Wrong but useful. Working @Twitter, tweeting about data science and people management.
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I like this framework of strong vs. weak team concepts. I’ve talked before about the importance of domain expertise and relationships for DSes, and domain expertise is precisely why many DS teams are automatically weak concept.https://lethain.com/weak-and-strong-team-concepts/ …
Weak concept teams are also a big part of why IC data scientists can end up functioning as peers to xfn partners of higher rank. It makes for a strange life as a DS manager because in some ways, the ICs you manage end up having more organizational power and influence than you do
I suspect that to a certain extent, strong concept teams are all alike, and every weak concept team is weak in its own way. But one thing you have to let go of as a manager of a weak concept team is the idea that your ICs are your subordinates.
In the same way that your ICs won’t get far by demanding their partners listen, you will also need to be gentler. If the IC is tightly partnered with another team, they will likely have more context in a project or area, and will know better than you what they need to do next
This can be an intimidating position to be in, but again: your IC's aren't your subordinates. They're your team mates, and you need to understand their situation to be able to offer something useful to them
A technique I’ve found effective for this is trying to learn from the IC. Talk about what they’re working on, then dig into the project’s origin, who cares about it, what will happen when it’s done. Listen and really try to understand. THEY the expert here, not you
Once they’ve gotten a chance to demonstrate their expertise, you know what they know and you’re on much better ground to add your own perspective. But be prepared for them to have already thought about what you say or have a reason why it doesn't make sense here
It's possible they're wrong about it, so gauge their reaction and temper it with your own knowledge of their skills and level of seniority. In some cases they should just listen to you, but also try to give your people credit for knowing what they’re doing.
You can also use a conversation like this to give the IC context from another part of the org. Done well, this can be a good opportunity to raise their awareness of how their work connects to the rest of the company and facilitate organizational alignment across disparate teams.
Remember to frame these comments in terms of how they’ll benefit the IC, and allow them to evaluate how much additional work they’ll need to share or adapt their work for a broader audience. Find ways to help them share with less friction, if it’s possible for you to do so
In addition to helping the IC learn about other areas of the company, this can be a way for them to organically explore new types of responsibility. It helps them grow, and managers investing in their ICs' growth builds trust.
Strong concept teams are unified by a shared mission. Without that, weak concept teams are held together with the glue of trust. If you’re managing this kind of team, cultivating trust is one of the most important things you can do
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