture
•Restless/energy bursts
•Ask them to challenge
•Don’t give detail
•Allow them to daydream
Thinkers
•Analytical/objective
•May seem insensitive
•State the principles
•Give analysis/graphs
•Ask them for review
Feelers
•Concerned for people
•Empathic/good listener
•Be responsive
•Ask them to evaluate
impact on people
Judgers
•Want closure
•Impatient
•Make to do lists
•Start and end on time
•Be structured/neat
•Use them to manage
time and monitor tasks
Perceivers
•Dislike tight deadlines
•Process not results
•Spontaneous
•Be flexible/adaptable
•Avoid tight deadlines
•Ask them to handle last
minute changes (but
ensure Judgers have
time to get product out!)
Source: Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)
INDIVIDUAL/SUBJECTIVE
Influencing different types ST Practical and matter of fact NT Logical and ingenious
Logical persuading – STs are factual
and logical. Show your plan/proposal
is well thought out and evidence
based.
Legitimising
Exchanging (if it seems logical!)
Appeal to values – they like
pioneering, and subordinate human
values to abstract patterns and
possibilities
Logical persuading – their logical
side
Consulting – they want involvement
SF Sympathetic and friendly NF Enthusiastic and insighful
Socialising – SFs are also pracitcal,
but approach decisions with
subjectivity and human warmth.
Appealing to friendship – SFs trust
their feelings and are more interested
in facts about people
Consulting
Consulting – NFs are interested in
the complexities of human
communication
Alliance building – they are very
concerned about the impact on
people and want to involve others in
planning
Appeal to friendship
Appeal to values
INDIVIDUAL/SUBJECTIVE
Why give feedback?
Arena
Interpersonal communication
depends on open and free
exchange of information. With
greater disclosure,
communication increases and
serious conflict decreases
Blind spot
Seeing yourself as others see
you is key to self-
understanding. Soliciting
feedback is the primary
tool for anticipating blind spots
Facade
Selective disclosure of
hidden feelings, ideas,
attitudes, goals and values
can build the relationship with
others. With a big façade,
people doubt your intentions.
Unknown
Without feedback, the
unknown stays unknown.
Feedback generally gives
illumination for both
parties
What I know about me What I don’t know
about me W
hat oth
ers
know
ab
ou
t m
e
What oth
ers
do
n’t
know
about
me
Source: Johari window, Joseph Luft and Harry Ingham
INDIVIDUAL/SUBJECTIVE
Giving feedback 1. Why
Before giving feedback, think about your motives and perceptions. Are you being genuinely helpful and positive? Are you perceiving the situation correctly?
2. When Avoid feedback:
• you are angry
• you want to put someone down
• you have not observed the behaviour yourself
• the other person cannot change or control the thing you want to discuss
3. Be SPECIFIC • Avoid labels, judgements or stereotypes e.g. “unprofessional”
• Avoid exaggerating for emphasis e.g. you are ALWAYS this careless
• Avoid judgement words like “good”, “better”, “should”
4. Speak for yourself Restrict your comments to what you have seen yourself and how that makes
you feel. Offer your perceptions as perceptions, not facts
INDIVIDUAL/SUBJECTIVE
Receiving feedback 1. Be receptive to feedback
You don’t need to believe everything – but you have to be willing to listen! If you are too busy to be responsive, say so and set another time.
2. Listen carefully Attend to the person, avoid interrupting, and stay focused on the
message, despite your emotional reactions to it. Confirm your understanding by paraphrasing and summarising.
3. Control your physiological responses Breathe deeply, relax the muscles in your face, neck and shoulders. If
you find your body reacting (e.g. crossing arms, legs), control it.
4. Avoid the impulse to argue or defend yourself Swallow the impulse to argue. Defending yourself closes your mind
and makes you competitive. You can argue with the facts, but not with the perceptions – and that is all feedback is!
INDIVIDUAL/SUBJECTIVE
Intervening in groups
Forming
Storming
Norming
Performing
Adjourning
Forming the group, setting ground
rules, finding similarities
Dealing with issues of power and
control, surfacing differences
Managing conflict, finding group
norms, resurfacing similarities
Functioning as an effective group
Finding closure
Source: Tuckman model of group development
GROUP/SUBJECTIVE
Handling conflict
• Deflect aggression – Focus on the issues
– Do not defend yourself – ignore insults
• Defuse emotional issues – Step away from the situation and cool off
– May need to address the relationship problems first
• Choose to remain centred and objective
• Know what’s important
• Use the energy of conflict to probe and problem solve
• Conflict is not a contest
GROUP/SUBJECTIVE
Overt and covert conflict
Passive Assertive
Passive-aggressive Aggressive
Other’s acknowledgement of conflict
low hi
Other’s
degree of
cooperation
low
hi
Covert conflict Overt conflict
GROUP/SUBJECTIVE
Handling passive-aggressives
• Recognise their need for control
• Avoid power struggles initially
– Give on some issues
• Appeal to self-interest
• Reveal your own frustration
• Use confrontation as a last resort
• Enforce agreements by making them public
Avoid
Inform Engage
Disclose
Explore
Wait
Confront Surface
Declare
Specify
Enforce
Assert Surface
Declare
Specify
Persist
GROUP/SUBJECTIVE
Passive
• Easier than passive-aggressives
• Will usually co-operate because they
dislike confrontation
• However they may later change their mind
when they no longer feel a threat!
GROUP/SUBJECTIVE
Aggressive*
• Deflect aggression
– Ignore insults
– Focus on the issues
• Know and act on your limits
– When you reach your limit, calmly and firmly tell the aggressor to stop
– State that you refuse to be treated that way and suggest a later meeting when they are calmer
*”Excessively controlling or threatening, being overly competitive, being insulting or
intimidating, needing to prove others wrong, winning at others expense, acting
spitefully or vengefully”. Or physically forcing people to do things!
GROUP/SUBJECTIVE
Reporting vs. milestones/metrics
Weekly: Operating Committee
-Review short-term deadlines and load-balance
-Share external feedback and priorities
Need:One pager summaries from sub-team leaders etc
Monthly: Management team
-Review progress against milestones
-Identify causes of slippage and budget variance
Need:Time reports, quality metrics etc
Quarterly: Budgeting
-Account for time
GROUP/OBJECTIVE
Why diagnose?
• Expose your thinking and explore the real alternatives thoroughly
• Build an “open” logic to the decisions that draws your team into participating
• Identify what you have to manage closely and allow experimentation on how to get there
GROUP/OBJECTIVE
When experiment?
• Where value at risk is high and the winning approach is changing
• Where costs or risks can be reduced by staging commitment through early trials (non-scaleable) or pilots (scaleable)
• Where outcomes from those trials or pilots can be observed quickly and resources committed accordingly
GROUP/OBJECTIVE
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