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

Hello everyone, this is Teraoka, an infrastructure engineer.
It's already been more than half a year since I last wrote a blog.
Lately, I've only been playing online games, thinking that a year passes by in the blink of an eye.
However, I think that if I write only about games, I will be rejected in a second,
so

current situation

I am the leader of a team responsible for developing human resources within the company.
The team's name is Lore.
Lore refers to the knowledge gained through experience and the inheritance/wisdom that should be passed on to future generations
, and by honing Lore, we hope to become an engineering group that is recognized by ourselves and others.

On the other hand, in terms of position within the company, it would be a supervisor.
Strictly speaking, it's more like I'm at the door than in a managerial position, so I
'm not concentrating on management, but I'm continuing my duties as a player, so I
'm acting like a so-called playing manager. That's it.

I will list down a few things that I put into practice even though I struggle every day.

• As a single player, complete the projects and tasks you are responsible for without delay.
• As a team leader, provide specific explanations and information and encourage team members to complete tasks with their own efforts.
• As an apprentice to a manager, understand the thoughts and ideas of managers and translate them into concrete measures and systems.

Gone are the days when you could just do your job as a single player.
In order to grow the team,
I am facing a new role of developing members and achieving goals as a team rather than as individuals.

What we have been working on

Over the past year, we have been working to systematize in-house training.
Training is divided into two parts: training for new employees who have joined the company, and training for existing members already assigned to the department.

Until now, the content to be taught to new employees has not
been organized and the materials necessary to conduct training have not been prepared.
Although they were being implemented, the content depended on the skills of existing members, and
the content and quality varied depending on the person in charge.

So, what knowledge and skills do we need to teach in the first place? Starting from this sense of challenge
, we put together a curriculum from scratch and prepared the materials necessary to proceed according to the content.
This year's new graduates have received training after the maintenance and are now working actively in the departments to which they have been assigned.

Additionally, we introduced Google Classroom for this year's new employee training.
Please take a look at the blog written by the members of my team who have worked so hard.
My first year in charge of education conducted remote training for new employees using Google Classroom.

He always helps me, including when it comes to Google Classroom, and even gives me energy.
I really appreciate it, thank you as always.

we use part of their working time to conduct training,
focusing on technologies and work flows that we want everyone in the department to understand in a unified manner An example is as follows (there are also others under consideration and in the POC stage within the team)

• Training to look back on failures and troubles that occurred in the past and discuss causes and improvement plans
• Training to learn the skills necessary for maintaining physical equipment

Currently, while on-the-job training is underway, we are evaluating the results of the 2020 new employee training, and
based on that information, we are reviewing the implementation guidelines and curriculum for next year's training.

we would like to be able to make the company's know-how available externally in e-learning format and

Thoughts that are important as a leader

don't exaggerate your power

This is based on my personal theory, ``Just because you get a job title doesn't make you any better as a person, so let go of your arrogance.''

As you gain a position, your responsibilities increase, but the authority you need to fulfill them also increases.

They have the right to make decisions at their own discretion
regarding all matters related to their own team's policies and efforts, so they can proceed in a somewhat selfish manner.
This is equivalent to making it easier for opinions to be passed within the organization, so it is quite powerful.

However, I also have a superior, so I make sure to report to, contact, and consult with that person.
If this is not done, the department will not be organized.

The manager and the members are the same person, just having different responsibilities, and
just because someone has a different position doesn't mean they become better as a person.
Rather, it just raises the level of what you can think about and what you can achieve.
We must continue to learn more than ever.
Let's throw away our arrogance and continue to improve ourselves without relying on authority.

Don't be the boss

There is a word that I like.
This is also quoted by President Toyoda in the Toyota Times video below.
These words were originally written by Harry Gordon Selfridge, the founder of a famous British department store.

Don’t be the boss, be the leader Toyota Spring Negotiations 2020 Part 2 | Toyota Times

The boss pushes his subordinates. Leaders lead people.
Bosses rely on authority. Leaders rely on their will and goodwill.
Bosses instill fear. Leaders instill enthusiasm.
The boss is me. We are the leaders.
He says the boss will come on time. The leader comes before time.
The boss will make you take responsibility for your failures. Leaders silently deal with failure.
The boss keeps his methods close to his heart. Leaders give concrete instructions on how to do things.
The boss turns his job into a drudge. A leader turns his work into a game.
The boss tells me to do it. The leader says let's do it.

There are differences in how leadership is demonstrated between bosses and leaders.
A boss is someone who tries to get people to obey by giving orders using a hierarchical relationship, and a
leader is someone who stands at the front, rallies individuals, and guides the team in the right direction, even though there is a hierarchical relationship.

It may be a matter of intuition, but do you want to follow the boss or the leader?
I want to follow the leader and I want to be like that too.
I am a leader because of my team members; I can't do it alone.

Have the courage to let go of your job

Leaders must delegate work to their members.
When the size of the team is small, you can still move forward with your own efforts,
but as the team grows, the amount of work exceeds what one person can handle, so
it is necessary to distribute the work while appropriately managing the progress. Because it will inevitably happen.

In addition, while having leaders take action on their own naturally leads to the completion of tasks, it
also deprives members of the opportunity to grow.
That's why it's important for the members to see it through to the end, even if they have to stretch a little.

This is also a struggle with anxiety and fear about entrusting work.
Because I have a lot of experience as a player myself, I tend to think that it would be faster if I did it myself.

However, the role of a leader is to ensure that the team, rather than the individual, achieves its goals.
There's no point in working hard if you're the only one working hard, and if you can accomplish the task by yourself, you don't need to be the leader.
Trust your members from the bottom of your heart and have the courage to let go of your job (this also includes a self-restraint)

treat with love

There are many forms of love, but I think the love a leader has for members is similar to that of a parent and child.
As a reminder, even if you treat someone with love, if you don't measure the distance correctly, things will go in the wrong direction, so
it's important to respond with moderation.

The important thing in this section is the distinction between praise, scolding, and approval.
There are many definitions for each of these three, but I recognize them as follows.

is when a leader recognizes a member's efforts or growth in everyday conversation by communicating it as it is when he or she notices a member's efforts or growth

If you think about this from a member's perspective, it will give you a sense of security that they are paying close attention to you, and
it will be easier to receive when you take actions such as praising or scolding, which will be described later.
Approval is like a foundation that we build on in our daily lives.
Without this, praise or scolding will not be received.

"I really like what you're thinking about now! Let's give it a try!"
"I think things will get better if we do this! Let's do our best!"

It depends on whether you are calling out to them on a daily basis.

means giving praise to a member of the team when they have achieved something through their efforts

"The server built for this project was successfully delivered! That's amazing!"

It is whether or not the results are communicated when they are achieved.

To scold a member
is to make them aware of the areas you want them to improve/tell them with the hope that they will grow.
There is a similar word for "get angry," but
this one is used to convey only one's own angry feelings without being aware of the other person, so it is important to distinguish between them.
When scolding someone, be calm, explain the reason, and keep it short.
Also, I generally don't communicate in places where everyone is around.
Ask them to come to another location and tell you about it individually.

In other words, it's not good to just praise someone, and it's not good to just scold them.
While approving the efforts of the members on a daily basis, he verbally praises the good parts.
It is important to clearly explain any areas where you are not satisfied, including the reasons.

take responsibility

I believe that the leader is the team's last line of defense.
This is because you are the one who makes the final decisions within your team, as well as the one who instructs and approves the work in daily work.
The members are responsible for the decision-making process, so if anything happens, it is the leader's responsibility.

If a member is unable to carry out their work well,
it is the responsibility of the leader who was not able to provide specific instructions and care, and
if any failure or trouble occurs, it is the responsibility of the leader who entrusted the work to the team member.
I try to be determined that no matter what happens, I will be able to control myself in the end.

It's easy to say in words, but in reality it's a tremendous burden.
However, leaders should delegate tasks to their members so that they can focus on what they need to do.
What can a leader do who delegates tasks but cannot take responsibility when the time comes?
I have included this as the last item because I have become acutely aware of its necessity through my experience over the past year.

summary

My sense of values ​​has changed significantly by becoming a leader from a single player.
It may be true that we had no choice but to change because our previous ideas were no longer valid.
That's why the quantity and quality of my worries have changed so much, and I feel like my strength is constantly being tested.
Despite all of this,
I am able to manage through the help of all the talented members who always give me energy and the help of my manager who gives me specific advice.
I want to grow even more while being grateful.