[Management Series Part 13] How to Build a Strong Team Beyond the 3Ks of Management

How does a team change when you practice the 3Ks?

= 20 Principles of a Trusted Manager (Part 13)

Based on my experience, I have arrived at the "Three Ks of Management."

These are what I call "ironclad keywords" that I have shared many times in management training and meetings at various companies and organizations.


Click here for the previous issue in the series👇

Click here for my self-introduction👇

Can you say that your team is "functioning properly"?

They move when you give instructions.

Meetings proceed as scheduled.

No major problems are occurring.

Yet, there is still a lack of substance somewhere.

Have you ever felt that way?

If so, it might be that the team isn't actually moving,
but just spinning its wheels.

Chapter 1: When you practice the 3Ks, the team "quietly becomes stronger"

So far, I have written about the 3Ks of management as:
1. Interest, 2. Observation, 3. Involvement
I have written about these.

In conclusion, if you keep cycling through these three, the team will change.

Not dramatically.

Not visibly all at once.

But, surely.

The team will "quietly become stronger."

Chapter 2: Change 1 - "Waiting for instructions" decreases

The first change that occurs is a decrease in "waiting for instructions."

Teams until now have been accustomed to waiting for the boss's judgment.

・How should I proceed?
・Is this okay?
・What should I do next?

This is not a problem of ability.

It is a problem of environment.

If you are not shown interest,
not observed,
and involvement is uniform,
there is no reason to think for yourself.

However,
when you are shown interest,
your state is observed,
and involvement tailored to you is provided,
you will change little by little.

"Let me think about it myself first."

This first step is born.

And this step becomes the starting point for the organization's strength.

Chapter 3: Change 2 - The "quality of conversation" changes

The next thing that changes is conversation.

Until now, conversations centered on:

・Reports
・Confirmations
・Instructions

These will change to:

・Intentions
・Hypotheses
・Sense of discomfort

This is a change that happens precisely because there is interest and observation.

"This person is really watching me."

"They are trying to hear my thoughts, not just a superficial answer."
When people feel that, they change their words.

Instead of short replies, they start to include their own thoughts.

Only then does thinking begin to flow within the team.

Chapter 4: Change 3 - "Judgment" is decentralized

The third change is that judgment is decentralized.

A state where all judgment is concentrated on the boss
appears stable at first glance.

But in reality, there are limits to both speed and accuracy.

When the 3Ks begin to function, members start to bring their own judgments.

・I will proceed with this case like this.
・I will stop here because it is a risk.
・There is another option.

It approaches a state where the team decides, rather than the boss deciding everything.

This is not because you "delegated it."

It is the accumulation of showing interest,
observing,
and engaging appropriately.

Chapter 5: What Happens If You Don't Practice the 3Cs

Conversely, what happens to an organization where the three Cs are not functioning?

・The number of "yes" responses increases
・Meetings become quiet
・Problems seem to arise suddenly

But in reality, the signs have been there for a long time.

If you aren't interested, you won't see them.
If your observation is shallow, you won't notice them.
If you don't get involved, you can't stop them.

And by the time you notice,
the situation requires time to repair.

This is what is happening in many organizations.

Chapter 6: The 3Cs Are a "Mindset," Not a "Skill"

I don't want there to be any misunderstanding here;
the three Cs are not techniques.

・Show interest
・Observe
・Get involved

Just because you decide to do these things,
doesn't mean you can do them immediately.

In fact, it's the opposite:

・Interest fades because you are busy
・Observation is distorted by assumptions
・You are afraid to get involved and step in

This is the reality.

Even so, you keep going without quitting.

I believe this is the mindset of a manager.

Summary: What Is the Job of a Manager?

The job of a manager is not to provide the correct answer.

It is to design relationships.

Who thinks what,
how they judge,
and how they act.

It is about creating that foundation.

The three Cs are the axis for that.


A team does not change all at once.

But it will definitely change.

Keep showing interest.
Keep observing.
Keep getting involved.

This accumulation will one day suddenly lead to the realization,

"Oh, things have changed."

That change is not flashy. But it is strong.

That is the strong team created by the 3Cs of management.

Thank you for reading until the end.

💡 Click here for the "Learning from Counterexamples" management series.
If there are any articles you missed, please check out the magazine👇

Once again, I would like to introduce the series I am posting.

💡 "Stress-Free Good Fortune Sales" and "Sales Prescriptions" sales series

💡 "Behind the Scenes of Hiring (Good Match Interviews)" and "Hiring Prescriptions" HR series

💡 "10 Things I Want to Tell My Child Who Has Become a Working Adult"

💡 Shrine and Bakery detour series

💡 Weekly messages I have continued for over 20 years

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