LEADERSHIP-THE BOTTOM LINE
Monthly Leadership Session Follow-up – September!
Productive Work Environment & Performance Reviews
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The Economy
People often ask me, how is managing in this present economy different from managing in what might be considered a ‘so-called’ normal economy? Actually, the main things pretty much remain the same. It’s always about financial discipline and its impact on the bottom line, but it’s also about understanding your customers and what their greatest needs are, and then positioning yourself to be their most convenient and cost-effective solution; it’s about segmenting your customers according to those needs, and then developing the kind of leadership team that knows how to best utilize your organizations resources to not only meet those needs but to also exceed your customer’s expectations.
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Tuesday,
September 29, 2009
As usual, thanks for your participation in our monthly leadership development sessions here and on the road during the month of September. We had a great time, and I really enjoyed the discussions, and I was very impressed with all the ideas regarding the application of the concepts that resulted from all the group participation in each of the sessions. We focused this month on two important topics. The first having to do with the need to become more aware of those little things our people need from us on a daily basis in order to be able to perform at their best; and the second having to do with positioning our people to become even more involved in their own performance reviews. I liken it to interacting with our people in such a way that they become empowered to take on a greater degree of responsibility for their own success.
Development of a Highly Productive Work Environment
In our first segment this month we discussed many of the obvious, and some of the not so obvious, things our people need from us on a daily basis in order to succeed. We began by reminding ourselves that no matter what our industry, we’re first and foremost in the people business; And where people are concerned, there’s always the need for effective leadership. With that in mind, we invested a few minutes on the front end of our session to remind ourselves that results-oriented leaders will typically demonstrate the effectiveness of their leadership on four very important levels. (We covered this originally in our January session.)
When it comes to providing the kind of leadership that leads to positive change and continued growth in people and their organizations, on the first level, it’s all about being credible, earning the respect of your people and achieving a position of influence; which is important because ultimately, people really need to be sold instead of just being told. Leadership is about ‘influence’; It’s about leaders helping their people make good decisions that really will be in the best interest of everyone involved.
On the second level, leadership is about the development of the kinds of growth-oriented relationships with their people that will be conducive to mentoring and coaching, and to helping their people achieve their potential and the success they desire in their life and career.
On the third level, leadership is about involvement and empowerment, and about recognizing the fact that people learn by doing, and that they grow as the result of being given the opportunity to stretch and succeed on a regular basis. Delegation and giving their people the opportunity to take ownership is the management style of the results-oriented leader.
When it comes to the fourth level, the environment that the results-oriented leader creates for his or her people, the leader is keenly aware that his or her people will need any number of things from their leader on a daily basis in order for them to be able to function at their best, so as to be able to do their jobs effectively. We broke those things down into four simple categories in order to facilitate our discussion.
We discussed the fact that effective leaders will continually ask themselves “What will my people need from me today to succeed?” They recognize the importance of that question because they realize that they as leaders will only succeed when their people succeed.
Here are the four categories we covered in our session together:
1. Team members need their leader to be first!
The leader needs to be prepared to set the mood, set the pace and also set the standards. Team morale, team momentum and the team’s concept of what ‘good’ looks like will always be a direct reflection of the example and the communicated expectations of their leader.
2. Team members need their leader to be fair!
That means not playing favorites, being quick to give credit where credit is due and also a willingness to assume full responsibility when the team doesn’t perform up to acceptable standards or fails in their attempt to accomplish a particular goal or agreed upon objective.
3. Team members need their leader to be firm!
It’s tough to follow a leader who is uncertain, indecisive and who has not clearly communicated the team’s goals and what’s expected on the part of each individual team member. That’s especially true when it comes to a particular team member who seems to be getting ‘off course’ in some area of their performance.
The effective leader will meet privately with that team member and will then clearly state the facts, get an agreement that a problem does exist, they will interact with the team member in such a way as to arrive at an agreed upon solution, and they will then have the team member commit to a specific course of action that will not only resolve the problem but will hopefully produce growth on the part of the team member in the process.
4. Team members need their leader to be flexible!
Team members will always function at their best when their leader is willing to assume the best of his or her people. Team members instinctively know whether or not their leader believes in them and whether or not they expect them to be successful. I have found not only in the ‘people business’ but also in raising teenagers that people will either live ‘up to’ or ‘down to’ the expectations of those authority figures in their life whose opinions make a difference to them.
Team members will also tend to function at their best when their leader is willing to maintain an open mind and a willingness to consider new ideas. And one of the things that will earn the team member’s respect and engender loyalty the quickest is when they see their leader as being willing to admit when they’re wrong. It reflects a level of self-confidence and nobility that people respect and admire in their leaders.
You know, it’s been suggested that it’s often times the ‘little things’ that will make the ‘biggest difference’ when it comes to achieving success in the people business. I think we see that demonstrated in these four categories.
By the way, you might take a few moments to turn back in your student manual to your January material and review the section on how to recognize and avoid the most common leadership pitfalls. I think you will see they apply to our discussion regarding what team members need from their leaders.
Positive Accountability – Successful Performance Reviews
In our second segment this month, we focused on accountability and how to put it to work for you, in particular when it comes to the development of your people. We discussed the fact that in most cases, people have a tendency to associate negative to accountability. We again reminded ourselves that in the people business, it’s not always what you say but its how something is presented that tends to make the big difference.
One of the keys to effective communication in the people business is to (before you open your mouth) start by considering the outcome you are going to want to achieve, and then ask yourself what the most effective approach will be. Do you remember the 7 P’s?
Accountability is, in a sense, the insurance policy that we take out on each employee to insure their success, so it’s important that their perception of it be positive. When you consider human nature, accountability is often considered to be a negative when it’s presented purely from the company’s perspective, in a direct, ‘do it or else’ style presentation. It’s considered positive when ‘what’s in it for the employee’ is taken under consideration in your approach and you allow the employee to come up with as many of their own ideas as possible. When they are allowed to make their own personal commitments for reasons they can identify with and get excited about, they are then establishing their own accountability factors, which serves to substantially increase their odds for success.
Your challenge as a leader is to move them (or lead them) through that thought process so they can make some smart decisions on their own, and then to agree on what ‘good’ will look like and discuss how you as their leader will be able to support their efforts along the way.
This is the mind-set that we need to approach the issue of performance reviews with; the perspective that understands that my job is not to tell someone what they had better do in order to get the raise they want, but my job is to focus on the positives and help them determine what they want to accomplish and why, and then my job is to help them succeed at it through coaching and positive reinforcement. Then as they begin to really involve themselves in the process of succeeding, their attitude, their performance and their over-all results will be such that they will most probably exceed your organization’s minimum standards and the potential raise will take care of itself.
With that in mind, we looked at a very simple but powerful approach to conducting performance appraisals that can be incorporated into what most companies are already doing when it comes to conducting their annual performance reviews.
Its focus is on really knowing your people, being committed to helping them achieve what’s really important to them and allowing them to assume a greater degree of responsibility for their own success. I think everyone really appreciated the ‘continuous’ aspect of the process. Again, we broke the process down into three simple steps to make them easy to remember and apply.
Here are the three steps:
1. Preparation!
Preparation is really the key to our success at anything we do but it’s particularly important when it comes to our being able to conduct an effective performance review. There were two main means of preparation we discussed with regard to our process; they were involving the employee and making sure that we as leaders are prepared by doing our own homework. This includes gathering all the information we will need to be able to conduct the most effective performance appraisal meeting possible. You can refer to the notes you took on pages 9-16 and 9-17 for the details, but it’s important to remember that both the employee and the leader has some homework to do in order to be ready for a successful meeting.
2. The Appraisal Meeting!
We said the first thing we wanted to do in our actual meeting with the employee is to put them at ease by choosing a seating arrangement that is less formal (less threatening) and more relaxed. We also want to remember that ‘the positive approach is always the best approach’, meaning that we want to start off our conversation by complimenting them on what they have been doing right and if possible, congratulate them on what their accomplishments have been. From there we begin asking non-threatening, open-ended questions like, “How do you feel things have been going this past year?” Your goal at that point is to listen as much as possible and continue to ask open-ended questions until you get to the part of your discussion where you are ready to agree on what their goals will need to be. You’ll want to keep in mind the perspective you’re going to want them to leave the meeting with throughout the course of your discussions with them.
3. Follow-Through!
This is probably the most beneficial part of the whole three step process. I say that because this is where we get to go out and apply all of the great things we discussed and agreed upon in our formal meeting. It’s at this stage that we have the opportunity to influence ‘on the job’ and help our employee succeed and grow.
This will include you providing your team member with regular positive feedback and ‘one-on-one’ coaching when necessary, keeping in mind all the while that your job is to set them up to begin experiencing successes in their career on a repetitive basis to facilitate their continued growth. As we said in our session, this step, when implemented properly, will lead into the first step of next year’s performance appraisal.
The Bottom Line on Performance Appraisals . . .
The greater the degree of involvement on the part of the employee, the more effective and successful the performance appraisal. Follow these three very simple steps and both you and your team members will achieve a much greater degree of success – not just during the appraisal process but all year long!!
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Additional Opportunity!
We would be pleased to schedule a convenient time to meet again with you on an individual basis, or as a group, to answer any additional questions you might have about conducting performance reviews or any of the specifics we discussed in our first segment about what team members need from their leader. You may have a few specific applications you’d like to discuss. We would certainly welcome the opportunity!!
Please email or contact us at the number listed below to schedule a convenient time for us to get together – or you can reach us through our main website by clicking on ‘contact us’. There are no additional costs involved other than the costs associated with you taking no action!
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Application Projects!!!!
Productive Work Environment
Turn in your manual to page 9-10.
Consider the material we covered in our first segment from the standpoint of your own performance; how you are perceived by your people and the impact you make on your own personal organization – then simply answer each of the four questions you see listed on page 9-10; and then be prepared to turn in a photocopy of your completed project as you check in at the beginning of the October session!
Successful Performance Appraisal
Now that you’re providing your people with what they need from you on a daily basis in order to be able to perform at their best, let’s move on to the application project you will find on page 9-23; “The Leader’s Ultimate Motivation!”
As the old cliché goes, “No one cares how much you know until they know how much you care.” It would have probably been more accurately stated if we adapted the cliché to read, “No one cares how much you know, until they know how much you really care about who they are as an individual.”
If we went out and interviewed the people who directly report to you and asked the question, “Does your manager really care about you as an individual?” What would your people say? Would they say, “My manager really does care about me personally and about my personal and professional success” or would they respond maybe in the negative? The answers to these questions will most likely reveal their true level of motivation and the strength of their loyalty to you as their leader. Consider the leader’s you have worked for, those you have admired the most, those you would have gone to the mat for; did they really care about you?
Complete the simple exercise on page 9-23, and be prepared to turn in a photocopy of your completed project as you check in at the beginning of the October session.
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Application Projects . . .
When it comes to any of our application projects, the idea is to see them as the first formal step in terms of getting the content out of the classroom and out there into the real world where it belongs and where it will do you and your people some good. Your goal is to take the information we covered, the material we discussed in the session together, and find as many opportunities as possible to apply it out there in your real world. Remember, adults learn by doing and they grow as the result of being given the opportunity to succeed on a repetitive basis. That’s the meaning behind our madness with regard to all of our application projects.
Their design is always simple; Just read the directions at the top of the pages, follow the prompts, answer the questions, fill in the blanks, take the appropriate steps, then be prepared to share your results with us at the beginning of the next month’s session. You’ll do great!! You always do!!!
Call us at (800) 955-0109, if you need any assistance with any of your application projects.
We want to make sure you receive the maximum benefit possible from not only the application projects referenced above but from everything you’re learning as you progress through the complete leadership development process with us!!
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Great Idea!!
Why don’t you go ahead and follow through and get started on your application projects now while the content and all the concepts are still fresh in your mind?
As a matter of fact, once you get started, you’ll really enjoy thinking through the processes and succeeding! Your people will enjoy you applying the processes too!
Remember:
Please feel free to email or you can give us a call if you would like any personal assistance and/or coaching when it comes to completing your application projects this month.
You can call or email – or reach us through our website! (See Below!)
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Coaching!
Let me remind you once again to plan to take full advantage of your opportunity for individual ‘on-site’ coaching in any of the areas that pertain to the application of the concepts, principles and processes we cover in our monthly sessions. In addition, we are always happy to assist you in any areas pertaining to everyday ‘people’ issues.
We can assist you by phone or at your location. Just email or give us a call and we will go to work on scheduling a convenient time for us to get together.
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Next Month . . . October!
Make sure you join us again next month as we take a fresh look at how to interview, hire and fast start winners. This segment will show you how to pull together all of the factors that need to be taken under consideration when making these kinds of decisions on behalf of your organization. We’re going to be taking a look at how much of the process should be objective and how much of it should be subjective; and also how to determine whether or not you really are being presented the true facts as you are going through the actual interview process with a candidate. You’re really going to enjoy this one! In addition . . .
You’ve heard the old saying that ‘good people are hard to find’, well, I’ll bet that you’ll also agree that the best people are sometimes the hardest to keep. Why is that? In our second segment, we’re going to take a close look at how to develop and keep your very best employees. We’ll be looking at some very interesting statistics together that you’re going to find to be a real eye-opener. If turnover at any level in your organization is an issue, you’re definitely going to want to make sure to join us for the session in October.
You’re going to genuinely benefit from both of these segments! Two very valuable segments you will not want to miss. I’ll tell you more about what to expect in the October newsletter & monthly reminder.
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One Last Thing . . .
Would you take a minute to provide us with some feedback regarding the September session by leaving a comment for us at the end of this follow-up article. You can just click on ‘comment’ below. We always appreciate and enjoy hearing back from you.
Have a great month and remember . . . .
“The will to win is worth nothing unless
you have the will to prepare.”
Continued Success!
Sincerely,
Jim
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Leadership works best when people are equipped to manage themselves. When that happens, everyone on your team is working proactively. Everyone is participating in leadership. You create this type of environment through win-win agreements which stem from quality relationships built primarily on respect and trust instead of on authority alone.
Jim Abbondante
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Contact Information . . .
Jim Abbondante
President, Director of Training
Direct Line: (817) 304-2225
Leadership Institute
Main Number: (817) 405-0012
Student Services Number: 1-800-955-0109
(Personal and/or Executive Coaching, Misc. Needs, etc.)
E-Mail: Leadership.Team@LeadershipInstituteUSA.com
Web-Site: www.LeadershipInstituteUSA.com
