Bob Hicks Client Services IST IT is About People

I am reaching the point in my career and in my life where I find myself thinking a lot more about people, and less about technology. Managing people is about motivation, communication, dealing with adversity, teamwork, mentoring, and collaboration. As a manager you want your staff to feel motivated, challenged and happy. You want your staff to be good team players, and you want them to excel.

General Observations IT people are different Some people don’t play well with others Teamwork is not just a sports termTeamwork Talk to the right person The older I get the better I used to be All people, even IT people, have feelings Learn by observing others Involvement in volunteer organizations has many benefits

Thoughts Managers need to spend a lot of time thinking how things are being done, how things can be improved and setting goals for the future. How well do managers know their staff – are they happy, do they enjoy their job, are they motivated, etc etc

Learn From Experience Learn by observing others Learn by your mistakes Learn by success Learn by listening to others Keep learning, no matter how much of an expert you think you are

A Player Today, Perhaps a Coach Tomorrow Most Managers didn’t start as Managers How do Managers Learn to Be Managers

Think of Someone who Has Inspired You A manager A coach A teacher A parent A friend A teammate A colleague An opponent What was it about this person that inspired you?

Think of the Best Coach/Manager You Ever had, and write down why Dedicated Fair Funny Relaxed Knowledgeable Loves what they do Set an example Pushed you to reach your best

Inspiring Others to be Their Best A great thing about coaching/managing is it provides you with an opportunity to do more than just coach/manage. Coaching/Managing provides an opportunity to set an example and teach life skills. –overcome adversity –Be in control of yourself –Time management –be part of a team (most jobs involve teamwork)

Individual Performance Everyone is different. Coaches/managers often speak to the “team” as a group. Problem is, every member of the team is motivated in a different way. What/Who motivates you? –Team performance –Individual performance –Individual goals –Your colleagues (encouragement, setting an example) –Positive reinforcement –Motivational speeches –Music –Client feedback –Yourself (pep talk to yourself) –Motivational Signs: Attitudes are contagious. Is your attitude worth catching? –What else?

Passion Those that excel at work or in sports have PASSION for what they do, no matter what job they have. How do you get that PASSION? –Pride –Inherit –Taught –From observing others –It’s hard work to sustain passion all the time You have to have fun at work

Motivation Why Perform to the Best of Your Ability (in other words, who cares)? –To receive praise (almost everyone likes to be told they did a good job) –To get a job promotion (more money, responsibility, to be in a position to manage others, prestige) –Scholarship opportunities –Just because that’s the way you are! –Want to succeed (if everyone improves on your team, your team is better). –Personal satisfaction –Personal goals –What else?

What Motivates You? Everyone is different – what motivates you might not motivate your teammate or co-worker. How can your teacher, parent, boss, coach motivate you? –Giving you frequent raises at work is not likely to happen –Praise –Constructive feedback – feedback that you can use to improve –by setting an example –Being given more responsibility –Good results

Frequency of Communication (what works best for you) Constant communication Daily, Weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, annually No one technique works for everyone

Some Things I Learned as a Coach Make sure praise is deserved. Make it individual as well as team. Ask how individual players are motivated (meeting at beginning of season, constant individual interaction through season). Too often coaches find out how players are motivated when it’s too late…at the end of the season or when there is an issue.

Success or Failure Set people up for success, not failure. There will be mistakes, as that is how you learn and should be recognized as lessons – learning opportunities. Managers need to know their staff member’s capabilities, strengths, and weaknesses. Managers need to judge the amount of stress that their staff can cope with (i.e. how hard to push).

Good Managers Good mangers have a tremendous capacity to step back at critical moments and see what needs to happen. It’s a fine line between appearing to up tight and being too relaxed. Manage yourself: be in control. Continually strive to be better. Know what you do well, and know what you need to work on. Just because you were successful in the past doing it one way, doesn’t mean it will work again. Delegate. Trust people to do the right thing and to do a good job.

Learn to Deal with Adversity One thing for sure in life…there will be adversity. You are not going to win every game, every tournament, every championship. You are not going to get along with everyone. Success in sports and in life is all about learning to deal with and overcome obstacles and challenges. Every team will face adversity. The successful teams learn to deal with it. Sometimes you need help to deal with adversity. Answer “What if” questions…as a coach be prepared to answer the tough questions…what if we lose the important game and how will you talk to your team to prepare for the next important event. “No golfer wants to be in the sand trap, but the good ones anticipate and prepare for that possibility”. Don’t point fingers at anyone to blame them for something…for every finger you point, there are 3 fingers pointing right back at you! Learn from adversity. You won’t get every job you apply for.Learn from adversity.

Confrontation Sometimes it takes a more confronting style of communication (than you are used to) to get the results you are looking for. Need to make sure the issue is attributed to something over which the other person has control and can change. Provide “breather” time before dealing with an issue. Lay the groundwork for recovery: move from what is to what ought to be.

Top 5 Coaching Lessons I Learned 1.Too serious after some success –Make sure everyone on the team has a role 2.Expectations too high 3.Have to Have fun.Have fun.

My Lessons Learned 4.Get to know people as individuals –Everyone is different. Some are shy, some may seem distant or uninterested, some are disruptive, some are not sociable, some have other issues that they don’t want to share, etc etc. 5.There is more to life than just work –Everyone has things going on that may be difficult to deal with, and will affect how they behave and how they perform

Communication Roles Players don’t want to hear the same things over and over, game after game, from the coaching staff Assign Roles. Your role may not be exactly what you hoped forhoped for

Conclusions for Coaches/Managers Engage with your players/staff. In other words, get to know them. You cannot make people better if you are unwilling to have those difficult conversations with them. Make sure your player knows that you care and have their best interests at heart. Focus on building confidence. This doesn’t mean praise; it means that there is no question in your player’s mind that what you think of them is not tied to their performance on the ice. Work on emotional discipline. If you struggle with that, prepare ahead of time.

Conclusions for Players Attitude is Everything. That’s how people remember you. Believe in Yourself