Networking

In the MMO world, this is extremely prevalent. People join guilds or clans, which open up a myriad of opportunities to explore game content with like minded individuals. Unfortunately, your group is not always going to be available when you want to do various tasks, quests, or XP grinding. For this reason, it is important to expand your network of in-game friends and allies. It is always a good idea to have a few tanks, minstrels, and crowd control in your friends list, just in case you need them.

In the workplace environment, certain people (senior management and/or your client) have considerable influence over your team. Make full use of formal and informal connections inside and outside your organization to provide valuable support. Teams can always use "friends in high places". Identify these people and seek their support and approval, preferably without sacrificing the integrity of team or the project.

A team sponsor is usually a well-placed, well-disposed individual who works outside your team. Team life is much tougher without these mentors, they offer guidance, help find creative solutions to problems as well as keep you on track so cultivate any relationships that may be useful.

A basic network can include a decision maker (maybe an executive or member of senior management), a liaison who may have the ear of senior managers (this might be you) and an approver, usually an individual whose official consent is required for key decision and milestone completion. Work the network in and out of the organization to find the support your team needs to be successful.

Every team needs to maintain three key relationships: within itself, with upper management and with the client. The lines of communication should be strong and amicable. This becomes even more important if your team is based away from headquarters, for example in a factory or separate office building. In some cases, upper management may also be the client or the sponsor. Be flexible and work within the structure.

Confidentiality

Before you decide what is confidential, ask, "Who else needs to know this?" and "Would openness be damaging?" If the answers are "everybody" and "no," circulate the information. However, if there is a real need for secrecy or if confidentiality is mandated by company policies and NDAs (non-disclosure agreements), be sure that there is no margin for error. Establish a procedure for dealing with information leaks and stick to it.

Teamwork and secrecy can be mutually exclusive, so a leader who isn't open with team members won't get the team's best work. Try to give your team full access (where appropriate) to information relevant to their overall project responsibilities, but remember there will be times when you may have to maintain confidentiality.

By sharing the overall vision with your team, you provide them a sense of individual ownership in their focus and can generate real team synergy by showing how all the pieces fit together in the puzzle. The more direct you are, the more accepting the team will be when you have to withhold information based on the "need to know".

Points to consider before passing along information:

• Is the information accurate?
• Who really needs to know?
• What's the best way to relay it?
• Who's the best person to relay it?
• Will there be any negative fallout from disseminating it?
• What kind of follow-up might be needed, positive or negative?
• What will be the effect if this information is leaked to the marketplace?

Points to remember

• Your job as team leader is to keep stakeholders (investors, publishers, senior management) informed of team progress. Avoid the temptation to sugar-coat bad news or promise more than your team can reasonably deliver.
• You and the team may not agree with senior decision makers but it's wise to treat them with respect.
• Be sure news (good or bad) is told to the whole team at the same time to ensure that everyone hears the message the same way -- but don't publically embarrass team members with bad news about their performance or employment in front of their peers or colleagues.