ILEAD Topics To Tackle

  1. COMMON UNDERSTANDINGS & BETTER COMMUNICATIONS
  2. FOCUS ON THE TEAM MODEL
  3. PEOPLE ISSUES
  4. BUILDING GOOD TEAM LEADERS
  5. TOOLS AND MEASUREMENTS
  6. PROJECT MANAGEMENT, WORKLOADS & TIME CRUNCH

COMMON UNDERSTANDINGS & BETTER COMMUNICATIONS
  1. Where are we going anyway
    1. MIT/IT/TEAM
    2. create a shared sense of where we're going/vision
    3. promote belief/participate in vision
    4. defining/understanding the principles of IT
    5. buy-in for goals
    6. common projects/priorities
  2. What's happening with 'x'
    1. teams need timely project status to understand impact
    2. want SAP/TAP/CRAP status
    3. want MCC ReE status
    4. publish team list names & minutes/highlights
    5. create/publish a schedule for upcoming work
  3. Let's talk and listen better
    1. improve communications
    2. communicate clearly in writing
    3. take time to be concise/clarity/easy access
    4. increase communication at all non-hierarchical levels
    5. increase networking among other teams as well as your own team
    6. help staff get more connected to what's happening across org
    7. forget baggage/history - it won't help move us forward
  4. The Broader Audience
    1. Need to think about a broader audience
    2. talk with stakeholders not already contacted
    3. work closer with MIT-wide planning players (Plant & Planning Office)
    4. educate community about Telecom services - awareness w/in community
    5. spin control - be aware of image/credibility

FOCUS ON THE TEAM MODEL
  1. Be clear
    1. clarify definitions and roles for team members/leaders
    2. keep team members focused
    3. set near term goals for teams
    4. define and implement measures for the team processes
  2. Team Behaviour
    1. Respect and value, and provide feedback to, thy fellow team members
    2. build team spirit in standing and project (even short ones) teams
    3. provide support
    4. 360 performance evaluations - how and train
    5. share knowledge
    6. share the "good" and "bad" work
  3. The new world is different
    1. everyone is responsible
    2. less discussion more action oriented
    3. get teams to think and work in terms of process
    4. need ways to find new members for process work instead of relying on old team members

PEOPLE ISSUES
  1. Motivation
    1. keep focused on what motivates my team members
    2. spend more time interacting with each team member
    3. maintain sense of humor
    4. respect others
    5. build trust inside and outside IS
  2. Skill Development/Deployment
    1. shared, open database of people (teams, skills)
    2. hire a lot more CGL's
    3. help all staff know where to go for training, mentoring, commitments, schedules)
    4. provide training oppty's (whatever skills they need)
    5. access to new training: make it fun, keep checking the barometer
    6. superior performance req'd for my teams
    7. self growth
    8. training for new-aged force
  3. Accountability
    1. less micro-management; more empowerment
    2. better ways to communicate empowerment = responsibility & accountability
    3. with authority comes responsibility
    4. how can I teach and communicate personal responsibility?
    5. know the day-to-day details; who to go to for what
  4. Transition Issues/New Work Environment
    1. keep sense of perspective
    2. create humane work environment (fun!)
    3. promote resilience in ones self and others
    4. more cooperation
    5. remove artificial barriers
    6. how to encourage transition
    7. how to encourage new work habits

BUILDING GOOD TEAM LEADERS
  1. Team leaders learn to focus on process and not only day-to-day biz
  2. Identify common skill sets for team leaders
  3. Assess and share our various strengths as team leaders (mentoring, relationships, etc.)
  4. Determine what support team leaders need to succeed

TOOLS AND MEASUREMENTS
  1. Meetings
    1. improve agenda and mtg. planning
    2. streamline mtgs. and use time more effective
  2. Resources
    1. provide specialized tech. training. for staff (SAP)
    2. software pkgs. should be updated
  3. Tools for Thinking
    1. learn about tools for decision making
    2. creativity tools (idea development)
    3. creativity tools
  4. Business Measures
    1. customer service measurements
    2. align our work with client needs/business goals
    3. establish performance benchmarks/measures

PROJECT MANAGEMENT, WORKLOADS & TIME CRUNCH
  1. Prioritizing
    1. learn how ITLT influences projects outside IS
    2. shared agreement on priorities
    3. ITLT should dialog with IS teams about work priorities
    4. learn how to help team members on multiple teams prioritize work
  2. Scheduling/tracking work & people
    1. avoid using "time" as the deciding factor for completion dates
    2. set realistic dates for project completion
    3. track work/details in systematic/easy way
    4. identify homeless projects
    5. stick to schedules and deadlines (avoid goal slippage)
    6. learn how to acquire resources (people) and keep commitment
  3. Work/Workload
    1. fill TBH's
    2. reduce workloads/queues/pressure
    3. make time/room for new work, training
    4. leverage efficiencies
    5. provide backup for necessary functions
    6. realign tasks/projects when new team member is added
    7. cover shortages
    8. work in new process - encourage to give this a chance
    9. eliminate non-value added work
  4. Meetings, bloody meetings!
    1. fewer meetings/more productive meetings
    2. streamline meetings - use meeting time more effectively
    3. reduce # of meetings - make them more productive
  5. Goals/Measurement
    1. set measurable goals
    2. negotiate realistic commitments