Hi and welcome to data futurology a podcast for data enthusiasts data scientist and upcoming data science leaders to learn the skills required to take your career to the next level. And we do this by hearing the stories the experiences of current top data science leaders Executives people that are making big changes in organizations from all around the world. My name is Felipe Flores and today we have a different type of episode where I wanted to talk to you about one of the aspects of leadership. Chip. So in this podcast we want to prepare leaders in the data space. We want to teach or help leaders understand what data science can do we want to bridge the gap between business and data science. One of the key aspects of leadership is the one-on-one mentoring relationship that you have with your direct report. Sometimes people do it within the team that they give one-on-one feedback to other team members as a peer relationship and having covering that type of relationship is one of the Aspect I think of leadership and I'll do a separate episode on what I see as the pillars of leadership skills to work on develop and maintain throughout your career and obviously they go much broader than the technical side. So we'll talk about that in a separate episode. But today I want to talk about the one-on-one meeting the feedback session that you can have with people in your team people in your department your peers and how to try and get the best out of that meeting. Typically the way that I do though. Those meetings is a aim to cover pressing issues in the other person's mind. So I always start by asking them. What's on your mind. How are you going? I generally start with what's been on your mind. Recently. I try to start with very broad open-ended questions to elicit the any issues any ideas anything that is pressing on their mind. We can discuss that at length if they don't have anything that they really want to discuss in the session. Then I go into a set of 12 questions, which is the what I wanted. Share with you today. So over the years I've developed a set of 12 questions that have helped me have some structure to the one-on-one mentoring meetings when there is no other burning topic to discuss. All right, let's dive into it. So the first one is what are you most proud of that you've done since we last caught up and as you'll see the idea behind a lot of these questions is to help people develop continual self-assessment. So in these sessions during these interactions, I'm asking them to check in with Elves around what they've done in the past two weeks if we're catching up for nightly. But if the idea is to help them develop these introspective skills, so they can use them more often and starting with the one that they're most proud of. Hey, I'm looking for a highlight that they can share with me. But what they say is an important really it whatever made them feel the best in the last time over the last period obviously that itself gives you a sense of the person and gives you an insight into them, but then asking More questions around that specific topic. Why are you most proud of about that particular piece of work? What was the process that you took and how was it different to previous times? You've done it that you feel that led to this great result that you're proud of so you're trying to help them uncover themselves the improvements the learnings help them investigate further if they haven't done that themselves so they can keep learning from themselves and keep getting better. So it's a very much a coaching session. So the first question is What are you most proud of that you've done since we last quarter and it's always an interesting discussion and the idea with all these questions as that you always ask follow-up questions to try and understand more about the person dig deeper and get them thinking about these topics question. Number two is what could you have done better in this time since we last caught up and the idea here is for help. The person look for improvements that they themselves can suggest one of the best and quickest ways to learn is to continually evaluate your effort your approach. And this is helping the other person do this. So, how could you have done better in this time? This obviously leads to what were some of the pitfalls some of the mistakes. Where did you get caught up? How long did it take you to resolve that? What was the way that you took could there be in a better way it opens up for really really interesting conversations to help the person develop new approaches that they can Implement going forward and with these questions the idea is not to give them any answers really, but just to keep asking them questions and be curious. And genuinely want to help them. So having that disposition that is non-judgmental because sometimes you know when you're sitting down with your boss you want to sound competent and you want to be eloquent and the in these sessions. It's not about that at all. It's about getting to the real person and their highs their lows their successes their struggles and get them to voice those in a way that's constructive for them. So the fact that you're the one asking these questions it none of this is about It's all about helping the other person be their best. So that was question number two. Well, obviously but helping the person be their best that's across all the questions and it's the key motivation behind this session and we just spoke about question to which was what could you have done better since we last code up then question and I should have mentioned that the idea is that these questions are used regularly, but also I have learned that it's better to send them to people ahead of time a lot of people who like the preparation time and to have thought of it offline. So I put these in the mainly we invite and I'll put them in the show notes. So question number three and three four five and six are about the team the first one which is number three is how can we do better as a team and one of the motivations there is that I'm looking for people to think more broader than just their work. So obviously question one and two were completely around them and their work and we will go back to them obviously, but in these next few questions, we want them to have a broader perspective. Dave which most people have most people are thinking about how the team can do better for the ones that don't which might mean more Junior people you get them on this Pathway to try and develop this rotor vision. And for the ones that are a little bit more experience you will be surprised or at least I find myself constantly surprised and impressed with the ideas that people have that. I'm trying to get those ideas heard to come out during these sessions with a view of quick implementation. So this is truly Trying to find how we can all do better as a group and obviously as a leader, you're not going to have the best ideas the majority of the time you're not going to have the best ideas. And also you need to make it clear to people that it's a team effort. We are all one team in everyone's ideas are heard and trialed and then decided on as a team whether we liked it like it or not. So question three is how can we do better as a team? And then the next three questions for five and six are around. What should we stop? Doing start doing and continue doing so question for what should we stop doing as a team or what? Should we stop doing for the team? What is something that where the person in the session feels like we're wasting effort as a team and that we should stop doing that and sometimes the answer is a come up there and the discussion because you always want to be following up these questions with more questions the discussion leads to we're trying to tackle too many projects. We're lacking Focus or we're spending too much time. I'm may be researching and not implementing. It can go to a number of different ways. But you get a different perspective on things that we shouldn't be doing anymore. Maybe there's Legacy processes, right? You want to be bringing those up to essentially cut the fat in the team. They might be agreements that made a lot of sense a while back that are no longer necessary because we've mature or evolved or there's different demands on the team and things that we shouldn't be doing anymore. So question for what should we stop doing as a team or for the team question 5, what should we start? Doing so that is what should we do that we're not doing as a team for the team. And obviously that also goes down really interesting pots. We're actually not creating a seamless way to take our models to production and it always requires a lot of effort. You might get an answer like that and you go great. Thank you all they say, we're not setting clear expectations with our stakeholders and you go why and they say well because we lead we start working and then we end up having tough conversations once the projects running because we didn't have a lineman at the stock. Great, let's talk about that. How can we start creating the right expectations with our stakeholders question 5 that was and then question six. What's the best thing that we're doing? What is the best thing that we're doing as a team or for the team? And this is what should we continue doing? What's the best thing that we're doing? And obviously in organizations, we have a job. Any person has a job because this problems to be solved. There's usually more problems to be solved more things to be done. Then the bandwidth of a person or a team which is no wirelessly. And in doing that there are things that people do which allow the team to have higher bandwidth or removes bottlenecks makes the life of the team easier might be some automation. They might be certain processes and approaches. Sometimes it's a knowledge sharing in my teams will always make sure that we have an hour a week of knowledge sharing sessions where a person of the team presents back to the rest of the team something that they've learned something that they're interested in something that they replied in the work or Elsewhere we try to keep it pretty open, but in terms of the topic and trying to have at least some portion of the talk applied to work as in the say in the future if we see problems like this, we can apply this Solution that's enough of a application. It doesn't have to be work related pretty much at all. And sometimes people say that's the best thing that we're doing knowledge sharing sessions and for you as a leader that is fantastic feedback. So you definitely want to know what's the best thing that we're doing for the team or as a team and then we go back to My questions about the person number 7 is what would you like to work on or improve? I really like that question because it's vague and people take it in different directions depending on where their head space. Is that what they're thinking about and sometimes you find that the same person Fortnight 249 will take that question in different directions. So sometimes when they hear what would you like to work on or improve? They think technical capabilities they say I want to improve my feature engineering. I want to be better at feature engineering or sometimes they say I want to learn more about machine learning and get better at using tree based algorithms. For example, sometimes they go for the soft skills. Sometimes I say I want to be a better presenter public speaker, or I want to be better at stakeholder engagement. Great. That's all in that learning expanding knowledge side, but then other times when they say what would you like to work on or improve? They think about work they say I want to work on this project or out. To work on something to do with natural language processing. I want to be working with text or Wendy's I hear what would you like to improve? They think? Oh, we have an internal library that we've developed or package and they say there's this set of functions that could do with some love with some revisiting rewriting or extending improving and they think I want to do that. So it's really turn I really love it's a really great question. I think we see in biased but I think it's a good question and I love the diversity of thought that it brings that's question number 7 with what would you like to work on or improve and then question number eight is one that it always takes me a while to develop the rapport with the people in my team in order to get an honest answer and obviously what we spoke about before they're having a non-judgmental demeanor and open mindset in these meetings to try and extract as much value in this dynamic in this time. That's really helpful. And then question number 8 is most challenging for people. But definitely the one that I love the most and it is what is one thing that is true that you don't think I want to hear. What is one thing that is true that you think I don't want to hear obviously a tough question obviously made to remove barriers of communication if somebody's uncomfortable with something or see something not being done. Well or has some negative feedback it opens up a safe space for that to be discussed. Oh, it's the best intentions possible and a lot of people are they tackle thorny issues during that question, especially once they're comfortable and you establish yourself as a leader that takes on feedback and that doesn't judge but that we are willing to work through whatever is happening in the team to make sure that we are all making the biggest difference and the biggest impact that we can together another way that I ask that question is what is the worst thing that we're doing to ourselves as into the team? How are we shooting ourselves in the foot? What are we overlooking? That's sort of the war? Down version but the hardcore version and that's why it's sort of in the middle section and towards the end of the middle section out of the 12 with question number eight or that was question number 8. What is one thing that is true that you think I don't want to hear question number nine is how can I help you? Do better and sometimes I've had great feedback over the years with this question. I've had excellent team members helping me see my blind spots. So for example a typical one for me is that I'm good with that. Big picture and not great with the details. So people in my team's they feel that they need more structure or yet. Another level of detail that will help them understand the guard rails around the space that we're moving towards helping them understand that better and part of the reason why I keep it open is because I want them to have a lot of space to self-direct and fill in the gaps. I've used as you've heard me speaking in Some of the other episodes giving people a lot of autonomy and the ability to work on the things that they want to improve that they want to get better at those are some of the key things that least I to focus on and therefore I sometimes have too much of a gap or too little information for some people and I would say a lot of people because the other side is that I am a big picture thinker and sometimes I don't go through all the detail as much as I should and that's where it's a working relationship. So people will get better. Better at filling in the gaps and I'll get better at explaining what I mean with the vision those type of things. So type of feedback is what you're looking for and what you will ideally get with question number nine. How can I help you? Do better people say, you know, I need more coaching or I want to have a better career development plan or we understand what we're going for in the direction of the team, but we'd like more detail around X or Y and great like that's exactly what you want question number 10, and obviously This is heading into the last three questions. So question number 10 is a negative version and then questions 11 and 12 are happy questions. So we can end the end the meeting in a high and question number 10 is what do you like the least about the team? So in this one people have said in the past what I like the least is that we often work late because the team really cares about the work and it's going to do their best but there's either too much workload or this competitive pressures or this tight timeline. Sore but in general the outcome is that we work late or some people say we don't have enough collaboration in my teams. We've had cases where sometimes we have too many projects running at once and we almost get to a point that a single individuals working on their own project. And obviously that doesn't Foster collaboration and data science is a team sport. So sometimes people say what I like about the least is that there's little collaboration in the work and obviously for you as a leader you have to change that so there is the environment Will help everyone be their best and feel heard and being able to ship in. So I'll question 10 what you like least about the team and then the last two questions were happier questions with question 11. What do you like best about the team and sometimes people say, you know, we work really well together. We really trust each other. We are friends in and out of work. I know that I can rely on them or sometimes people say they're very knowledgeable and they know a lot about areas that I don't know very much about and that's always for you as a manager as a leader. It's always great to know. So that was question 11 what you like best about the team and question number 12 is are you happy at the moment? Obviously a great question and an important one and a lot of people including myself like sometimes when I'm asked that I like a lot of people default to yes like a quick yes back and almost like can we move on but that's not the aim the aim is that we dive into the answers of these questions and we can have a chat and a discussion around why And what's making you happy and obviously with a fuel can we improve it? But also another key parts of this question is to understand the human behind the data scientist the human behind the role because we all have so much going on in our lives that we all have our ups and downs and we all have our different and changing motivations and perceptions and expectations the more you know, those those then the better leader you will be because you'll be able to make allowances for those Andre G agree juggle things reprioritize helping you it will help you get better aligned as a team because you'll know what's really happening with people and what they really want. I think that is it's one of the key part of creating a really high functioning team and something to be highlighted and Revisited often for example myself. I'm a huge fan of comedy in general Sojourner, but I really and I really like Saturday Night Live She's a comedy skit show coming out of the US and because I like it so much hope and it's gone on for over 40 years. Now. I was curious to see how something can have such a long life and be so successful continuously and create so many great comedic actors. Some of the biggest names in comedy have come through and out of Saturday Night Live. So anyway, I was researching this guy called Lorne Michaels who is a producer essentially. He's he started. Saturday Night Live and he's famous for the amount and quality of the comedy output that he's been able to create with his teams over the years and in looking at that and investigating a bit more about how he's done it. Well one of the main things this is one right one off but one of the main things that he does is make sure that people are okay psychologically whatever is going on in their life personal or professional that gets acknowledged. Work it doesn't have to be fixed. Right like you don't need to be fixing people's every problem. That's not the point. But people feel like they can be Rio that they can be them themselves that we all all everyone need help every now and again and that's why we live and work and Tackle challenges as a group because we have a different strings and because we all need help every now and again, so having your feelings and to a degree like your problems acknowledge that work then it really helps and it doesn't have to be spoken about every day. Obviously. It doesn't have to be something that you're always using as a handicap or that it takes over the work life. That's not the point at all. But having a safe space where people can talk about what's going on outside of work and how they are. That's really good and Lorne Michaels famously has stopped meetings when you notice is that somebody's down or not themselves and we'll take them out of the room and have a one-on-one discussion with them to understand what's going on. And how he can help and acknowledge those feelings. So then the person can come back with a little bit less weight on their shoulders and knowing that they're cared for and that helps them be their best at work and be they're the best team member and obviously that leads to having a really really great team. So the last question in there is are you happy at the moment and designed to open up a more human discussion and interaction. So there you have it my 12 questions that I use in one-on-one. Mentoring sessions the idea there is to understand what is happening with the person get them to self-evaluate definitely withhold judgment. They mustn't feel like the need to impress you. It's the opposite. It's like let's leave rolls titles everything. Let's leave that at the door. It's outside over here. Let's just have a chat about what's going on how you're saying things what your perceptions are and how we can all be better as a team as a result of these. So those are the questions that I use fortnightly. I catch up with my direct reports and as I mentioned at the beginning we always start with what's on your mind. How are you going? And if there's something to discuss something on their mind, which follow that definitely some of the big themes covered in these meetings. Sometimes through these questions sometimes not career development team development and strategy. So helping the person the team or the direction of the team of department and I always love those types of discussions where people are wanting to understand more. In the gaps have ideas. We need to discuss and you always need to make space for those conversations in your day. Especially as days get so crazy. Also what you'll find is that sometimes more senior people who are more experienced people won't need all of these questions, but I'm found them at least a very useful and helpful reminder. And as I mentioned before I put them in the meeting invite, we have them in front of us as we discuss. We don't use them all every time we don't use them at all sometimes so we don't use them every time and We have space to talk about and the questions as I mentioned through this episode have been super helpful for me definitely for my teams for our growth for a Unity for our productivity and our sanity and happiness over the tough times and the good times. So I hope that they are helpful for you if I take them change anything that you want and let me know how they work for you what you change. I'd love to know how you're making these your own. Thank you so much for listening and and definitely stay in touch. I'll speak to you soon. I wanted to tell you about the rmit online masters of data science strategy and Leadership. I was one of the industry advisors for this program. It's an online Master's program and it covers both a design strategy and Leadership and it has also a technical component highly highly recommended for people wanting to get ahead with the program. You can gain this Advanced strategic leadership and data science capabilities required to influence executive leadership teams and Deliver organization-wide solutions for more information visit online dot are mit.edu the AU. That brings this episode to conclusion. Thank you so much for listening. Please find us on data futurology.com or on Facebook Twitter LinkedIn or Instagram as that of utility. Also go to data futurology.com forward size podcast to find the show notes for this and any other episodes. If you liked this episode it would mean a lot to us. If you could leave us a review wherever you listen to our podcast. I hope you enjoyed this episode and that it was helpful and valuable for you. Thanks again and see you next time.
In this episode, Felipe talks about an aspect of leadership, the one-on-one mentorship and feedback session with people on your team. To start, ask your team member what is on their mind and in general, how have things been going? If they do not have anything pressing they want to discuss in the sessions, Felipe turns to set of twelve questions. The first question is what you are most proud of that you have done since we last caught up? These questions are designed as tools for the team member to recognize the need for self-assessment. What they say is not essential; really, the follow-up questions are more necessary to help them uncover themselves. Next, ask what the team member could have done better since the last time you talked. By allowing them to evaluate and think of improving continually, they can learn faster and become more efficient in their work. The next few questions require a broader perspective and ask about the team as a whole. It should be clear that everything is a team effort, and all member’s ideas are respected and heard by others on the team. After the team questions, head back to questions about the person and ask what they would like to work on or improve? Then, the next issue will take a lot of trust and rapport with your team member, ask what is one thing that is true that you think I do not want to hear? Question nine is how I can help you to do better? This question has taught Felipe that he is good at the big picture but needs to focus on the details and how the team might achieve the big picture. Finally, the last three questions are asking what they like best and least about the organization and if they are happy at the moment. Enjoy the show! We speak about:   [01:35] Open-ended questions   [02:15] What are you most proud of that you have done since we last caught up? [03:45] What could you have done better? [05:30] Questions about the team   [10:00] What would you like to work on or improve? [11:40] What is one thing that is true that you think I do not want to hear? [13:10] How can I help you to do better? [15:00] What do you like the least about the team? [16:00] What do you like best about the team? [16:35] Are you happy at the moment? Resources: Saturday Night Live Quotes:    “One of the best and quickest ways to learn is to evaluate your efforts continually.”    “Understand the human behind the data scientist.”    “You don’t need to be fixing every person’s problem, but everyone needs help every now and again.”   Thank you to our sponsors: Fyrebox - Make Your Own Quiz! RMIT Online Master of Data Science Strategy and Leadership Gain the advanced strategic, leadership and data science capabilities required to influence executive leadership teams and deliver organisation-wide solutions. Visit online.rmit.edu.au for more information  And as always, we appreciate your Reviews, Follows, Likes, Shares and Ratings. Enjoy the show! 