For the past two decades I’ve been managing teams (and virtual teams) across diverse organisations and often in disparate locations. I started managing teams based in France from our small office in Fulham Broadway, but soon I was looking after teams in Nigeria, Cameroon, Ghana, Hong Kong, South Africa and Kenya and even Warrington.
That’s why this month’s research highlight from the MIT Sloan School of Management is so interesting to me. They warn against the “Perils of Attention From Headquarters” and offer advice to satellite offices as well as managers from HQ. Certainly, building relationships between a group function and local operating entities often defines success for both parties.
Much of the feedback from their research is familiar to me. People complain of frequent visits which often generate additional workloads for local (and group) functions. These are sometimes created due to a lack of understanding as to what is expected from each party. One thing that the report misses is the role of clear and consistent internal messaging and the role it plays in mitigating many of these issues. If we all understand the group strategy and commercial objectives, we know that we’re all pulling in the same directions. Projects that fall outside of this strategy should simply melt away.
The better the internal communications and the clearer the messages, the closer the relationships will be and it’s more likely that teams will have honest and open dialogue. At best these are without company politics or personal agendas interfering.
It’s always tricky for a group role (where resources are often spread thinly across a wide territory) to avoid behaving like a parent in the relationship. Flying visits often require as much listening as guiding, and anticipated decisions are expected to be made whilst on site. But the best results come from a more consultative approach, mentoring and guiding and then solving problems together. At Liquid, we’ve defined these roles as ‘centres of excellence’ and they could be located anywhere across the group.
That said, generally local opco’s can also do more to help themselves. If dialogue prior to visits is free and open then both parties will find it much easier to push back on unrealistic pressures on timelines,resources or budgets. My experience in West Africa was just this way with a great team who were more than happy to offer me advice in a brutally honest dialogue – and we both benefitted because they knew their markets more intimately than me and I brought them a broader and deeper understanding of their tasks.
It’s still unusual for a local office to invite HQ to come and participate in decision-making. If the group functions can sell themselves as helpers and trusted advisers, complimenting the skills of the local decision makers and the ‘doers’, then travel and ‘attention from headquarters’ could become something to look forward to.