Jon Levy’s Post

We can identify 3 management postures and types of activities, what is yours? Primary Management - The One-Man Band In the world of management, the 'one-man band' manager does it all. They juggle multiple tasks, from handling major projects and intricate issues to proofreading subordinates' work, negotiating everything, and even approving graphics. The downside? This approach can inadvertently stifle the initiative of their team members. Secondary Management - The Conductor The 'conductor' manager is highly present but doesn't do the work themselves. They focus on orchestration, assigning tasks, creating schedules, setting priorities, allocating resources, and ensuring coordination among the team. Tertiary Management - The Orchestrator The 'orchestrator' manager thrives on continuous improvement. They implement tools to streamline secondary management activities, foster skill development and versatility, align company objectives with unit goals, and distribute resources accordingly. They coach their team in problem-solving. Too often, managers get caught up in primary activities, leaving little time for secondary and tertiary management. This challenge is particularly prevalent in companies where management and technical expertise overlap. As a manager, no more than 20% of your time should be dedicated to primary activities. You should focus on the 2 other types. Embrace the right management posture to drive success in your organization. #Management #Leadership"

Sharing insights from my management journey: Problem-solving essentials. Effective management hinges on the ability to tackle challenges head-on. Today, I'd like to delve into a fundamental aspect - classifying problems for strategic solutions. In the world of management, two distinct categories stand out: Programmed Problems and Ad Hoc Problems. 🔹 Programmed Problems: These are the routine matters that have established solutions. They're the low-hanging fruit, efficiently addressed with Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and organizational policies. 🔹 Ad Hoc Problems: These unique, unexpected challenges demand innovative thinking. As managers, we're tasked with crafting tailored solutions. Their infrequent occurrence demands heightened analysis and decision-making skills, requiring us to navigate uncharted territory. So, how do you approach problem-solving in your managerial role? Share your insights and stay tuned for my upcoming post on strategies to tackle Ad Hoc Problems effectively. #ManagementMatters #ProblemSolving #LeadershipInsights

Ever felt the rote check-ins of 1:1s dragging down you and your team's energy? You're not alone. The entropy effect hits all systems, including relationships between managers and directs, causing them to trend towards chaos and disorder. But here's the silver lining. With intentional effort and an influx of energy, you can revitalize your manager-direct relationships. It's about shifting from task-focused chats to situation and career-focused conversations. The magic lies in setting mechanisms that both parties align with and enforcing them together. Consistently applying this approach led to a significant increase in my team's job satisfaction and clarity about their performance expectations. It also boosted their belief in our organization as a great workplace. Remember, the success of any relationship lies in its intentionality. Make your directs believe you genuinely want the relationship to work and have their best interests at heart. This paves the way for productive and open discourse, which is essential for building successful teams. If you got value from this, please follow me! I write daily about engineering management, team dynamics, and processes needed to build engaged and successful teams. #Management #Leadership #TeamDynamics #SoftwareEngineering ----------------------------------- Check out the full article at https://lnkd.in/gw6HZw6W

Managing managers is different than managing individual contributors. Managing IC’s is about tactics and solving day to day problems to improve performance and work product. Managing managers is more of being their coach, sounding board, and unblocker so they can be successful. If you confuse the two, both you and your managers will hate it! You will get burnt out from trying to front line manage teams that are way too big and your managers will feel micromanaged and not empowered to do the job you hired them for. Explain what good looks like and what the ideal outcome is and then enable them run the day to day to achieve and exceed those goals! PS - Don’t think that just because you are in a management role that you are all of the sudden above the work! Roll up your sleeves and trust me - it’ll set you apart from the masses!

Unlocking the Secret to Operational Excellence: People First! As a Director of Operations (Recently promoted to Vice President), I've learned that the true driving force behind operational success isn't just about processes and efficiency—it's about people. Here's a story that changed my perspective: A few years ago, we faced a massive project delay that seemed impossible to recover from. Instead of focusing solely on metrics and deadlines, I took a step back and asked the team, "What can we do to support you better?" The response was overwhelming: they needed better communication and a sense of ownership. Here’s what we did: Transparent Communication: We started daily huddles where everyone could voice concerns and share ideas. This fostered a culture of openness and trust. Empowerment: Team members were given autonomy over their tasks, which led to innovative solutions we hadn't considered before. Recognition: We celebrated small wins, which boosted morale and motivation. The result? We not only met our project deadline but also exceeded our performance expectations. This experience taught me that when you prioritize your people, operational excellence naturally follows. Key Takeaways: Invest in your team’s growth and well-being. Encourage open and transparent communication. Empower your team to take ownership and drive innovation. Celebrate successes, no matter how small. Let’s transform our workplaces by putting people at the heart of operations. What strategies have you found effective in your operations role? Share your thoughts below! #Leadership #OperationsManagement #TeamBuilding #OperationalExcellence #PeopleFirst

Managers are the lifeblood of an organization. As a manager, you are a role model; others in your group will mirror your behavioral patterns. Building trust and a strong bond comes from keeping the promises you’ve made to your group and exhibiting behavior that’s inclusive and consistent with the expectations you’ve set. I bring this up because we are also creatures of habit that may fall into patterns that don’t support our trust-building ideal. Here is a 5-question self-assessment for seeing what your direct reports see. 1) Do I ask the same people for help when trying out new ideas? 2) Am I an early adopter of technology? 3) Do I seek out dissenters to vet ideas? 4) In meetings, do I talk more than listen? 5) Am I comfortable not knowing the answer? The attached post breaks down each question for you to see what your team sees. Comment below on what you think of the assessment. https://conta.cc/3rWxvd4

Hands up all micro-managers... Let's be honest, we all are sometimes. And everyone hates it (including us). So I got to thinking about why it happens. Think it comes down to Clarity and Confidence. If the job is simple and clear and we're confident in capabilities, it's a good project. Less clarity or confidence means more hands on. So far, so obvious. The hard thing, like always, is communication. How do we stay out of stuff long enough to let people do their thing while managing the risks of accountability? We put the attached together to explore with the Hunch team. Working title of the workshop is: "How do better communicate clarity and confidence to keep the pesky managers out of the bloody work?" It's a first draft - what do you reckon?

Let me guess: you've been advised to “get out of the weeds and think more strategically.” But they didn’t say how, or even what they mean by “strategic.” Here's a crash summary: Being a more strategic thinker means thinking beyond the daily imperatives of getting stuff done to seeing the bigger picture of how your team does - or could in the future - impact organizational systems, mission and goals. Strategic thinking involves skills like 🔭 Curiosity and observation 🤔 Reflecting on and making sense of diverse situational information 📝 Accurately defining and communicating opportunities or problems 🧩 Problem-solving 📣 Planning and communication 👉 Leadership and delegation Strategic thinkers are able to zoom up and out to a 30,000 foot view to envision how global, market and organizational trends could impact their success over time, and zoom back in to provide insight, enlist allies, and provide direction or recalibration on execution. Good strategic thinkers also think laterally. They shift their perspective to examine problems from a variety of stakeholder views. They consider whether there are any unstated or unquestioned assumptions that may be limiting their view of what’s possible. They ask “what if” as well as designing future plans for “how to.” If you’re thinking, “Great – how am I supposed to do all that and still do all my other work?” stay tuned: I’ll post about upping your prioritization and delegation games soon! In the meantime, check the comments for a link to a favorite classic HBR artilcle, "Managing Yourself: Zoom In, Zoom Out" by Elizabeth Moss Kanter. What's *your* definition of strategic thinking? What obstacles or challenges do you find in trying to make space for strategic thinking? #leadershipdevelopment #management #strategy #strategicthinking #alignedgrowthcoach #newmanager #newdirector #creativity #innovation Photo: Todd Steitle on Unsplash

“Offer support, not surveillance”. To develop staff we need to let go of the details and focus on results. If staff are not succeeding, it is most likely a reflection of poor and lazy leadership. Thank you for sharing Rosemary Hood! #effectivemanagement #leadership

Micromanagement can kill your team’s confidence. When delegating work to your teams find a way to lead your team while giving them space to perform and set dates for follow up showing them you care about both the outcome and their success.