One of the main jobs of a manager is to have frequent performance discussions with their employees.
It sounds so basic and that is probably why it’s the most overlooked behavior or skill of good managers.
Simply put, you must talk to your people.
You may be thinking “Talk to them? I talk to them every day!” So what do we mean when we say talk to them?
Good performance discussions initiated by managers includes several essential components:
1. Clear and specific objectives
2. Acknowledgment when performance is good and objectives are being met
3. Timely feedback when performance misses the mark
4. Coaching and development on how to better meet the objectives
While each of these could likely stand some improvement, the one managers seem to struggle with most is number 3.
Case in point: A client of mine called me to ask my advice before he headed into a performance review with a “former” top performer. He told me all the ways she was currently falling short.
When I asked him how long this had been going on and he replied “months,” I asked him what had her response been when he’d talked to her about these things?
“Oh, I haven’t talked to her!”
What? You’ve got a former top performer messing up for months and you wait until the performance review to bring it up?
Sounds crazy but this is actually quite common. Consider this…
A recent online survey indicated that 68% of
respondents felt that it is difficult
or impossible to confront and successfully
resolve conflict in their workplace.
Since it seems that many of us are avoiding difficult conversations, what can help to make this process easier?
STEP 1. Order multiple copies of “Crucial Conversations” by Kerry Patterson
STEP 2. Hand-deliver the book, along with a Starbucks gift card, to each of your managers with this assignment: “Invest up to four hours at Starbucks this week—and read this important book. It’s likely the most team-transforming information you will read this year.”
STEP 3. Schedule a half-day off-site team meeting (within a couple of weeks) to discuss “How to Effectively Hold Difficult Performance Conversations.”
STEP 4. Facilitate the team meeting (or invite a facilitator to do the honors 😉 and get buy-in and commitment to holding these conversations on a regular basis. Assign next steps.
STEP 5. Step back and watch your culture transform as people are held accountable and receiving timely feedback on their performance.
~The DISC Wizard
