Ready to discover the secrets of effective management? Have you ever wondered how to transition from being a peer to a boss or how to effectively delegate as your team grows? Are you curious about fostering a positive team culture or mastering the art of giving feedback? Delve into the captivating world of management, as told through the lens of an experienced Facebook manager. Explore the trials and triumphs of managing teams at one of the world's most renowned tech giants!

The Making of a Manager

When Julie Zhuo, the author, first started at Facebook in 2006, fresh out of college, she felt confident she knew the audience well. But just two years later, she found herself thrust into a managerial role, utterly unprepared for what was to come. 

Initially, Julie's understanding of management was rudimentary: hold meetings, give feedback, hire and fire. But real experience taught her that management is about building cohesive teams, supporting career growth, and establishing efficient processes.

Imagine Julie setting up a lemonade stand because she loves lemonade and thinks it could be a great business. Initially, she does everything herself. But, as demand grows, she hires Henry and Eliza. Now, she’s a manager. It's not about her employment status but about achieving more through teamwork than she could alone. Her goal remains the same: to make a successful lemonade business, but now she relies on others to help her get there.

Andy Grove, Intel’s founder, believed a manager’s success should be judged by the team’s outcomes, not just their activities. Chris Cox, Facebook’s chief product officer, emphasized two key criteria: current team results and future team strength and satisfaction. This framework shifted Julie's focus from daily tasks to long-term success.

Harvard scholar J. Richard Hackman identified five conditions for team success: a clear team, compelling direction, enabling structure, supportive context, and expert coaching. Julie's own observations narrowed it down to three main areas: purpose (why they do what they do), people (who is on the team), and process (how they work together).

Training and hiring are crucial. If Julie spends time improving her team’s skills or recruiting top talent, she multiplies her team’s effectiveness. For example, if training Henry and Eliza helps them sell more lemonade, it pays off exponentially over time.

Management isn’t just about making decisions. It’s about inspiring and enabling your team to succeed. It’s rewarding but not without its challenges. Great managers are made, not born, and they thrive on helping their teams achieve more.

While leadership and management are often conflated, they aren’t the same. Management is a role; leadership is a quality. Anyone can show leadership, regardless of their position. True leadership is about earning trust and respect, which is essential for any manager like Julie aiming to achieve great outcomes with their team.

Can A Lemonade Stand Teach the Essence of Effective Management?

When new managers join Julie's team, she loves asking them after a few months, “What was more challenging than expected, and what was easier?” One manager humorously quoted a poster on their walls: “Every day feels like a week,” reflecting the common feeling of being overwhelmed by the sheer amount to learn. 

However, what turned out to be easier varied widely. An individual contributor turned manager mentioned how knowing his team and their work was a huge advantage, while a new manager appreciated her peers' helpfulness with her “noob-ish” questions.

The path to a manager usually follows one of four routes: Apprentice, Pioneer, New Boss, or Successor. Each path has its own challenges and advantages.

1. The Apprentice: 
When Julie transitioned to management, her team leader, Rebekah, guided her meticulously. She gave Julie a list of names for her team and helped her build a great relationship with an initially skeptical report. Having a supportive manager and knowing the team already are enormous advantages. 

However, transitioning from peer to boss can feel awkward. You’ll need to understand your former peers' career goals and give them feedback, even if it feels uncomfortable. Balancing individual contributor work with management tasks is tricky; it’s crucial to scale back on your own projects as your team grows.

2. The Pioneer: 
As a pioneer, you know the job inside out because you helped define it. You get to build the team you want and set the culture. However, you may not have much support and might feel isolated. Seek help from other managers in your organization or from peers in similar roles outside your company. Balancing individual contributor work with management is also a challenge here.

3. The New Boss:  
Joining as a new boss offers the advantage of people cutting you slack initially. Use this time to ask questions and get to know the team. You start with a blank slate, so remain open-minded and curious. However, adjusting to the norms of a new environment takes time. Focus on listening and learning rather than exerting your opinions too soon. Invest in building relationships and trust with your new team.

4. The Successor: 
Taking over from a departing manager means you already know what works and what doesn’t. However, the increase in responsibility can be overwhelming, and you might feel pressured to do things exactly like your predecessor. Remember to be yourself and play to your strengths. When a beloved manager, Robyn Morris, left Julie's team, his successors thrived by stepping into the gaps he left, each in their unique way.

Your first three months are a period of incredible transition. By the end, you’ll start feeling familiar with your new routines and relationships. However, the feeling of being the new kid might linger longer. New managers often ask Julie, “How long will it take to feel like I know what I’m doing?” Her honest reply is, “It took me about three years.”

Charting Your Course: Navigating the First 90 Days as a New Manager

When Julie managed a team of eight, their weekly critique meetings were a highlight. Gathered around a conference table with a giant TV, each designer would present their work, and the rest of the team would dive in with feedback—everything from strategic questions to tactical suggestions. These sessions were honest, creative, and deeply collaborative, epitomizing what Julie loved about managing a small team. 

Managing a small team is built on trust and support. As Andy Grove states in "High Output Management," good work is hindered either by a lack of skills or motivation. As a manager, Julie found diagnosing whether the issue was one of motivation or skills through honest conversations to be critical. Trust is the foundation of these relationships. As Anton Chekhov said, "You must trust people, or life becomes impossible." Reports need to feel they can be honest about their challenges without fearing negative repercussions.

In Julie's experience of building trust, three things were crucial: 
1. Reports should feel comfortable bringing their challenges to the manager. If they always say, "Everything is fine," the manager should dig deeper.
2. Cultivating a culture of mutual feedback. Striving for one-on-one meetings that feel a bit awkward because those are often the most important conversations.
3. Reports should want to work for the manager again. The manager should reflect on whether they'd be chosen as a manager in the future.

Respect and care for reports are paramount. A senior executive once told Julie, "Managing is caring." This means supporting reports, understanding their aspirations, and respecting them unconditionally, even during tough times. Julie found investing time in one-on-one meetings vital. These sessions should focus on the report's needs, not just status updates. Preparation is key—asking questions that identify priorities, understand challenges, and offer support.

Julie believes that being honest and transparent about performance is essential. Reports should always know where they stand. Admitting her own mistakes and showing vulnerability helped to strengthen Julie's relationships with her team. Brené Brown highlights the power of expressing vulnerability: "Truth and courage aren’t always comfortable, but they’re never weakness."

Helping people play to their strengths is another key aspect of good management, according to Julie's experience. Recognizing and leveraging individual strengths can boost motivation and performance. Marcus Buckingham emphasizes that great managers discover what is unique about each person and capitalize on it.

However, Julie acknowledges that not every situation can be fixed. Sometimes, despite best efforts, a report may not be the right fit due to a mismatch in values or skills. In such cases, Julie believes it’s often best to help them find a new role or part ways respectfully. As former GE CEO Jack Welch said, delaying this decision only increases the damage. 

Can You Harness the Power of Trust to Lead a Small Team Successfully?

The worst feedback Julie ever received came in an email from Drew Hamlin, a former intern, who innocently asked if they intended to make a screen design "so terrible." Despite his poor choice of words, they admired his passion and hired him. Years later, Drew became a beloved manager and a key figure in their critique practice. They still joke about his early blunder.

Conversely, the best feedback came from Julie's former report, Robyn, who candidly told her that he felt less trusted when he wasn’t performing well. His honesty transformed her managerial approach, highlighting the importance of trust and empathy.

Giving feedback is challenging and often avoided due to fear of being hurtful or vague. However, it’s vital for a leader. Effective feedback clarifies expectations and boosts skills, helping teams aim and hit the target effectively.

Great feedback isn’t just about criticism. Praise can be equally motivating. For instance, setting clear expectations from the start, like a trainer discussing goals before workouts, lays a strong foundation. Frequent, task-specific feedback keeps projects on track and helps build a habit of giving and receiving feedback.

Behavioral feedback, which looks at patterns over time, adds depth and personalization. For example, pointing out someone's defensive tone can help them understand how they’re perceived. Collecting 360-degree feedback provides a well-rounded view by incorporating multiple perspectives, making it more objective and comprehensive.

A critical lesson Julie learned from her manager, Kate Aronowitz, was about setting clear expectations. If someone isn’t meeting expectations, they should be told early, not blindsided during performance reviews. This approach helps people improve and prevents bigger issues down the road.

The ultimate goal of feedback is to inspire positive action. To ensure feedback is effective, it should be specific, clear on what success looks like, and suggest next steps. For instance, if someone’s presentation is confusing, specify which parts and why, and suggest ways to improve.

Delivering critical feedback or bad news should be direct and dispassionate. Avoid sugarcoating or the “compliment sandwich” approach. Instead, plainly state the issue, provide context, and discuss solutions. This respects the person’s intelligence and fosters a cooperative environment.

Finally, people aren’t fragile. They want honest feedback to improve. While giving tough feedback is hard, it’s essential for growth. At Facebook, Julie believes “Feedback is a gift.” It costs time and effort but ultimately makes us better. So, let’s give it generously.

Mastering the Art of Feedback: Lessons from Facebook's Leadership

After having her first baby, Julie returned to work and found herself overwhelmed. Feeling like a less capable person, she sought the help of Stacy McCarthy, an executive coach. Instead of addressing immediate problems, Stacy asked Julie to reflect on herself, leading to a profound 20-page report about her strengths and weaknesses. This self-awareness was a turning point in her career, helping her manage her stress and set clearer expectations.

Julie also learned about imposter syndrome in college and felt it acutely as a new manager. Harvard professor Linda Hill notes that feeling overwhelmed is common among new managers. The pressure to have answers and constantly face new challenges exacerbates these feelings. However, Julie learned that every manager feels like an imposter sometimes, and acknowledging this helps mitigate its impact.

Being honest with oneself is crucial. Knowing her strengths and weaknesses, and calibrating her self-perception with feedback from others, allowed Julie to improve. Asking for feedback, though initially daunting, is essential for growth. Embracing a growth mindset, as psychologist Carol Dweck suggests, means seeing challenges as opportunities to learn rather than tests of worthiness.

Understanding the environments where Julie thrives and recognizing her triggers has been invaluable. For instance, getting enough sleep, having productive mornings, and maintaining trust with colleagues help her perform her best. Conversely, knowing her triggers, like a sense of injustice, allows her to manage her reactions better.

When in the "Pit" of self-doubt, it's important not to beat oneself up. Realizing that everyone struggles and questioning the negative stories one tells oneself can help. Visualization techniques and asking for help from trusted peers also provide support.

Celebrating small wins and setting boundaries for self-care are vital. Regularly reflecting on achievements and maintaining a healthy work-life balance boost confidence and creativity.

Lastly, continuous learning is key. Seeking feedback, treating one's manager as a coach, and finding mentors in everyone around fosters development. Setting aside time for reflection and taking advantage of formal training, like workshops or professional coaching, further enhance skills.

In essence, being a great leader starts with understanding and caring for oneself. By embracing her journey, strengths, and areas for growth, Julie confidently faces challenges and supports her team effectively.

Are You Overwhelmed as a New Manager? What Can the Insights of Renowned Experts Teach Us?

When Julie's team grew, she initiated weekly status meetings where everyone shared updates. It seemed like a good idea but quickly became a drag, with some going into excessive detail. 

One day, a brave team member emailed Julie suggesting they switch to email updates, stating the meetings were not a good use of time. The change worked wonders, highlighting the importance of planning effective meetings and valuing feedback.

Meetings are a substantial part of a manager's day and generally get a bad rap. Studies show that CEOs spend 60% of their time in meetings, and one executive meeting took an astonishing 300,000 person-hours to prepare for. Bad meetings can leave attendees disengaged and confused, while good meetings are efficient and leave participants feeling their time was well spent.

Here are Five Ways to Ensure Great Meeting Outcomes:
1. Decision Making: Ensure decisions are clear, fair, and involve all affected parties.
2. Information Sharing: Make use of interactive and engaging presentations to convey key messages.
3. Providing Feedback: Focus on honest assessments and actionable next steps rather than seeking approval.
4. Generating Ideas: Balance quiet individual thinking with collaborative discussion to foster creativity.
5. Strengthening Relationships: Use social events and team meetings to build trust and understanding.

To foster participation in meetings, follow these steps:
- Be explicit about norms and encourage questions.
- Change formats to ensure everyone contributes.
- Manage airtime to prevent dominance by a few voices.
- Seek feedback to continuously improve the meeting's effectiveness.

During a busy period, Julie realized that 40% of her meetings were not essential. Harvard research indicates that ineffective meetings prevent managers from completing their own work. By auditing and reducing unnecessary meetings, she regained valuable time for priority tasks.

Guard your time and be vigilant about the value of each meeting. Well-planned meetings boost team performance and morale, while poor ones lead to frustration and burnout. Aim to make every meeting useful, engaging, and energizing for your team.

Mastering the Art of Effective Meetings: Boosting Team Performance and Morale

Early in her career, Julie interviewed a nervous new grad named Tom. Even though he didn’t solve all the problems, his dedication and thoughtfulness stood out to her. Against her conservative nature, Julie recommended hiring him. Years later, Tom became a respected senior engineering leader, proving that hiring well can transform a team.

Hiring is more than just filling vacancies; it’s about building the future of an organization. Julie learned this through years of experience. One January, she mapped out a year-long hiring plan, identifying skill gaps and roles to fill. This intentional planning helps avoid the trap of hiring out of desperation.

Working closely with recruiters is crucial. Julie advises to describe your ideal candidate precisely, develop a sourcing strategy, and deliver an amazing interview experience. Show candidates how much you want them by maintaining frequent, enthusiastic communication.

Despite careful planning, hiring is a gamble. Google found no correlation between interview ratings and job performance. To mitigate this, Julie recommends examining past work, seeking trusted recommendations, involving multiple interviewers, and looking for passionate advocates rather than consensus.

Prepare your interview questions ahead of time. Julie once hired a candidate named Mason who was nervous but nailed the substantive questions. He quickly became a top contributor. Also, Julie emphasizes rejecting anyone exhibiting toxic behavior and prioritizing building a diverse team.

Sometimes, Julie advises to hire people capable of more than the current role demands. She once hired a director for a modest team who soon proved invaluable across multiple projects.

Hiring well at scale requires diligent execution. Julie suggests breaking down the process and ensuring your entire staff contributes. For leadership roles, do thorough research and take a long view with top talent. Even if a candidate declines an offer, maintain the relationship for future opportunities.

Building a strong bench ensures continuity and allows you to tackle bigger challenges. Julie advocates creating a culture that prioritizes hiring well by coaching your leaders and making team building a shared responsibility.

In essence, Julie believes that hiring well is a transformative process that requires thoughtful planning, close collaboration, and a commitment to building a diverse and capable team.

Can Hiring Well Transform Your Organization's Future?

Once upon a time, Kevin Systrom loved Kentucky whiskey and dreamt of an app to help friends make plans, check into locations, and share photos. He created Burbn and teamed up with his friend Mike. They noticed users loved the photo-sharing feature but ignored the rest. 

Kevin and Mike pivoted, focusing solely on photo sharing and renamed Burbn to Instagram. Today, Instagram has over a billion users and was acquired by Facebook for $1 billion in 2012.

This shows that the path to success isn’t linear; it’s about consistent planning and execution. Try ideas quickly, learn, scrap failures, and double down on what works. This process is crucial.

In managing teams, start with a concrete vision. Vague goals like “help” or “improve” don’t create a shared sense of purpose. Instead, use tangible visions. Mark Zuckerberg’s vision for Facebook was to connect the entire world, a clear and ambitious goal.

A believable game plan is essential. Dwight D. Eisenhower said, “Plans are worthless, but planning is everything.” Good strategies focus on a team’s strengths and prioritize a few key tasks. For instance, when Facebook introduced photo tagging, it became the world’s most popular photo-sharing service despite its initial bare-bones features.

Define roles clearly to avoid ambiguity. Break down big goals into smaller, manageable pieces. Parkinson’s law states that “work expands to fill the time available,” so setting smaller milestones can boost productivity.

Perfect execution trumps perfect strategy. Move quickly, learn from failures, and adjust. Teams should prioritize tasks, make decisions efficiently, and commit to actions.

Balance short-term execution with long-term vision. Define your long-term goals and work backward. A portfolio approach, balancing short, medium, and long-term projects, ensures continuous improvement.

Communicate how daily tasks relate to the overarching vision. This alignment helps resolve conflicts and keeps teams focused. For instance, Facebook’s design team developed reactions beyond the Like button to foster empathy, aligning with their mission to bring people closer together.

Good processes evolve. Debriefs or retrospectives help teams learn from experiences. Write down learnings and share them. Cultivate playbooks for repeatable tasks to streamline processes.

In short, making things happen involves consistent planning, execution and clear vision. Embrace these principles to navigate challenges and achieve success.

From Burbn to Instagram: Lessons on Vision, Strategy, and Execution for Success

Back when Julie's team was small enough to fit around a single conference table, adding a new designer was a big event. Each new member brought unique talents, whether it was a keen eye for visuals, deep insights into human motivation, or out-of-the-box ideas. They’d huddle together, sharing their processes and welcoming them into their fold. 

But as the team grew, the old ways of doing things started to falter. One day, Julie realized their critique meetings didn’t have enough chairs for everyone, and the list of people wanting to present was too long. It was clear something had to change.

Managing a growing team means Julie had to constantly adapt. When her team was small, she knew everyone personally and could manage them directly. But when it grew to thirty people, that became impossible. She had to hire managers, delegate responsibilities, and develop new skills to bridge the gap. This shift from direct to indirect management can feel like losing control, but it’s essential for empowering team leaders.

People’s behavior towards Julie changed too. She remembers a review meeting where her feedback wasn’t challenged, only to learn later that the team felt intimidated by her position. It was a pivotal moment, teaching her that authority can create barriers to honest communication. To counter this, she started emphasizing the value of dissenting opinions and made efforts to show her human side.

As the team grows, so does the complexity of Julie's role. Context switching between different issues and projects becomes a daily norm. She learned to manage this by preparing for each meeting, taking robust notes, and setting time aside for reflection. Prioritization becomes crucial because she can’t do everything herself.

One of the most rewarding yet challenging aspects of managing a large team is effective delegation. It’s a delicate balance—too much involvement and Julie could become a micromanager; too little and she risked being an absentee leader. She realized that giving people big problems to solve is a sign of trust. It empowers them and fosters growth.

Julie remembers thinking that a manager needed to know every detail to be effective. But she learned that alignment on priorities and vision is more important. In one instance, her manager Chris cut through the noise during a bleak project update by asking, “Do we have the right people on the right problems?” It reminded them that people trump projects.

When a manager on her team struggles, it’s a tough situation. Julie wants to support them, but sometimes the best decision for the team is to make a change. She faced this with a report named Raphael. After much contemplation, she decided to move him off his role. It was a hard conversation, but the new manager who stepped in helped the team thrive.

The best managers constantly look for ways to replace themselves. Julie learned this firsthand when she handed off a meeting she used to run. The new organizers did an even better job, freeing her to focus on other priorities. It’s about spending her time on what’s most important for the organization and what she uniquely does best.

Lastly, if Julie worried about becoming redundant by delegating, she reminded herself: there will always be new challenges on the horizon. As her team grows, so must she. The act of replacing herself creates opportunities for both her team and herself to stretch and achieve more together.

Can You Adapt to the Challenges of Managing a Growing Team?

When Julie interviews prospective candidates, the topic of team culture always comes up. Questions like, “What’s unique about your team?” and “How are decisions made?” are common. 

A wise manager once told her that a company’s culture is best understood by what it’s willing to sacrifice for its values. At Facebook, they have a motto: “Nothing at Facebook Is Somebody Else’s Problem.” This became evident one summer when a new intern accidentally took down the Facebook service by introducing a bad error into the codebase. Instead of firing him, his manager apologized for not setting him up better, and the team worked together to prevent future errors.

Culture is the fabric that binds teams together. A manager once shared his breakthrough after three years on the job: he realized that management is not just about individual relationships but also about fostering strong team dynamics. As you manage more people, your influence on culture grows. Even if you’re not a CEO, your actions reflect the company’s values.

To shape a culture you’re proud of, start by understanding your current team and aspirations. Reflect on what makes your team special and where it can improve. For example, Facebook’s growth team values being data-driven, while their infrastructure team focuses on long-term goals.

It's vital to constantly communicate what’s important. Sheryl Sandberg taught Julie the power of “hard conversations” to address tensions and misunderstandings. Her consistent messaging made this practice part of Facebook’s culture. Similarly, when you value something, don’t hesitate to talk about it repeatedly. Authentic communication makes you a more inspiring leader.

Walking the talk is crucial. Hypocrisy erodes trust quickly. If you preach transparency, yet hide information, or talk about diversity but promote like-minded individuals, your credibility suffers. Julie learned this the hard way when she encouraged her report to seek feedback but failed to do so herself. Her feedback made her realize she needed to practice what she preached.

Creating the right incentives aligns behavior with values. Misaligned incentives can lead to undesirable outcomes, like when Julie asked designers to show three explorations, leading to busywork rather than creativity. Reflect on your team’s actions and adjust incentives to reward the right behaviors.

Inventing traditions can also strengthen culture. At Facebook, hackathons are a cherished tradition where engineers build prototypes for new ideas. These events embody their values of boldness and speed. Traditions can be unique and fun, from personal prompts at meetings to monthly creative nights.

Mark Zuckerberg’s weekly Q&A sessions exemplify their value of openness. Even as CEO, he takes time to answer any question from employees, reinforcing their culture.

In nurturing culture, pay attention to the little things you say and do, and the behaviors you reward. These daily actions collectively tell the story of your team’s values.

Julie's journey as a manager has been full of mistakes and learning moments. But with support from great leaders and a growth mindset, she’s built a team she’s proud of. As you move forward, remember that building a great team is an ongoing process. With time and effort, you can create something wonderful together.

Building a Powerful Team Culture: Lessons from Facebook's Leadership

Management is not just about decision-making and overseeing daily tasks; it's about inspiring and enabling your team to achieve common goals. Effective management involves building cohesive teams, providing career growth support, and establishing efficient processes. It's crucial to focus on the team's outcomes and not just the activities. 

Becoming a manager can occur through different routes, each with its unique challenges and advantages. Regardless of the path, the initial phase is a period of incredible transition, often characterized by a steep learning curve. 

Building trust with your team members is vital for effective management. This involves creating an environment where team members feel comfortable sharing their challenges, fostering a culture of mutual feedback, and ensuring that team members would want to work under your management again. 

Honest and transparent communication about performance is essential. Managers should help people play to their strengths, but also acknowledge when a member may not be the right fit for the team. 

Effective feedback is vital for a leader. It should be specific, clear on what success looks like, and suggest next steps. 

Self-awareness is a crucial aspect of management. Understanding one's strengths, weaknesses, and triggers can help manage stress and set clearer expectations. Embracing a growth mindset and seeing challenges as opportunities to learn rather than tests of worthiness can help alleviate feelings of overwhelm and imposter syndrome. 

Meetings are a significant part of a manager's day. To ensure effective meetings, decisions should be clear and fair, presentations should be interactive and engaging, assessments should be honest, thinking should be balanced with discussion, and relationships should be strengthened. 

Hiring is more than just filling vacancies; it's about building the future of an organization. It involves thoughtful planning, close collaboration, and a commitment to building a diverse and capable team. 

Executing plans and having a clear vision are essential for team management. Good strategies focus on the team’s strengths and prioritize a few key tasks. Perfect execution trumps perfect strategy. 

Delegation is a rewarding yet challenging aspect of managing a large team. It’s essential for empowering team leaders. As the team grows, managers must adapt their management style from direct to indirect. 

Culture is the fabric that binds teams together. To shape a culture you’re proud of, understand your current team and aspirations, constantly communicate what’s important, walk the talk, create the right incentives, and invent traditions. 

Building a great team is an ongoing process that requires time, effort, and a growth mindset.

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The Making of a Manager

Julie Zhuo

Ready to discover the secrets of effective management?

Have you ever wondered how to transition from being a peer to a boss or how to effectively delegate as your team grows?

Are you curious about fostering a positive team culture or mastering the art of giving feedback?

Delve into the captivating world of management, as told through the lens of an experienced Facebook manager. Explore the trials and triumphs of managing teams at one of the world's most renowned tech giants!

Key Ideas

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