The Federal Virtual Team Leader s Playbook

Transcription

1 REPORT DECEMBER 14 The Federal Virtual Team Leader s Playbook Using Fantasy Football Strategy as a Guide for Success

2 Setting the Stage IT S FANTASY FOOTBALL DRAFT DAY, AND YOU FACE THE CHALLENGE OF BUILDING A CHAMPIONSHIP TEAM. TO PREPARE, YOU HAVE COMPILED A WEALTH OF INFORMATION FROM FANTASY BLOGS, ARTICLES, DEPTH CHARTS, AND OF COURSE, THE EVER-POPULAR EXPERT PLAYER RANKINGS AND STAT PROJECTIONS. YOU KNOW THAT A PRODUCTIVE DRAFT WILL SET THE TONE FOR YOUR TEAM S PERFORMANCE THIS SEASON. BUT HOW DO YOU USE THE DATA YOU HAVE COLLECTED TO DEVELOP A DRAFT STRATEGY THAT RESULTS IN A COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE FOR YOUR TEAM? WHAT PERFOR- MANCE METRICS SHOULD YOU CONSIDER? WHAT HISTORICAL TRENDS SHOULD YOU VALUE MOST? WHAT ANALYTICAL TOOLS SHOULD YOU EMPLOY? Leaders of federal virtual teams and those with some level of remote work face a similar problem in building a winning squad. Despite having different end goals, both fantasy managers and federal leaders share the following common challenges: + + Identifying a team structure that best suits the challenge + + Using strategy and analytics to gain a competitive edge + + Continuously calibrating team composition to drive performance Federal team leaders can leverage many of fantasy football s principles to build, operate, and maintain effective virtual teams. In doing so, federal managers have the potential to improve regulatory compliance, realize cost savings, and increase worker satisfaction. Change Drivers Federal government agencies are encountering increasing pressure to migrate from traditional, collocated office models to virtual team environments, where physical interaction with managers and coworkers is limited. Much of the momentum in this direction is generated internally to realize savings on costly overhead office space, improve emergency continuity of operations, and renew a focus on employee work-life balance. Externally, mandates such as the Telework Enhancement Act of create strong regulatory pressure to implement virtual teams in the federal government. The Office of Personnel Management tracks agency performance against these mandates, making compliance even more urgent. However, despite these forces, federal leaders are not given clear guidance on how to best structure their virtual teams for success. Key Drivers 1 Federal Initiatives 2 Cost Savings 3 Team Satisfaction 1

3 Identifying Virtual Team Structures VIRTUAL TEAM FORMATIONS FEDERAL VIRTUAL TEAMS CAN BE STRUCTURED IN ONE OF THREE WAYS, AS APPROPRIATE FOR DIFFERENT WORK ENVIRONMENTS. THESE STRUCTURES, EACH DEFINED BY A DISTINCT OPERATING MODEL, FOSTER UNIQUE TEAM DYNAMICS THAT CAN PROVE USEFUL DEPENDING ON THE SETTINGS. TO BORROW FROM FOOTBALL TERMINOLOGY, WE CAN REFER TO THESE TEAM STRUCTURES AS THE I-FORMATION, BUNCH FORMATION, AND SPREAD FORMATION. I-Formation This represents a model in which employees are offered the option to work remotely but report back to a centralized point of management. The relationship between workers and managers resembles traditional onsite office dynamics but occurs across geographic areas with the help of virtual technologies that enable employees to telework. Bunch Formation This structure is characterized by a greater degree of autonomy workers execute remotely within sub-teams or squads. In the workplace, these subteams work quasi-independently of their central management but focus on implementing the organization s mission in their respective area(s) of responsibility. Spread Formation This structure exists when employees are almost entirely independent of their central management. Communication between workers and managers is minimal, and the responsibility to accomplish a mission falls heavily on the individual. 2 3

4 Building the Virtual Team DEVELOPING A STRATEGY FOR EACH STEP IN THE VIRTUAL TEAM DEVELOPMENT PROCESS, THERE IS A SIMILAR STEP IN THE FANTASY FOOTBALL PROCESS (SEE FIGURE BELOW). THIS CONGRUENCE ALLOWS FEDERAL MANAGERS TO TAKE A PAGE DIRECTLY FROM FANTASY FOOTBALL S PLAYBOOK TO BUILD AND OPERATE EFFECTIVE VIRTUAL TEAMS. FEDERAL TEAM LEADERS CAN USE FANTASY FOOTBALL AS A GUIDE TO IDENTIFY AN APPROPRIATE TEAM STRUCTURE, SELECT THE RIGHT TECHNOLOGY PLATFORM, AND ESTABLISH A SUSTAINABLE OPERATING MODEL THAT DRIVES PRODUCTIVITY. 4 Fantasy Teams Virtual Teams Know the Parameters Understand league settings and scoring rules Understand constraints and success metrics Determine Team Structure Use understanding of rules to formulate draft strategy Use performance criteria to determine team structure and talent requirements Understanding Parameters Evaluate Available Talent Rank players based on league scoring methodology Recruit individuals who meet talent needs Before any decisions can be made, federal team leaders and fantasy football managers both need to know their surroundings. For fantasy managers, this means comprehending the scoring format and rules of the league in which they play. Similarly, federal virtual team leaders should concretely understand the advantages and drawbacks of the virtual workplace (see figure at right). Teams that require regular face-to-face collaboration may struggle to implement a virtual work model, while others may find that staff are more productive when freed from the traditional office environment. With this knowledge, virtual team managers can deploy strategy and productivity analytics to formulate basic team requirements. Determining Team Structure With requirements defined, managers must next consider which structure best suits team needs. Fantasy football managers weigh the pros and cons of various team configurations, including well-known examples such as boom-or-bust (high risk-high reward), balanced attack (consistent Select the Best Talent Draft players who match desired draft strategy Execute recruiting strategy to fill team roles Benefits Cost Savings: Reduced need for office space Convenience: Less time spent commuting Productivity: Fewer distractions in the work environment Independence: Greater autonomy and flexibility Lead the Team Assess lineup based on weekly performance and projections Allocate tasks and responsibility based on reevaluation of talent Challenges Communication: Maintaining close, clear contact with colleagues Isolation: Fostering team spirit Siloing: Integrating worker perspectives Boundaries: Separating work and personal time talent across the team), and best available talent (potentially uneven talent levels across team roles). For federal virtual team leaders, the work environment and nature of the work are the primary drivers for team structure selection because these will ultimately determine whether a virtual team resembling the I-Formation, Bunch Formation, or Spread Formation is most appropriate. It is critical that federal team managers identify the right mix of processes and platforms (e.g., mobile technologies, digital channels, etc.) to evaluate these team structures because each is uniquely suited to address specific business needs. Evaluating Talent Evaluating talent to fill team roles should immediately follow the selection of the team structure. Fantasy football managers use a variety of analytical tools, expert analysis, and raw statistics to predict on-field performance, and then apply their league s scoring rules to determine a player s value and fit within the team. They also regularly engage in mock drafts to test their findings and ultimately formulate their final live draft strategy. Likewise, federal team managers must concretely define performance criteria unique to the virtual work environment (e.g., tendency to trust colleagues, regularity of communication with managers and peers, ability to execute independently, etc.) and fine tune interview approaches so they can effectively assess potential talent. Doing so will help guide personnel decisions in the context of the virtual team. Selecting Talent Federal team leaders can also take a cue from fantasy football to finalize their virtual team selection. Fantasy team managers balance the boundaries of the league system and rules with a calculated speculation by identifying opportunities to draft the best player available, regardless of team needs or constraints. Too often, fantasy football draft success is hampered by adherence to so-called best practice clichés, such as drafting running backs in early rounds or focusing on thirdyear wide receivers. Virtual team leaders should also avoid this mistake in the business context, balancing specific team needs with the flexibility to welcome exceptional new talent that doesn t necessarily fit a predetermined team role. Productivity analytics can be particularly helpful in this regard. But rather than focusing on traditional methods that measure throughput, virtual team managers should base their analyses off of metrics that assess critical remote work skills like communication, people relations, and selfmotivation. Tailoring analyses in this way will provide team managers with representative predictors of a worker s ability to perform and maintain connectivity in a virtual environment. Leading the Team Although structure and staffing are critical components of virtual teams, they alone do not guarantee success. For both fantasy football and federal virtual teams, the next step is to continuously evaluate the team s composition and make necessary adjustments to optimize performance over time. Fantasy football managers revise their player mix on a week-by-week basis, considering factors such as opponent matchup, player health, and recent scoring trends to make sure they have the best collective set of personnel in their starting lineup. Federal virtual team leaders must also make their own performance projections on a task-by-task basis, identifying which assignments will allow their workers to thrive and contribute most to team success. Federal managers should develop and actively use virtual rewards, including accolades such as virtual trophies, shoutouts on agency social media channels, and leadership sharing. Managers can use these incentives to directly influence their employee s professional development, effectively transforming workers from players worthy of a spot in the starting lineup to studs who routinely produce outstanding results. While other steps in the process may conclude, talent management is ongoing for both business and fantasy football teams. To be successful in either case requires the ability to constantly adapt to new information. For fantasy football owners, this means knowing how to make sit/start decisions and when to claim new talent from the waiver wire. Federal managers must also be on the lookout for ways to attract new talent and reposition their virtual teams for success over time. Translating Structure Into Strategy I-Formation I-Formation teams maintain close interaction with central HQ, making the strategy of selecting the best available talent preferred. Just as fantasy owners can tinker with lineups, federal leaders that maintain close contact with their employees can help build team skills directly, regardless of talent mix. Bunch Formation For Bunch Formation teams, borrowing fantasy football s balanced attack draft strategy yeilds the best results. Bunch teams should look to build stable islands of talent that can execute a mission with limited direct intervention from HQ. Spread Formation Spread Formation teams are best served by employing the boom or bust draft strategy. High-risk situations are typical in the Spread Formation s isolated work environment. Thus, an operating strategy that accounts for this risk and provides clear upside is most appropriate. 5

5 Conclusion Next Steps Federal team leaders can learn from fantasy football s example as they work to virtualize traditional business teams. Each step in a virtual team leader s process can be traced to a step in the fantasy football manager s process. Lessons learned from fantasy football best practices can help federal leaders build, manage, and maintain effective virtual teams. Employing a combination of a best fit team structure and continuous performance analysis represents the best opportunity to transform workforce productivity, yet many federal agencies have been unable to fully realize the benefits of this approach for standing up virtual teams. In addition, federal agencies need an operating model that will effectively engage workers and capture productivity potential. Such a strategy should be supported by continuous analytics that can help measure, channel, and pivot resources. Steps include the following: 1 Know the parameters of the game and how to measure team success 2 Determine team structure based on scoring guidelines and rules Evaluate available talent with the team structure and scoring system Select the best talent to build a capable team that can perform in the virtual environment Lead the team by using productivity analytics to allocate talent across roles and reward team members 50 Centralized Team Know the Parameters Determine Team Structure Know the Parameters Select the Best Talent Lead the Team Virtual Team Evaluate Available Talent

6 About Booz Allen Booz Allen Hamilton is a leading provider of management and technology consulting services to the U.S. Government in defense, intelligence, and civil markets, and to major corporations, research institutions, and not-for-profit organizations. Booz Allen has extensive experience with workforce analytics, technology investment optimization, and operating model design for a range of leading federal and commercial organizations. These experiences show our deep commitment to developing trusted solutions that result in improved worker productivity and substantial cost savings for our clients. Our advanced analytics expertise, functional knowledge in workforce solutions, and financial modeling can provide clients with actionable mobile workforce management strategies. FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Kathryn Kienast Principal Kienast_Kathryn@bah.com Leo Simonovich Lead Associate simonovich_leo@bah.com Stephen Hiser Associate hiser_stephen@bah.com Booz Allen is headquartered in McLean, Virginia, employs more than 23,000 people, and reported revenues of $5.48 billion for the 12 months ending March 31, Booz Allen Hamilton, Inc