Imagine going to the symphony. Imagine watching the orchestra and all those musicians with their drums and violins and flutes and all the instruments. Haven’t you been awed by talent and skills of all these musicians creating a perfect musical score in response to the “magical” gestures of the Conductor?
Now, imagine what it would be like if the conductor was 7000 miles away from his orchestra?
Today I will talk about a similar ensemble of developers, business analysts, testers and IT personnel working remotely who follow the directions of another kind of conductor – the Onsite Program Manager.
I was born in India, the land of cultures. At a very young age my family moved to the Middle East and most of my childhood memories are of growing up in the gulf. So, I could say that very early in my life I was exposed to different cultures and knew the importance of building relationships with friends and family far away.
In 1994, I returned to India for my Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science & Engineering. In September of 2000, I got a job as a Web Developer and I have been with them ever since.
Today I am a Program Manager working at a customer facility. I manage multiple IT maintenance and development projects. I work with a team of around 35 skilled people, who are located 7000 miles away. They work while I sleep.
I’ve been a “conductor” of such an ensemble of software development teams for the past 6 years.
In music, the primary responsibility of a conductor is to first set the tempo, then give a clear direction, and finally to listen critically to shape the sound of the ensemble.
That’s exactly what I do as an Onsite Program Manager and let me tell you how.
#1 Set the Tempo
How do I set the tempo if I am miles away from my team? It’s tough. My role expects me to work with people who I can identify only by voice or words in an email, people who I may never actually meet. It is tough but possible.
Setting the tempo to me starts with getting to know my team, establishing effective communication protocols, and enabling them with the power of processes.
What are their names? What are their hobbies? What role do they play and what are their responsibilities? Who do they report to? Who is my point of contact? What are their expectations from me? How do we communicate and resolve issues? What systems and processes will help me check the health of the team and the project?
My point is that, if you are an Onsite Manager working with remote teams, you start by building a rapport with the team. Get them to know you and your role. Then work with them and implement customized processes, those that enable you and your team to function effectively. Put it all together and soon you are all set to create some good music.
#2 Give a Clear Direction
Whenever I interview a candidate for an Onsite Lead role, a common question I ask is “What challenges have you faced with your remote teams?” The almost immediate answer is Communication. The extended hours due to the time-zone differences, the frustration due to cultural differences leading to a difference in attitudes, and the difficulties in understanding the Indian-English accent are just some of their reasons why they feel this way.
These are issues and they are real. They are caused by what I call a “communication disconnect” between you and the far away team. That I think is the real challenge. I can attribute almost every issue or failure I’ve faced in such an engagement to a communication disconnect.
To give a clear direction to our team, we must remove this disconnect.
1. Communicate with your team often.
2. Think, talk and act as though we are a part of them. Do not consider the remote team as third party.
3. Be part of the resolution, not the problem.
4. Assume less, know more.
5. Acknowledge their achievements and pardon their mistakes.
The Onsite Manager must remove the barriers of time-zones and attitudes and cultures, to set the stage for success.
All this becomes easier if you have already set the tempo.
#3 Listen & Shape the Sound
An effective Onsite Manager needs to be good listener. We have to listen to what our team is saying, listen to their concerns and issues, understand them non-judgmentally and be able to remove the noise from the sound.
Listening also means, to be able to check the health of your project, remotely. This is where systems and processes play a major part to help you monitor your team’s productivity; review activity plans, set milestones and meet SLA’s.
Effective listening will help us shape the deliverables to the satisfaction of our customers.
We are not Maestros but don’t we all strive to be one someday? We have a team of talented musicians working for us. They wait for our direction to create a perfect symphony. Let’s try to be the conductors who are always trying to give the best performance ever. Let us keep our audience entertained and satisfied. And let’s get them to always ask for an encore.
Thank You all for listening.
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