Management » Cybermage

I have been thinking about how to create a good workplace. In a creative environment there isn’t so good with too much structure. There should be enough to create security but not so much that you kill creativity. It’s the same with management, too much management definitely kills creativity but you also have to keep up the business end so it is a balancing act.

The ideal workplace would be one where everyone does what is needed to be done by them selves. Conflicts are a natural part of the creative process and should be handled openly and directly.

I found that young people even when they work in creative jobs want more support structure than more experienced people. Yet I hesitate to give them what they say they want. If I keep feeding them the ‘right’ way all the time, how are they going to find their own way? You have to give people the tools they need without locking them in.

Much of it is really about information. Keep people informed and they will do their part.

The tricky bit will be how to develop every one’s ‘inner manager’. I am still working on that part.

/Still working on making myself redundant.

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I got an email from a contact at the University to set up a meeting with me and a few others. He supplied a link to a Doodle time (www.doodle.com) with the days he could and I just clicked in my times and wrote my name. Now I can visit the link and see the others times.

If guess you already know this, I just found it. Nifty.

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Peer to Peer networking is not only hyped at the moment it is also an excellent way to create synergy when you meet up in person. We were a couple of middle aged project managers meeting up after work at a member’s workplace to share a bite, some knowledge and listen to a presentation.

It’s so refreshing to hear that we all share the same kind of problems. You also get a lot of ideas.

H. told about that they also had too many project needs and needed to prioritize. We discussed different ways to asses which projects to do when.

I think I would like to add some classifications to our own list.

Time factor: How time critical is it?

Panic if we don’t fix it a.s.a.p.
Month if it needs to be resolved within a month.
Quarter if it needs to be done within 3 months.
Year if it needs to be done within 12 months.
When time allows can be done whenever we have time over to do it.

Length factor: How long time does it take to accomplish in Calendar time?

Strategic factor: How important is it for the long time success of our company?

Not at all,
Low,
Medium,
High and
Central?

I will sleep on it. Then test it and evaluate the result.

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Performance appraisal, also known as employee appraisal is the common English names for the annual employee employer talk. A better name might be Development appraisal or such. At the moment I am preparing to have these talks with my staff. Its been a few years since I did it last time.

My personal checklist for the talks:

Work
- Situation and result
- Do you get enough Information?
- Do you get enough Management?
- How do you asses yourself?
- What you know about our goals
Environment
- Work environment
- Tools
- What to improve
Relations with management
- Which improvment in our relation would you like to see?
- My view of you
- Your view of me
Personal development
- Which personal goals do you have for the next year
- Where do you want to be in 3 years?
- How would you like to go about it?
  - work
  - training
  - other
- Priorities?
Unit development
- The next year
- Priorities
Action plan until the next meeting.

Depending on the overall objective you can design the talks in 3 different ways:

Use it as a tool for Management By Objectives (MBO).
Use it as a tool for Human Resource planing
Use it to improve relations in the workforce

I think I prefere a mix of all three.

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I listened to an interesting radio program about what can be learned from successes in natural selection in today’s society. One suggestion was that distributed systems has a higher survivability than centralized ones (this is no surprise to the Internet Generation). The implementation of the Department of Homeland Security after 911 was held forward as an example of failed centralization when it came to handle ‘Hurricane Catrina’ as all decision making had to pass trough it before being acted on, thus slowing down the relief work. The Immune system with distributed white blood cells (with strict orders) acting directly on local situations was held as a successful system to be emulated in today’s security systems.

Darwinistic successful strategies also seems to have bearing on the organisation of the workplaces of today. Moving decision making and acting, out to the people meeting new situations is what Jan Carlzon did with SAS in the 80s.

“An individual without information can’t take responsibility. An individual with information can’t help but take responsibility.”

is a quote from him I really like and believe in. This has been in my own thoughts lately when it comes to organize the R&D department where I work. It is the part about the instruction frame work (strict orders for white blood cells) that still is a bit misty. We have an ISO 9001 certified process that is okay, but I feel we still lack somethings that speaks to the Heart and Souls of everyone involved.

At the moment I am a centralized system, thus Darwinistic unsound. To become a successful force I need to create a framework where everyone is empowered with the necessary information and decision making while maintaining overall coercion and objectives for the company’s progress and well being. (1) This is something I have done before partly by using a method where everyone participate in creating overall objectives, thus getting the Hearts and Souls involved. (2) Regular meetings where all relevant strategic information (this includes priorities made by owners/ceo/market) is presented and discussed is another method I am using. (3) Forming competence/knowledge groups and having them take control over environmental scanning and training is another method I am in the process of implementing.

Trivia: This year (2009) it is 200 years since Charles Darwinwas born and 150 years since ‘On the Origin of Spieces’ was published.

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