It's all my fault; carrots and sticks 03/09/2011
Everything is all my fault. At least, that's my attitude when it comes to management. If my subordinates aren't performing well, it's probably because I'm not managing them well enough.
How would you feel if every time you completed an assignment for your boss, your boss tore up your work after you finished it? Even if you got paid well, it's hard to imagine that you'd want to keep working at that job.
Well, it turns out that if you don't get recognition for your work, that's almost as demotivating, according to an experiment carried out by Dan Ariely. Experiment subjects are asked to complete a relatively meaningless task. They earn money each time they do the task, and the amount awarded decreases each time they do the task. The question is, when will they get tired of repeating the task?
I'm in the middle of introducing a series of new ways to give interns more recognition for their good work. And what fun would a bunch of carrots be without a little bit of the stick? How should I put it? There will be some mild disincentives to unproductivity. There, that sounds suitably benign.
(I'll document all my carrots and sticks on my Work page, along with commentary on how they've worked out so far.)
How would you feel if every time you completed an assignment for your boss, your boss tore up your work after you finished it? Even if you got paid well, it's hard to imagine that you'd want to keep working at that job.
Well, it turns out that if you don't get recognition for your work, that's almost as demotivating, according to an experiment carried out by Dan Ariely. Experiment subjects are asked to complete a relatively meaningless task. They earn money each time they do the task, and the amount awarded decreases each time they do the task. The question is, when will they get tired of repeating the task?
- With one group of subjects, the experimenter asks subjects to write their name on the top of each of their papers, and gives an approving nod upon completing each task.
- With another group of subjects, the experimenter puts each assignment on a tall stack of papers without looking at the assignment.
- With the final group of subjects, the experimenter takes each assignment as it's completed and shreds it in front of the subjects' eyes.
I'm in the middle of introducing a series of new ways to give interns more recognition for their good work. And what fun would a bunch of carrots be without a little bit of the stick? How should I put it? There will be some mild disincentives to unproductivity. There, that sounds suitably benign.
(I'll document all my carrots and sticks on my Work page, along with commentary on how they've worked out so far.)
Carrots and Sticks
I'm recognizing interns' work by doing the following:
What are some ways you encourage your peers or subordinates to do well, or discourage them from doing poorly?
- When they write response letters to constituents, sometimes the constituents reply appreciatively. I'm beginning to forward those responses to the interns who wrote the letter.
- I'm asking interns to prepare reports for our weekly staff meeting, even if the interns' schedules don't match with the meeting, so they'll know their work is being reported to my boss, and to my boss' boss.
- I'm preparing a whiteboard with every intern's name, and some major accomplishment from the past week. This is also a mild stick - interns won't want their name to have a big blank space next to it.
- I'll make a public list of interns interns who consistently do their work in a timely manner, and will keep a separate list for interns who have fallen behind significantly.
- We'll post to our Davis Dollars Facebook page about interns' major accomplishments, and tag them in the post, so it will show up in their news feeds.
- Soon I hope to ask interns to prepare a "portfolio" of their concrete accomplishments, which they can list on their resumes, and which I'll talk about when future potential employers contact me about interns' performance.
What are some ways you encourage your peers or subordinates to do well, or discourage them from doing poorly?
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An interesting article I read some time back identified several types of procrastination. To the best of my memory, the types were:
The solution I've found? Make systems out of everything. Instead of viewing each case as an individual problem to be solved, I try to categorize that problem, and design a policy to address similar problems in the future. I record my policy so I can refer back to it in the future.
The principle here is to reduce the number of times I have to make a decision. I'm so often juggling lots of balls at once that I rarely get time to sit down and concentrate hard on anything conceptually difficult. So I focus those times on designing policies I can apply to lots of situations.
Specifically, I use lots of checklists and form emails. The checklists allow me to break complex tasks into easy-to-digest steps. For example, here are some steps I go through when training a new Davis Dollars intern:
Form emails also reduce the need to make decisions about what to write, and help me avoid forgetting important details. Some of the types of form emails I use:
- Laziness: I put off evaluating my (terrific) interns because I'd just rather read an interesting article about the management style of W. L. Gore and Associates.
- Strategic procrastination: I put off producing a presentation because I work best under pressure, and I would rather focus on more urgent matters right now.
- Indecision: I put off designing a new intern retention program because I'm just not sure how to start.
The solution I've found? Make systems out of everything. Instead of viewing each case as an individual problem to be solved, I try to categorize that problem, and design a policy to address similar problems in the future. I record my policy so I can refer back to it in the future.
The principle here is to reduce the number of times I have to make a decision. I'm so often juggling lots of balls at once that I rarely get time to sit down and concentrate hard on anything conceptually difficult. So I focus those times on designing policies I can apply to lots of situations.
Specifically, I use lots of checklists and form emails. The checklists allow me to break complex tasks into easy-to-digest steps. For example, here are some steps I go through when training a new Davis Dollars intern:
- Confirm the topic she's interested in working on (e.g. community outreach, business outreach, marketing, etc.)
- Make her an admin on our website (www.davisdollars.org)
- Remind her to upload her bio, with a picture, to our About Us page
- Give her an orientation on our Google Docs
- Set her up with a team; make sure she has specific action items to work on at the end of the meeting
Form emails also reduce the need to make decisions about what to write, and help me avoid forgetting important details. Some of the types of form emails I use:
- A standard response to applicants
- An email reminding intern applicants to read our About Us page, and come prepared to discuss ideas for how they would start off their internship
- An intern orientation email with links to our various web resources
- Information about how to get involved in Davis Dollars
- How Davis Dollars benefits Davis businesses
I'm entering a strange new world - teaching and delegating management. Okay, if you aren't as weirded out about that as I am, I can understand. Here's what's strange for me: I'm still learning management myself, and though I've been delegating other responsibilities to interns, delegating management is an entirely different animal.
One of my Davis Dollars interns in particular seems really promising - not only does Julia have confidence and good ideas, but she has the inclination to organize and coordinate, the ability to see the larger picture, and the action-oriented mindset required to get people moving in the right direction.
As a fairly new intern, she organized our first intern co-working session. The co-working sessions bring the interns together on campus, during the week while I'm away at work. They allow the interns to get together and get more done than has been possible in the past, but since I'm not around, they need someone to make sure the meetings have purpose and direction.
Ok, ok, so I've done something like this before - we've actually had intern meet-ups on campus. What's different this time is Julia's intuition when it comes to management, and our need for management now that our team is so much larger. Before, the intern team was all working on the same project, and didn't need much management. Now we have two, and soon three, different teams of interns - campus outreach, community outreach, and business development. All of them need to be coordinated.
On her first try, Julia did a really good job observing the sorts of things a manager needs to be aware of - the team had good morale, but spent too much time socializing. She thinks this is in part because there were several new interns who hadn't joined the team yet. She noticed that the teams formed up well, but that some of the teams weren't quite sure what they needed to be working on, so she and I need to make sure each team has a list of current and future projects so they won't have empty hands.
It's exciting to teach management. I'm learning a lot. Julia is a quick student, so I still have a way to go before I can prepare others for the same responsibilities, but this is a milestone in creating a self-sustaining growth organization.
Share any experiences you've had with teaching or delegating management!
One of my Davis Dollars interns in particular seems really promising - not only does Julia have confidence and good ideas, but she has the inclination to organize and coordinate, the ability to see the larger picture, and the action-oriented mindset required to get people moving in the right direction.
As a fairly new intern, she organized our first intern co-working session. The co-working sessions bring the interns together on campus, during the week while I'm away at work. They allow the interns to get together and get more done than has been possible in the past, but since I'm not around, they need someone to make sure the meetings have purpose and direction.
Ok, ok, so I've done something like this before - we've actually had intern meet-ups on campus. What's different this time is Julia's intuition when it comes to management, and our need for management now that our team is so much larger. Before, the intern team was all working on the same project, and didn't need much management. Now we have two, and soon three, different teams of interns - campus outreach, community outreach, and business development. All of them need to be coordinated.
On her first try, Julia did a really good job observing the sorts of things a manager needs to be aware of - the team had good morale, but spent too much time socializing. She thinks this is in part because there were several new interns who hadn't joined the team yet. She noticed that the teams formed up well, but that some of the teams weren't quite sure what they needed to be working on, so she and I need to make sure each team has a list of current and future projects so they won't have empty hands.
It's exciting to teach management. I'm learning a lot. Julia is a quick student, so I still have a way to go before I can prepare others for the same responsibilities, but this is a milestone in creating a self-sustaining growth organization.
Share any experiences you've had with teaching or delegating management!
The secret to making an impact? 05/10/2010
I'm really having a lot of fun managing the interns, both for Davis Dollars and in Senator Steinberg's office. Especially at work, I'm building what I think will be a really strong internship program that will be able to accomplish a lot - not just getting our job duties done, but making big changes in Sacramento. My feeling is that I'm really on to something big - I can't do the concept justice in a few brief lines here, but the critical elements are:
More on this later! In the meantime, please chime in if
- Leadership training for everyone; a network structure in which people lead people below them, and train them to be leaders
- An open organizational structure in which everyone (or nearly everyone) interfaces with the outside world, thus maximizing potential impact
- A flat, decentralized hierarchy in which people and sections of the network can experiment with interesting ideas
More on this later! In the meantime, please chime in if
How to develop leaders and team members 03/22/2010
A few days ago I had the odd experience of mentoring one of my interns on leadership development. Odd because I'm so new to leadership development myself, but also because I felt I actually had things to teach. Much to my surprise, Lauren didn't immediately say, "Yeah, yeah, I already know that." Instead, she was nodding and taking notes. Also, I was reminded how much I learn when I teach - it forces me to articulate ideas that only exist nebulously in my mind.
Here are the basics of what I've learned so far, and what I told Lauren.
Involvement is a continuum. It doesn't help to think of infrequent volunteers, team members, and leaders as separate categories of participants. These types of participants belong on a continuum. Every volunteer should be seen as a potential team member, and team members can and should be encouraged to lead.
Leadership isn't a one-way activity. You can have lots of team members acting as leaders because leadership isn't a one-way activity that only occurs when someone leads her subordinates. Participants can lead laterally when they work on projects together, and help each other overcome obstacles. They can also lead upward - people higher in an organization should be open to the contributions of those below them. Developing leaders is less about grooming someone for a position of formal authority, and is more about developing abilities like critical thinking, communication, confidence, teamwork and a willingness to take risks.
Get participants working together. You'll have real trouble developing someone as a leader if you only assign him individual work. Even when tasks can be completed individually, get participants to work together on tasks so they can learn how to lead laterally. If tasks cannot be easily split up, ask participants to choose how to distribute a bundle of tasks, and ask them to talk to check up on each other's work. This will also help you recognize which participants take the initiative, and may be ready for more responsibility. Assigning work to groups also builds morale and team spirit, and takes a load off your shoulders, as you are no longer solely responsible for assigning tasks - you can ask a team to figure out the best way to accomplish something.
Assign responsibilities, not tasks. To engage a team member's passions, assign them broad responsibilities rather than narrow tasks. People want to feel they have accomplished something, and it's difficult to feel ownership of your work if you can't see how your work connects to everything else. Almost everyone has to do some tedious groundwork; a team member will be a lot more cheerful doing that work when she decides it's necessary to accomplish the goals she's responsible for than if you tell her to do that work. Sometimes you'll have to step in to remind a team member what sort of groundwork is necessary, but even in these cases, make sure to put the groundwork in the context of her overall responsibility.
When someone first gets involved, you should probably find engaging tasks to assign them, because they may not be interested in taking on responsibilities. But as people get more involved, you should give them the chance to take on responsibilities.
Gauge a participant's interest by suggesting they invite others. People who are really interested in the work they do will probably be enthusiastic about asking others to get involved, if you have ways new people can contribute without a large time commitment. If these opportunities exist and your team member isn't interested, it may be because he doesn't feel very engaged in what he's doing. Think about how you can engage him more. If you're already doing everything you should be doing, keep in mind that he probably won't be interested in getting any more involved than he already is.
Leadership development takes time. Leadership development not only takes time in the sense of needing weeks or months; it also takes real time from a leader's day. Don't shortchange your leadership development effort by assuming it will happen as a natural byproduct of management. Keep in very good contact with anyone you're developing as a leader, and anyone who is a potential leader. Don't drop the ball!
I'd love to hear your own suggestions - how do you develop leaders?
Here are the basics of what I've learned so far, and what I told Lauren.
Involvement is a continuum. It doesn't help to think of infrequent volunteers, team members, and leaders as separate categories of participants. These types of participants belong on a continuum. Every volunteer should be seen as a potential team member, and team members can and should be encouraged to lead.
Leadership isn't a one-way activity. You can have lots of team members acting as leaders because leadership isn't a one-way activity that only occurs when someone leads her subordinates. Participants can lead laterally when they work on projects together, and help each other overcome obstacles. They can also lead upward - people higher in an organization should be open to the contributions of those below them. Developing leaders is less about grooming someone for a position of formal authority, and is more about developing abilities like critical thinking, communication, confidence, teamwork and a willingness to take risks.
Get participants working together. You'll have real trouble developing someone as a leader if you only assign him individual work. Even when tasks can be completed individually, get participants to work together on tasks so they can learn how to lead laterally. If tasks cannot be easily split up, ask participants to choose how to distribute a bundle of tasks, and ask them to talk to check up on each other's work. This will also help you recognize which participants take the initiative, and may be ready for more responsibility. Assigning work to groups also builds morale and team spirit, and takes a load off your shoulders, as you are no longer solely responsible for assigning tasks - you can ask a team to figure out the best way to accomplish something.
Assign responsibilities, not tasks. To engage a team member's passions, assign them broad responsibilities rather than narrow tasks. People want to feel they have accomplished something, and it's difficult to feel ownership of your work if you can't see how your work connects to everything else. Almost everyone has to do some tedious groundwork; a team member will be a lot more cheerful doing that work when she decides it's necessary to accomplish the goals she's responsible for than if you tell her to do that work. Sometimes you'll have to step in to remind a team member what sort of groundwork is necessary, but even in these cases, make sure to put the groundwork in the context of her overall responsibility.
When someone first gets involved, you should probably find engaging tasks to assign them, because they may not be interested in taking on responsibilities. But as people get more involved, you should give them the chance to take on responsibilities.
Gauge a participant's interest by suggesting they invite others. People who are really interested in the work they do will probably be enthusiastic about asking others to get involved, if you have ways new people can contribute without a large time commitment. If these opportunities exist and your team member isn't interested, it may be because he doesn't feel very engaged in what he's doing. Think about how you can engage him more. If you're already doing everything you should be doing, keep in mind that he probably won't be interested in getting any more involved than he already is.
Leadership development takes time. Leadership development not only takes time in the sense of needing weeks or months; it also takes real time from a leader's day. Don't shortchange your leadership development effort by assuming it will happen as a natural byproduct of management. Keep in very good contact with anyone you're developing as a leader, and anyone who is a potential leader. Don't drop the ball!
I'd love to hear your own suggestions - how do you develop leaders?
What if an intern is useless? 03/15/2010
When I first started managing interns, both in Senator Steinberg's office and for the Davis Dollars Community Currency, I had to get over my reluctance to assign work to interns. I felt that I didn't really have authority over them, since they weren't being paid.
I finally wrapped my head around the fact that people volunteer or intern because they want a good experience, and a manager who's afraid to tell an intern what to do will ruin that experience.
That's not all - as a manager, you have to be ready to fire an intern who isn't working out. Just because they don't get paid doesn't mean you have to keep them on forever. Keeping someone who isn't helping your office wastes your time and lowers morale on the part of other interns.
Keep track of intern productivity
Any good manager should keep good track of his subordinates' productivity, but people managing interns sometimes don't think of themselves as "real" managers. Face it - you're a manager whether your subordinates are paid or not, and you need to do a good job.
Tracking productivity is less about knowing when to crack the whip and more about knowing when and how you can help your subordinates be productive. Studies have also shown that most people quickly lose interest in a job if they get the impression their manager doesn't care what they do, or whether they do a good job. Show that you are paying attention, have high standards, and believe your subordinates are capable of meeting those standards.
Is it your fault?
If an intern isn't productive, first make sure there isn't something you can do to help the intern be productive. As a manager who is still learning a lot about how to manage and lead people, I realize that if someone is ineffective under my supervision, there's probably something I can change to help them be more effective. Sometimes you're actually at fault (i.e. you have neglected your duties, and as a result the intern is ineffective). Other times, you're doing things well, but by giving the intern more support or resources, you can help them out.
In any case, look first to yourself, and seek some small change that can make the intern effective, before firing them. (See below for suggestions based on why the intern is ineffective.)
Lazy? Or Incompetent?
I've dealt with a number of interns who didn't quite seem to work out. Some are lazy or unreliable; others are simply incompetent. (The vast majority of the interns I've managed have ranged from good to excellent, though.) You need to be aware of whether you're facing a motivational problem, or a problem with the intern's abilities.
It's easiest to help an intern who just lacks a certain skill. Often a little training, a bit of mentoring from another intern, or a change in job duties will help this intern become more effective.
I always maintain a list of varied tasks, and set aside easier tasks for interns I know are less skilled, or who are still learning the ropes. I also talk to interns about their strengths. One of our interns who was a very poor writer turned out to be an excellent caseworker, and it would have been a huge mistake to fire her, or force her to spend hours trying to improve her writing.
It is possible to help an intern improve skills, but there is only a certain amount anyone can learn within a short period of time, and if an intern appears to be plateauing at a level of skill that isn't satisfactory, consider having them work on other tasks.
One of our interns, whom I'll call Clay, was incompetent at everything we assigned him. His writing quality was poor; he was uncertain and tremulous on the phone; he was inattentive to detail. If the intern truly isn't good enough at anything you need them to work on, or if they are so poor that they would be a liability to the office, you need to ask them to consider taking a job or internship elsewhere, where they can learn the skills necessary in this office. Your interview process should prevent these sorts of interns from getting into your office in the first place, but if one does get in, don't drag your feet. Holding off will not do the intern any justice, and it certainly won't help your office. Asking a well-intentioned intern to move on can be difficult, but you should do it as soon as you recognize they can't be of help. You can suggest that they may still be interested as a volunteer for events or projects where you need people for unskilled help, if you think they want to stay involved somehow. In Clay's case, it was a huge relief to our entire office when we finally asked him to move on. Your office should help interns learn new things, but you should get rid of an intern who isn't also helping your office.
Unmotivated interns
Dealing with unmotivated interns is an entirely different animal. As before, first make sure that the intern's attitude isn't a result of your own management habits. If they're disengaged because you never check up on them, that's your fault; firing them won't solve anything, and you'll continue to produce disengaged interns.
If you are showing attention to the intern's work, but this doesn't solve the problem, it's time to have The Talk. Speak to him in private, and explain that while you have a high opinion of his abilities, he hasn't been coming through with results. Ask him if there's anything you can do to help him be more effective.
Most interns are embarrassed to have The Talk. They know they aren't being productive, and they'll usually agree to shape up. Not all interns who promise this actually will, however, so it's important to extract a concrete commitment to be more productive. I spoke to one intern, who I'll call Alfred, after a couple of weeks of being unproductive. I was still a new manager, and this was the first intern I had had to confront. (I should have confronted him earlier.) He was extremely embarrassed, and had been so unproductive that I told him I'd assign him tasks along with the amount of time I expected they should each take. This way I would be able to notice immediately if Alfred was slacking off.
If an intern shapes up, you may be able to loosen any restrictions you put on him. If he doesn't, fire him immediately. Alfred didn't improve at all, so I spoke to him again and asked him to leave the office.
I finally wrapped my head around the fact that people volunteer or intern because they want a good experience, and a manager who's afraid to tell an intern what to do will ruin that experience.
That's not all - as a manager, you have to be ready to fire an intern who isn't working out. Just because they don't get paid doesn't mean you have to keep them on forever. Keeping someone who isn't helping your office wastes your time and lowers morale on the part of other interns.
Keep track of intern productivity
Any good manager should keep good track of his subordinates' productivity, but people managing interns sometimes don't think of themselves as "real" managers. Face it - you're a manager whether your subordinates are paid or not, and you need to do a good job.
Tracking productivity is less about knowing when to crack the whip and more about knowing when and how you can help your subordinates be productive. Studies have also shown that most people quickly lose interest in a job if they get the impression their manager doesn't care what they do, or whether they do a good job. Show that you are paying attention, have high standards, and believe your subordinates are capable of meeting those standards.
Is it your fault?
If an intern isn't productive, first make sure there isn't something you can do to help the intern be productive. As a manager who is still learning a lot about how to manage and lead people, I realize that if someone is ineffective under my supervision, there's probably something I can change to help them be more effective. Sometimes you're actually at fault (i.e. you have neglected your duties, and as a result the intern is ineffective). Other times, you're doing things well, but by giving the intern more support or resources, you can help them out.
In any case, look first to yourself, and seek some small change that can make the intern effective, before firing them. (See below for suggestions based on why the intern is ineffective.)
Lazy? Or Incompetent?
I've dealt with a number of interns who didn't quite seem to work out. Some are lazy or unreliable; others are simply incompetent. (The vast majority of the interns I've managed have ranged from good to excellent, though.) You need to be aware of whether you're facing a motivational problem, or a problem with the intern's abilities.
It's easiest to help an intern who just lacks a certain skill. Often a little training, a bit of mentoring from another intern, or a change in job duties will help this intern become more effective.
I always maintain a list of varied tasks, and set aside easier tasks for interns I know are less skilled, or who are still learning the ropes. I also talk to interns about their strengths. One of our interns who was a very poor writer turned out to be an excellent caseworker, and it would have been a huge mistake to fire her, or force her to spend hours trying to improve her writing.
It is possible to help an intern improve skills, but there is only a certain amount anyone can learn within a short period of time, and if an intern appears to be plateauing at a level of skill that isn't satisfactory, consider having them work on other tasks.
One of our interns, whom I'll call Clay, was incompetent at everything we assigned him. His writing quality was poor; he was uncertain and tremulous on the phone; he was inattentive to detail. If the intern truly isn't good enough at anything you need them to work on, or if they are so poor that they would be a liability to the office, you need to ask them to consider taking a job or internship elsewhere, where they can learn the skills necessary in this office. Your interview process should prevent these sorts of interns from getting into your office in the first place, but if one does get in, don't drag your feet. Holding off will not do the intern any justice, and it certainly won't help your office. Asking a well-intentioned intern to move on can be difficult, but you should do it as soon as you recognize they can't be of help. You can suggest that they may still be interested as a volunteer for events or projects where you need people for unskilled help, if you think they want to stay involved somehow. In Clay's case, it was a huge relief to our entire office when we finally asked him to move on. Your office should help interns learn new things, but you should get rid of an intern who isn't also helping your office.
Unmotivated interns
Dealing with unmotivated interns is an entirely different animal. As before, first make sure that the intern's attitude isn't a result of your own management habits. If they're disengaged because you never check up on them, that's your fault; firing them won't solve anything, and you'll continue to produce disengaged interns.
If you are showing attention to the intern's work, but this doesn't solve the problem, it's time to have The Talk. Speak to him in private, and explain that while you have a high opinion of his abilities, he hasn't been coming through with results. Ask him if there's anything you can do to help him be more effective.
Most interns are embarrassed to have The Talk. They know they aren't being productive, and they'll usually agree to shape up. Not all interns who promise this actually will, however, so it's important to extract a concrete commitment to be more productive. I spoke to one intern, who I'll call Alfred, after a couple of weeks of being unproductive. I was still a new manager, and this was the first intern I had had to confront. (I should have confronted him earlier.) He was extremely embarrassed, and had been so unproductive that I told him I'd assign him tasks along with the amount of time I expected they should each take. This way I would be able to notice immediately if Alfred was slacking off.
If an intern shapes up, you may be able to loosen any restrictions you put on him. If he doesn't, fire him immediately. Alfred didn't improve at all, so I spoke to him again and asked him to leave the office.
How to get people below you to work together 03/10/2010
I've been slowly trying to get interns to work together more. I've been doing it both with my Davis Dollars interns and with my interns in Senator Steinberg's office, with different strategies.
I think it's important for a lot of reasons.
In Senator Steinberg's office, I've been a bit less successful in thinking of ways to get interns to work together. They work together on their ownership initiatives, but I’ve had more trouble finding ways for them to work together on their core tasks of writing response letters and working on casework. Many of these core tasks are (to my mind) highly individual tasks that are difficult to split up.
I’ve been thinking of broader ways to get interns to work together, though. Working together doesn’t necessarily require splitting a task down the middle. Rather than assigning individual tasks to interns, I could allow them to create a division of labor by assigning a block of tasks to a group of interns, and allowing the interns to split the tasks between them. This would give them more initiative and make them partners in figuring out the best way to get through all the tasks. My current method commoditizes both the tasks and the interns by making piecemeal work out of something that could benefit from more creative thinking.
I did notice yesterday that two interns who were just starting out spontaneously started helping each other with tasks. Lucy, one of the interns, has already shown more initiative than average, so I wasn’t entirely surprised when she started helping Rochelle (who is a bit newer than Lucy). But I could also encourage teamwork by assigning each new intern to a more senior intern, and ask that senior intern to be responsible for guiding and mentoring the younger intern.
What are your thoughts? Do you have suggestions? How do you work with interns?
I think it's important for a lot of reasons.
- It develops the interns' skills, initiative, and responsibility to be accountable to each other.
- Two heads are better than one - they can think of more ideas together than they'd be able to think of working alone on their projects.
- This allows me to tap into the creativity and intelligence of every intern. I can't think of everything. That fact is obvious, but assigning tasks unilaterally only makes sense if I believe I can think of everything we should do, and how we should do it. By allowing interns to talk about what to work on and how to accomplish it, they can come up with ideas I would not have thought of.
- It removes me as a bottleneck - when I need to assign tasks for everyone, it means interns are stalled if they need to wait to hear back from me. By delegating some authority to the intern teams, they can bypass me. This requires some watching, however, to make sure I approve of what they're working on.
In Senator Steinberg's office, I've been a bit less successful in thinking of ways to get interns to work together. They work together on their ownership initiatives, but I’ve had more trouble finding ways for them to work together on their core tasks of writing response letters and working on casework. Many of these core tasks are (to my mind) highly individual tasks that are difficult to split up.
I’ve been thinking of broader ways to get interns to work together, though. Working together doesn’t necessarily require splitting a task down the middle. Rather than assigning individual tasks to interns, I could allow them to create a division of labor by assigning a block of tasks to a group of interns, and allowing the interns to split the tasks between them. This would give them more initiative and make them partners in figuring out the best way to get through all the tasks. My current method commoditizes both the tasks and the interns by making piecemeal work out of something that could benefit from more creative thinking.
I did notice yesterday that two interns who were just starting out spontaneously started helping each other with tasks. Lucy, one of the interns, has already shown more initiative than average, so I wasn’t entirely surprised when she started helping Rochelle (who is a bit newer than Lucy). But I could also encourage teamwork by assigning each new intern to a more senior intern, and ask that senior intern to be responsible for guiding and mentoring the younger intern.
What are your thoughts? Do you have suggestions? How do you work with interns?
Timeline 02/06/2010
Here's a timeline of my work and other projects.
If you want to see how much time I spent per week on various activities, see this post.
If you want to see how much time I spent per week on various activities, see this post.
How much time do I spend on school and work? 02/03/2010
I was surprised when I actually graphed this out - I hadn't realized I was so busy! Between work and school, plus Davis Dollars, it makes sense, though.
You can see the summer breaks when I was at UC Davis, and during which I increased my hours for my mom's business, Barryscientific. (You can also see a timeline of all this.)
As Davis Dollars ramps up, and as work and my studies at USC continue, I don't expect free time any time soon. Good thing it's all stuff I love doing...
You can see the summer breaks when I was at UC Davis, and during which I increased my hours for my mom's business, Barryscientific. (You can also see a timeline of all this.)
As Davis Dollars ramps up, and as work and my studies at USC continue, I don't expect free time any time soon. Good thing it's all stuff I love doing...
Management Experience 02/03/2010
At work, in Senator Steinberg's office, we have a swell of interns every summer. The same happens with Davis Dollars interns.
2008 was when I really started supervising and managing other interns at work.
I worked on Davis Dollars beginning in the Fall of 2008, but didn't bring interns on board until the summer of 2009.
2008 was when I really started supervising and managing other interns at work.
I worked on Davis Dollars beginning in the Fall of 2008, but didn't bring interns on board until the summer of 2009.
