What I have been working on since becoming a leader one year ago and the ideas I value most

Hello everyone, I'm Teraoka, an infrastructure engineer.
It's already been more than six months since I last wrote a blog post.
It feels like a year has flown by, and lately I've only been playing online games.
However, if I were to write only about games, I'm sure it would be rejected in an instant, so I'll write
about something serious instead;;; As the title suggests, I'll summarize what I've been working on over the past year and the philosophy I value.

current situation

I am the leader of a team that is responsible for developing human resources within the company. We
named our team Lore.
Lore refers to the knowledge gained through experience and the tradition/wisdom (to be passed on to future generations)
, and by honing our lore, we hope to become an engineering group that is recognized by both ourselves and others.

On the other hand, in terms of an internal position, I would be a chief.
Strictly speaking, I am at the beginning of the career rather than a managerial position, so
instead of concentrating on management, I will continue to work as a player as before, so I
am acting in the same way as a so-called playing manager.

I'll list a few things that I try to do every day, even though it's a struggle

• As a player, I want to complete the projects and tasks I am in charge of without any problems
• As a team leader, provide specific explanations and information to help team members complete tasks on their own
• As a trainee manager, I need to understand the thoughts and ideas of managers and translate them into concrete measures and systems

The days when it was enough to just do your job as a single player are over.
In order to make the team bigger, we are facing a new role of developing members and
achieving goals as a team, not as individuals.

What we have been working on

Over the past year, we have been working to systematize our internal training.
It is divided into two parts: new employee training for new hires and training for existing members who have already been assigned to a department.

Until now, there was no clear
outline of what to teach new employees, and the necessary materials for training were not available.
Although training was being conducted, it relied on the skills of existing members, resulting
in differences in content and quality depending on the person in charge.

So, starting from the question of what knowledge and skills need to be taught,
we compiled a curriculum from scratch and prepared the materials necessary to follow that content.
The new graduates who joined us this year have undergone the training we prepared and are now thriving in the departments they have been assigned to.

We also introduced Google Classroom for this year's new employee training.
A member of my team, who has been working hard on this, has written a blog about it, so please take a look.
A first-year education officer tried remote new employee training using Google Classroom.

Including the Google Classroom incident, you have always helped me and encouraged me. I am
truly grateful, thank you always.

For existing members, we
are setting aside some of their work time to provide training focusing on the technologies and workflows that everyone in the department needs to understand uniformly.
Here is an example (there are others under consideration or in the POC stage within the team):

• Training to review past failures and problems and discuss causes and improvement plans
• Training to learn the skills necessary for maintaining physical equipment

Currently, while OJT is underway, we are evaluating the results of the 2020 new employee training and
using that information to review the implementation guidelines and curriculum for next year's training. We

hope to eventually make this company know-how available to the public in an e-learning format

The ideas that are important to me as a leader

Don't exaggerate your power

This is based on his belief that "just because you have a position does not make you a great person, so you need to let go of your complacency."

When you take on a position, your responsibilities increase, but so does the authority you need to fulfill them.

You have the right to make decisions at your own discretion
about all matters related to your team's policies and initiatives, you can proceed in a self-centered manner to a certain extent.
This is synonymous with making it easier for your opinions to be accepted within the organization, so it is quite authoritarian.

However, I also have a superior, so I make sure to report, contact, and consult with him/her.
If I neglect this, the department will not come together.

The only difference is the responsibilities of the job, but the chief and the members are the same people, and
just because you have a position doesn't make you a more important person. Rather,
it just raises the level of what you can think and achieve.
You have to continue learning more than ever before.
Let go of your complacency and continue to improve yourself without relying on power.

Don't be the boss

There is a saying that I like.
President Toyoda quotes it in the Toyota Times video below.
The original saying was by Harry Gordon Selfridge, the founder of a famous British department store.

Don't be a boss, be a leader: Toyota Spring Negotiations 2020 Part 2 | Toyota Times

Bosses push their subordinates. Leaders lead people.
Bosses rely on authority. Leaders rely on ambition and goodwill.
Bosses instill fear. Leaders instill enthusiasm.
Bosses say "I." Leaders say "we."
Bosses ask to be on time. Leaders arrive early.
Bosses hold people accountable for failure. Leaders deal with failure silently.
Bosses keep the method to themselves. Leaders give specific instructions on how to do something.
Bosses turn work into a chore. Leaders turn work into a game.
Bosses say "do it." Leaders say "let's do it."

There is a difference in how bosses and leaders demonstrate leadership. A
boss uses hierarchical relationships to make others obey by issuing orders, while a leader
takes the lead and rallies individuals together to lead the team in the right direction, despite the hierarchical relationships.

It's fine to use your intuition, but would you rather follow a boss or a leader?
I would like to follow a leader and I would like to become one myself.
A leader is only a leader with the help of team members; you cannot do it alone.

Have the courage to let go of your job

Leaders need to delegate tasks to their members.
When the team is small, it is still possible to move forward on one's own, but as the team
grows, the workload exceeds what one person can handle, and
it becomes necessary to distribute tasks while managing progress appropriately.

Also, while it goes without saying that having a leader take the initiative to get the job done can
also deprive team members of an opportunity to grow.
That's why it's important for team members to see things through to the end, even if it means stretching themselves a little.

This is also a conflict with the anxiety and fear of delegating work.
Because I have a lot of experience from my time as a player, I think, "It's quicker if I do it myself."

However, the role of a leader is to ensure that the team achieves its goals, not just the individual.
There is no point in working hard alone, and if one person can complete the task alone, there is no need for a leader.
Trust your team members from the bottom of your heart and have the courage to let go of work (this is also a self-admonition).

Treat with love

There are many forms of love, but I think the love from a leader to a member is similar to that of a parent and child.
Just to be clear, even if you treat them with love, if you don't measure the distance properly, things will go in a bad direction, so
it's important to respond with moderation.

The important thing about this section is to distinguish between praising, scolding, and approving.
There are many definitions for each of these three, but I understand them as follows:

is when a leader recognizes a member's efforts or growth by honestly reporting it when they notice it in everyday conversations

From the member's perspective, this gives them a sense of security that they are watching out for them, which
makes it easier for them to accept the actions of praising and scolding, which will be discussed later.
Approval is like a foundation that is built up in daily life.
Without it, praise and scolding will not be accepted.

"The initiative you're thinking of is great! Let's give it a try!"
"I think it will be even better if we do it this way! Let's do our best!"

The key is to speak to them on a daily basis, like this

means giving positive feedback and praising a member when they have undertaken an initiative and achieved results

"The server built for this project was delivered without any problems! That's amazing!"

The question is whether results are communicated when they are achieved

Scolding
is when you tell a member that you want them to improve and that you hope they will grow. There
is a similar word, getting angry, but
this is when you express only your own feelings of anger without considering the other person, so it must be distinguished.
When scolding, you should always remain calm, explain the reason, and keep it short.
Also, as a rule, you should not scold someone in a place where everyone is present.
Ask them to come to another location and talk to them individually.

In other words, it's not good to just praise, but it's also not good to just scold.
important to acknowledge the efforts of your team members on a daily basis and praise them for their good points
. It's also important to clearly explain any shortcomings, including the reasons.

take responsibility

I believe that the leader is the team's final line of defense. This is
because the leader is the one who makes the final decisions within the team and gives instructions and approvals for daily work.
Members then carry out their work based on that decision, so if anything happens, it is the leader's responsibility.

If a member is unable to carry out their work smoothly,
it is the leader's fault for not providing specific instructions and taking care of them, and
if any failure or trouble occurs, it is the leader's fault for entrusting that work to them.
No matter what happens, I am prepared to ultimately take control of things on my own.

It's easy to say, but in reality, it puts a tremendous amount of pressure on the team.
However, leaders should delegate tasks to their team members so that they can focus on what they themselves need to do.
What can a leader who delegates tasks but cannot take responsibility when the time comes actually do?
I've listed this as the last item because I've come to realize the importance of this from my experience over the past year.

summary

My values ​​have changed dramatically since I went from being a player to a leader.
It may be more accurate to say that I had no choice but to change because my previous way of thinking no longer worked.
This has also led to a significant change in the quantity and quality of my worries, and I feel like my abilities are constantly being tested.
Despite this, I've managed to get by thanks to the support of the talented members who always
give me encouragement, and the manager who gives me specific advice. I'm
grateful for this and want to continue growing.