The Enlightened Manager

Eight Steps for Workplace Confrontations

One of the challenging things about working in a team environment is that there are times when people behave in ways that we find unproductive, offensive, or hurtful.  When we ignore these feelings the relationship can suffer as our resentment festers.  Yet fear at confronting others can prevent us from taking positive action.  Today's post contains a checklist you can use to determine if a confrontation is appropriate, and if so, how to move forward.

Step One:  Ask yourself if the "problem" is a pattern or simply a one-time issue.  Sometimes we see the people around us behaving poorly in a repetitive way.   Sometimes the behavior is a surprise.  If the situation you wish to confront someone on is a one-time thing, not a pattern, ask yourself if a confrontation is really necessary.  We all have bad days.  Don't make a mountain out of a molehill.

Step Two:  If you have determined you want to move ahead, ask yourself what your reasoning is.  Are you confronting the person because your feelings are hurt?  Because you are concerned about them?  Because you are concerned about the customer?  Chances are you may have multiple motivations.  But take the time to get crystal clear about your own motives.  Sometimes we "say" that we are confronting someone because we are worried about the project, or the customer, but it is really about our own feelings.  Step up and own your own motives.

Step Three:  Take a good look at your own assumptions about WHY the person acted the way they did.  You may assume that the person behaved out of line because they were lazy, or didn't pay attention, or were not careful enough.  You may assume they were just clueless.   Whatever you assume, just take that judgment and set it to one side.  Your assumptions and judgments are not going to do anyone any good.  Suspend them.  Be prepared to enter the confrontation without assuming you knew the person's intentions or motives.  Be prepared to offer the benefit of the doubt - at first.

Step Four:  Determine if the confrontation is something you can do solo, or if you need the support of a manager or a trusted advisor.  If you're afraid you're going to flub it - talk it through with another person first.  Make sure that the person you are "talking it through" with is not the person's peer or subordinate. 

Step Five: Figure out what your goal is for the confrontation.  Do you want them to change their behavior?  Fix a problem?  Offer a solution?  Be clear about what you want.  Wanting "to be told that I am right and they are wrong" is not a valid reason to confront someone.

Step Six:   Script it out.  Before you have the conversation, make a few notes about what words you plan to use.  I recommend the following format.

NAME, I have something I want to talk to you about.

1) This is what I observed.

2) This is how it made me feel.

3) This is the outcome I would like.

4) What do you think?

For example: A coworker who has been not taking on a fair share of the work in a team.

"Janet, I have something I want to talk to you about.  I've noticed that over the last few weeks that I've been processing thirty accounts per day and you've been processing about ten.  I'm feeling a little stressed and overworked, and I am hoping that we can find a way to balance our work loads more evenly.  Do you have any suggestions?"

Notice, this is a lot better than a typical approach which might be:

"Janet, I'm tired of pulling all the weight around here.  If you're not going to do your fair share then I'm just going to to talk to our boss."

or even avoiding the issue like this:

"Mark, I am so mad at Janet.  She never does her share of the work.  She's always on the phone, and our boss doesn't do anything about it!  Janet is such a slacker?

Step Seven: Plan your timing.  Once you've scripted out your talk, find an appropriate time and place to talk to the person.  A private location during a non-busy time is a good rule of thumb.  Don't ambush someone in the middle of a project deadline or begin the conversation around witnesses. 

Step Eight:  Approach the issue as a "problem we can solve together."  By treating the confrontation as a request for help, you are not jumping to conclusions, putting people on the defensive, or causing harm to the relationship.  Even when you suspect that the problem is due to laziness or bad performance, suspending those inferences can help you move towards resolution.

Eight tips for a successful confrontation.  At first this may seem like a lot of work, but ultimately this kind of communication will build trust and enable issues to be resolved without unnecessary hurt or anger. 

Do you have any tips for confrontations in the office?  Leave a comment and share your wisdom with the rest of us.

Are Performance Appraisals Dead?

I was at a seminar last week and one of the topics up for discussion was the role of performance appraisals in organizational life.  I found it interesting that there is a small but growing number of organizations who have decided to do away with them completely.  No more annual reviews.  No more "big yearly meeting with the boss."

Most of us know the pitfalls associated with performance appraisals:

* The process of gathering up a  year's worth of data and shaping it into a coherent review takes a lot of time, which inevitably creates a dip in performance during "review time."

* The enormity of the event creates stress for employee and manager alike.

* The way "annual reviews" are set up can sometimes mean that employees are surprised by the feedback they hear, leading to hard feelings.

* Having an annual review sometimes results in managers feeling like performance feedback can be concentrated on one lump, and workers experience delays in getting feedback.

So if these organizations are not doing performance appraisals, what are they doing?  They are using continuous feedback methods to ensure that people get in the moment feedback that they can act on.  They are documenting "out of the norm" feedback (both positive and negative) as it occurs, and considering regular, ongoing check-ins to be an essential part of running a high performance organization.

I find this notion intriguing.  There certainly could be a number of advantages, such as more frequent feedback (and therefore more frequent improvements), the lowering of stress associated with feedback when it is routine, less time loss for big and sweeping review processes, the reduced cost associated with not needing huge software or structural systems to maintain a review system, etc.

Certainly this model would come with some challenges:

* Annual pay changes would need to be tied to something other than a review score.
* For managers used to giving infrequent but deep feedback, moving to a continuous feedback model would require quite a bit of support and development.  Employees too would need some support for this change.
* Leaders would need to be schooled on the difference between feedback and documentation, and would need to balance issues of consistency and company policy when documenting performance issues.

These challenges feel rather surmountable to me.  After all, some of the most powerful compensation programs I've seen are the ones that tie pay to the market, while tying variable (and significant) bonuses to company performance and gains.  A bonusing structure based upon company revenue or other gain-sharing programs would I think more than outweigh the "downside" of not having an annual review tied to specific review scores.

Are performance appraisals an outmoded management tool, ready to be exchanged for something more immediate and flexible?  Possibly. In any case, the concept has some attraction and seems worthy of further thought and consideration.

What do you think?

How to Respond to Sarcasm in Meetings

I think one of the more difficult things to deal with in a team environment are those subtle attacks.  It's one thing to have an employee lose control and curse you in a meeting, that's pretty straightforward unacceptable behavior.  But when you have someone who makes a snide remark every time the team is coming to a decision, or if you have someone who just loves to question every decision you make for the sake of questioning it, it is harder to handle.  When comments straddle the line between "feedback" and "rudeness", it's hard to reply in a public way without sounding rude or petty yourself.  So this post will offer some strategies for responding to snideness without pulling yourself down in the mean time.

Let's start by looking at some of the reasons why people might make snide or sarcastic comments:

1) They may be angry and don't have a constructive way of expressing it.
2) They may be having an isolated bad day.
3) They may have intimidated former managers, who let the snideness go unchecked.
4) They may be trying to be funny, but it's crossing the line.
5) They may be trying to insult you without taking responsibility for it.  ("Oh, can't you take a JOKE?")
6) They may simply be a bad apple.

Option One: Ignoring it.  This may be a good option if this kind of behavior is rare, and you think the person is just having an isolated cranky day, AND you don't feel like the team has been harmed.  Don't ignore this behavior forever.

Option Two: Calling it out.  For example "Sarah, I wish you would save your snide remarks for outside the workplace."   The benefit of this approach is that the employee gets a little jolt as they are called on the behavior, and the rest of the team sees that the behavior is not acceptable.  The downside to this is that you risk sounding negative too, and if the team thinks that the employees comments are funny or true, you risk being made the bad guy.

Option Three:  Accepting the comment at face value.   In this example, if someone makes a sarcastic remark you simply listen to the words they say, rather than the tone.  For example:

John:  "Oh THAT is a brilliant plan" (said sarcastically)

Manager:  "Thanks, I think it's a good plan as well...."  (turning to move on)

This option can work when the team as a whole is annoyed by the sarcastic behavior.  The goal is to not provide a response to the sarcasm, and shake up the employee a little.  This is a short-term option, if it doesn't work the first or second time in stopping the behavior, then don't continue to use it.

Option Four:  Direct response (Public/Private)

Private Version:  Take the employee aside after the meeting and ask them what the sarcastic tone was about.  Tell them that it was disruptive to the meeting.

Public Version:  When the employee makes a sarcastic comment in the meeting, immediately say something like "Wow, that sounded angry. Tell us what is really bothering you."  If they say nothing, continue to pursue it a little.  "No, it's important that we hear what you have to say.  What is it?"   This can have the effect of either bringing out the causes behind the sarcasm (real feedback) or showing the employee that every time they get sarcastic they're going to be asked to explain in the group.

Isn't it wrong to question an employees performance in front of the group?  In this case I'd say no.  The way one team member operates effects everyone, and it feeds the dynamic.  Asking someone to explain themselves in a meeting isn't cruel - it's clear communication.  Be direct, but keep your tone polite, inquisitive, and respectful at all times.  Responding to sarcasm with more of the same will kill your credibility.

Option Five: Act Surprised

I don't know how I feel about this approach - I admit it seems pretty harsh to me, a bit too close to ridicule.  But I've seen it used and so I'm going to tell you about it so you can recognize it when you see it. 

When you hear sarcasm, make a show of being surprised.  Then say something like "Wow!  You think this is an OK way to act in a meeting? Really? (shake your head in amusement/bafflement).  Then turn your back on the person and continue as if they had never spoken. 

This approach is designed to embarass the person who is being sarcastic by pointing out their behavior and then dismissing them from the conversation.  I probably wouldn't use this method - but your decision is your own.   

Option Six: Remove Them From the Meeting

If the sarcastic behavior has reached a dramatic level, one strategy is to suggest a break, and then ask the employee to meet you away from the rest.  Tell the employee that you've observed they are being disruptive to the group, and you want to talk to them about it, but not now.  You'd like them to leave the meeting and you'll talk to them later.  When the group re-convenes - just say that the employee won't be joining the team for the rest of the meeting and leave it at that.

So I hope you find these options helpful.  Personally, I find the direct response (option four) to be the most practical in most situations.  Probably the best thing you can do in these situations is to remain respectful and reasonable and not let yourself get dragged down into the negativity.  It's hard to do, but by creating a "no sarcasm" zone in your meetings, it's easier to have real feedback that doesn't feel like knife between the shoulders.

Enlightened Homework:  Look at the six options above and ask yourself which one you feel most comfortable with.  Is it aligned with your values?  Have it at the ready for your next encounter with a sarcastic employee in a meeting.

Lessons from the Edge: What Anxiety Teaches Us

Today's post was sparked by something Geoffrey Bellman, one of my consulting heroes, said in his excellent book The Consultant's Calling: Bringing Who You Are to What You Do.  I had the opportunity to learn from Geoff a few times when volunteering through the Community Consulting Partnership here in Seattle, and was delighted to find that he was as funny, warm, and wise as he is in his books.

One of the great things about this book (a real gem) is the section "Sixty Thoughts About Life and Work" that comes right at the book's conclusion.  It's one of those thoughts I want to talk about today.

"Your anxieties are trying to teach you something." (Geoff Bellman)

We all live with anxieties, small or large.  "Am I successful enough?"  "Will Jane drive safely in the snow?" "What if my husband is mad at me?" "What if they think I've done badly?"

Geoff Bellman suggests that if we can learn to see our anxieties as our teachers, rather than mere feelings to be coped with, we have yet another opportunity for growth.  I'm going to share an example from my own anxieties this week to walk through this idea. 

The situation began last night when I was coming home from my niece Katherine's fifth birthday party. My husband was driving, and my mobile phone beeped to indicate I had new email.  I opened up my email window and saw that I had received the feedback from a recent luncheon presentation I gave to an HR Association north of Seattle.  This is what the message said:

"Your presentation was well received with an overall rating of 1.6 on a scale with 1 being excellent and 4 poor.  A few of the comments include:

• Very eye-opening and helpful.  A "how-to" manual on a complicated topic.
• I was pleasantly surprised at how practical and relevant the presentation was.  Exceeded my expectations.
• Very good topic.
• Great Information!

One respondent had the following comments:

• Too text book, more real life examples would have been more impactful.
• Speaker was enthusiastic but lacked experience and in-depth knowledge.

Please feel free to use our organization as a reference. Thanks again."

After reading this, what would you guess my inner response was?  It was embarrassment at doing a less than excellent job, shame at being seen by one of the audience members as inexperienced, and frustration at myself that I hadn't gotten a better score.  If a 1.6 was between "Excellent" and "Good" - certainly I should have gotten more like a 1.3 or 1.4 right?  My husband - noticing my change in demeanor, asked me what was wrong and I gave him the avoidant reply of "nothing".  But I knew I was disappointed in myself.  I felt the inside of my chest burning with it.

The presentation, my first one ever delivered at a luncheon this size (about 50 people), appeared at the time to be a success. However the feedback seemed to take all my pleasure away in an instant.

In retrospect, after a night's rest and some time to mull it over, I've decided that my initial response to this feedback was overly harsh.  For my first luncheon speech, an average score of "better than good" is something to be proud of, not embarrassed by.  The constructive feedback I received was actually quite helpful - I know that I'll be looking to add more real-life examples the next time I talk on the subject for instance.  Such constructive criticism is more instructive than the wonderful but vague "great topic" feedback, for example.

Why was I so disappointed then? I know what it was that set me off on such a negative path.  It was the words "enthusiastic but lacked in depth experience."  As a consultant in a field where many of my peers are ten to twenty years my senior, I am keenly sensitive to remarks about age or experience.  Oversensitive probably!  So as soon as I saw that comment, all those secret anxieties in the back of my mind about how "I'll never be taken seriously" and "Who are you to offer your value to the world?" came jumping into my heart like fire breathing dragons.  My anxiety was less about the feedback, and more about the accidental reminder of my hidden fears.  When we have insecurities, they are like land mines waiting to be stepped on, and that word "inexperienced" is a big land mine for me.  So it was triggered, and I spent a rather miserable few hours doubting my self and my contributions.

So, as Geoff has reminded me - my anxieties have something to teach me.  In this case, my learning is threefold.

• I have some insecurities around my age and experience, and I am always searching for confirmation of them.  They distract me from the bigger and better picture.
• Despite these insecurities, my feedback from a group of my peers (the audience for my talk) was overwhelmingly positive.  On the whole, my insecurities were unfounded.
• Hard or critical feedback continues to be a source of rich learning for me.  The deeper I am wounded by a bit of feedback - the deeper the learning goes.  Continue to be brave and seek it out!

So that is a little bit about what my anxieties are teaching me.  Enlightened Managers: What points of anxiety are you running into in your life and career?  What could those anxieties teach you?  How can you reframe them to be a source of learning instead of pain?

Food for thought.

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Trust in the Workplace part II: Manager vs. Manager

Today's post will discuss another aspect of trust - how trust can help or hinder the relationships between managers at work.  Often when we talk about trust at work, we think about the employee-employer issues, and it is true that this is where many trust problems manifest.  But trust between manager and employee is not the only place trust can go awry.  Sometimes it is more subtle than that.

Let's take the case of Dave (a real person, but this is not his real name).  Dave is an executive within a large services organization, and during a meeting his HR leader (we'll call her Mary) came up to him and said that she had identified a problem within his management group.  Mary said to Dave,  "There are a few managers in this organization who are not doing a very good job at communicating performance issues to their employees.  As a result, I believe we're seeing some excess turnover that we can help these managers curb.  I think there is an opportunity to help our management team get better at performance management - and I'd like to offer a class to them this fall."

Dave replied by saying "Tell me which managers are the problem."  Mary, taken aback by this, refused to say.  She was frustrated that Dave didn't hear her message, which was about the need for training. She didn't trust him to not go yell at the managers in question - and she didn't think that yelling was appropriate.  (Dave had a reputation for yelling at his reports)

Dave was frustrated that Mary wouldn't give him the data he wanted on his own team.  He felt that HR was "stonewalling" him and acting as a "barrier" to his management duties.  The conversation turned into an argument, with both managers feeling righteous and angry.

So what happened here?

1. Mary didn't trust Dave to make good management decisions based upon the data about his team.  Therefore she offered him her own "solution" to the issue but refused to share the data she had with him.   

2. Dave didn't trust Mary's "solution" to the problem and wanted to handle it his own way.  He saw her refusal to share the data as an insult to his managerial authority.

The lack of trust on both sides of this equation resulted in the further erosion of that professional relationship.  Each person didn't trust the other - and acted in accordance with that belief - and therefore the trust continued to erode on both sides.   

Let's look at this situation from Mary's perspective starting from the beginning.  Let's say that you are an HR leader who has some suggestions for improvement for an executive.  Let's also say that you are concerned that this executive will use this information to go and verbally chastise people - and that you find that kind of communication abhorrent.  What might you do?

I'd suggest that a good question to start with is "How can I help this manager get a good outcome for the situation?" and a bad question to start with is "How can I protect these managers from the big bad exec?"  Sharing the information the executive requested (the names of the managers who need improvement) is a small way to build trust.  Refusing to share it is a sure way to kill trust.

Does this mean that Mary should have just handed over the names and let things lie?  Not necessarily.  When asked for the names she could have replied along the lines of "Sure, I'll get you the names. Why don't I put some data together for you and we can spend a few minutes going over it.  I'd like to be as helpful as I can at helping resolve the issue."  She could have also taken a more direct approach and said "Dave, I'll give you the names if you want them.  But frankly I'm worried that if you go yell at these people they'll be less likely to approach me for help in the future.  I'd like to maintain their trust - let's talk about a way to get them on track that doesn't harm their relationship with me."

In this scenario, Mary is not a barrier to information, she is a source of it and a resource for ideas.  She can't force her executive to choose the solution she wants, but she can gradually build up trust so that the next time something like this happens the executive is more likely to start from a perspective of wanting suggestions versus wanting a hit list.

A few pointers for handling mistrust between peer managers.
1. Don't withhold information as a way of blocking the other person.  This is doubly true when the data relates to people that person is responsible for.  You'll simply make things worse.
2. Be clear about your motivators. "I'm hesitant to share this information because I'm worried that...."  If you are honest you'll come across as someone who has a perspective and a plan, not someone who is being irrational.
3. Focus on good outcomes, not winning.  Remember that when it comes to peer relationships good outcomes are based on collaboration, not on being the winner.

Do you have any pointers to add to the list? Post a comment or send an email. 

Get your Facts Straight! The Perils of Performance Coaching

I'm going to share a story today from my own past.  I knew I wanted to talk about what can go wrong when performance coaching goes poorly, and my memory supplied some material.  So here is the example.

During the situation in question, I was doing annual training.  The training was a "team" model where there were two trainers per classroom, and we took turns speaking.  Each training session lasted about half a day, with one fifteen minute break.  Early on it became apparent that the trainers were not going to get any sort of break because during the scheduled break time, trainees would come forward full of questions for the trainers.  Our manager acknowledged that when this happened we should try to find a time when our co-trainer was speaking and step outside the classroom for a quick break to keep ourselves fresh.  This seemed to be a reasonable solution.

On one day, this is exactly what I did.  I stepped out of the room for about five minutes when my co-trainer was starting a long section.  I stayed nearby in the hallway so I could hear if he needed any assistance, and I took advantage of my breather to get a drink of water and send a quick email on my PDA/Phone.  Our manager walked by and smiled at me.  I smiled back.  My quick break over, I went back into the classroom.

All was well until our staff meeting that day.  The manager, without looking up from her notebook, read the entire training group a stern warning that she didn't want to see any of us "stepping out of the classroom to use our phones.  She indicated that leaving our co-trainer alone demonstrated a lack of teamwork. Her voice made me feel like a scolded puppy.  I was confused, and horribly embarrassed.  In my mind, I was just following procedure for taking a quick break. There was no rule against using phones while on break.  Why was I perceived so poorly?  It was upsetting.

So that was the situation.  What was the result?  In addition to being embarrassed, I felt misjudged.  I was frustrated that my manager had not approached me directly and told me what her concern was.  I felt that given a chance to explain I could have stated why I acted as I did, and that it was in line with what I had been previously told.  I knew that if my manager had asked me to never use my phone/PDA on a break, I would have agreed readily. I fumed.  Why hadn't she talked to me directly?  Why did I have to sit in that staff meeting with my face flaming?

When I was done fuming, I asked myself very seriously if it was worth my time to approach this manager and ask her for clarification on the two conflicting bits of direction I had been given.  Doing so would feel awkward, and might embarrass the manager. I wasn't a coach in this situation, just a trainer and employee. I decided to let the situation expire quietly.  I resolved that when this particular training project ended, I wouldn't sign up for another with this group.

Ultimately, I don't think the manager had any bad intent in this situation.  She was a kind and likable human being.  However I wished that my manager had followed better coaching practices.  I've listed some principles below:

1.  Get your Facts Straight!  If an employee is doing something you think is a performance problem, check in with them directly.  Let them know what you observed, and tell them why it concerns you.  Wait for the feedback.  In this case, my manager would have heard that I believed I was following instructions.

2. Use the "inoculate the team" approach sparingly!  I know it is tempting to give performance feedback in a general way to the whole team.  It's less direct (and therefore seems gentler - to the manager at least) and doesn't require confrontation.  However it takes what should be private feedback and moves it into a more public sphere.  It also tends to shut down lines of communication, since the feedback is not given directly.  When an employee feels misjudged, it can magnify the embarrassment.  Additionally, some staff may feel paranoid, wondering "did the manager mean me?" during these talks.

The unfortunate thing about this example is that this kind of thing is frustratingly common.  Managers make these kinds of choices EVERY DAY in corporations around the world.  The results?  Employees that disengage, lose the connection with their leaders, and (as in my case) decide to take their talents elsewhere.

Enlightened Homework:  Think back to a time when you felt misjudged or unfairly coached at work.  What happened?  How could the situation have gone differently?  What lessons are in that experience that can inform your own leadership practice?

Also, think back to the last few times you've coached employees on performance.  Grade yourself on directness and "getting the facts straight."  How did you do?

Performance Management is not a Form

If I had a shiny quarter for every time someone has asked me if I have a "good form to use for employee/manager/executive performance management" that I'd be willing to share, I could probably buy myself a nice spa appointment.

These questions, always well intended, reveal a dangerous misperception about the role of performance management in an organization.  I've been reviewing and creating performance management systems (both small and large) since I began my HR studies as an undergrad, and it's true that most HR programs fail to talk about performance management in a meaningful way.

One traditional example is the "behaviorally anchored rating scale" in which specific behaviors are assigned numbers.  You've probably seen one of these before:

"5 = Always greets customers in a welcoming and professional manner."
"4 = Almost always greets customers in a welcoming and professional manner"
"2 = Rarely greets customers in a welcoming and professional manner."

You get the point.   While these kinds of scales may find a place in a decent performance management system (although I admit I'm not a fan of this model), a focus on "how to measure" often ignores a more critical element: what to measure and why?"

This is my big concern when someone asks me for a "form" to use.  It is often a signal that they've been asked to develop a performance appraisal form, and they're more focused on making a form that looks good than having a performance management system that benefits the organization strategically.  I think that is a big mistake.

There are a million ways to create performance appraisal documentation.  Behaviorally oriented rating scales, evidence based narrative assessments, quantitative analysis, peer feedback, 360 degree review, checklists, management by objectives....  the list goes on and on.

What is critical for organizations looking to implement a performance management system is determining the following:

• What outcomes are you seeking by implementing a system?  Higher performance?  Rewarding top talent?  Accreditation?  Succession Planning?
• What strategic goals has your organization identified, and which ones are priority?
• What is your philosophy of performance management?  Are you looking for an integrated PM system integrated with a rewards/retention strategy?  Do you plan to link pay with the system?  Do you view PM as an employee development tool?
• How much time and money are you willing to devote to this initiative?   Performance Management systems are often expensive.  (especially in terms of manager time) What ROI can you expect from the program?  How will the program impact your managers?  What training and support will be required?

In short, performance management systems are complex.  When created thoughtfully and with a commitment to reaching particular goals they can be powerful!  A well-crafted program can align an entire organization with strategic goals, increase work quality, pinpoint hidden problems, and increase the efficacy and trust in manager-employee relationships.  Not such a shabby deal.

These benefits are unlikely to manifest if you view performance management as a form to be filled out.  Ultimately the form, the piece of paper, or other documentation is simply a byproduct.  If you view performance management as simply a form, at the end of the day a piece of paper is likely all you'll have to show for it.  Wouldn't that be a sad waste of time?

Leadership Principle: Information Sharing

Today I'm going to share a principle of Systemic Leadership*.  Systemic Leadership is a concept that indicates that if organizational leaders want to create companies that thrive in the face of change, they can do so through managing organizations using natural systems theory.

What is the role of information in organizations?  I'll begin with a brief case study.  In 2004, AT&T posted losses of eleven billion dollars.  When asked to explain this spectacular failure, one reason they gave was that Voice over IP (VoIP) was eating into their market share.  Now VoIP is a technology that allows you to talk on the phone over your Internet line, Vonage is one popular carrier.  So, why was it that AT&T was damaged so dramatically with this one technology?  What can we learn from this?

I believe that this example and many others like it come down to the failure in organizations to use information correctly.  When I worked with incubated software companies in the late nineties, I heard about VoIP, an up and coming technology that the telecom companies sneered at.  Who would use the Internet to make a phone call for crying out loud?  Aside from a few entrepreneurial software companies, no one seemed to be paying attention.

AT&T ignored the rise of IP Telephony, or at least they ignored it long enough to let it harm them financially.  Why?  AT&T is not that unusual.  Most organizational leaders have two deeply held assumptions that prevent them from adapting.

1.  Information is a dangerous resource and must be controlled.
2.  We seek out information to confirm that our direction is a good one.

Let's take these assumptions one at a time.  Is information a dangerous resource?  Apparently so.  In my work with organizational leaders I witnessed the great lengths taken to control access to data internally.  Budgets, reports, survey results, and customer opinions were guarded with a tenacity normally reserved for military launch codes.  The "real data" of financial performance was usually discussed behind conference room doors, and more than once I was asked to shred documentation at the conclusion of a meeting.   Re-organizations, policy adjustments, and general process changes were discussed quietly amongst a few elite leaders; changes were only announced to the rest of the organization once the decisions were set in stone.

This kind of information hoarding harms adaptation because it implies that only the management elite of an organization need access to information in order to adjust practices.  For example, if the knowledge that staffing was overbudget was shared with the broader organization, you have not three people, but potentially hundreds able to consider and respond in small and appropriate ways.  Three departments taking a little extra care to trim overtime and reduce contingent staffing may be a better solution than a management-lead layoff for example.  Without information, people cannot act.

And what of the second point, that organizations seek information that confirms they are going in the right direction?  In one sense this is human nature, we all seek data that confirms our belief systems.  And yet this can be crippling.  I can imagine AT&T, built on the strength of traditional telephone services, may have looked for and found information indicating that VoIP was a technology with some weaknesses.  And yet it ultimately harmed them.  What could they have done differently?

I believe that if organizations are going to adapt they must seek out information that is contrary to the status quo of how they are operating.  Yes, build a company that values the devil's advocate!  Another organization I worked with once nearly went bankrupt after failing to switch out of a dying health plan model.  They failed to seek out the data that could have ultimately saved them.  A commitment to aggressive data seeking both inside and outside of the organization can help companies adapt.  Think of it this way.  If you know that the oceans are going to rise, you can plan ahead and build your home on a mountain.  If you believe the oceans will never rise, you will be likely to ignore the slowly mounting evidence to the contrary.  Apply this principle to your business and you can become more adaptable.

Next Steps for Systemic Leaders*

Are you ready to apply principles of information sharing to your organization? Start by doing the following:

1. Whenever possible, remove the old controls that limit data sharing in your organization.  Find places and methods to share information on company strengths, weaknesses, financials, plans, and worries with a broader group of people.  Be clear that you're sharing this information because you want them to apply this data to their work and be forward with making suggestions.  It is fine to start slowly, it will take you and your organization time to adjust.  Revisit your confidentiality/non-compete policies with those who are receiving this data for the first time.

2.  Seek information aggressively.  Discover the contrarian or "devil's advocate" opinions about your industry, organization, and products/services.  What are your competitors doing?  What do your employees, customers, and vendors say about your organization?  What threats or opportunities are lying out there unexamined.  Don't wait for the information to come to you - go seek it. Then share it!

Use information to your advantage, and you'll see your organization is better able to adapt and thrive in our increasingly dynamic world.

* Systemic Leadership is copyrighted to Emergence Consulting LLC

Performance Correction Part Three

In this concluding post on performance correction we’ll discuss how to navigate the discussion with the employee, prepare for resistance, and follow up appropriately afterwards.

OK, you now have a lot of information prepared about the situation, and you are ready to talk to your employee about improving his or her performance.  The first thing to do is take your worksheet from step two and make yourself some notes for the discussion.  This can be as simple as taking the statements you wrote out and putting them on a piece of paper.  My preference is to list a full topic sentence for each point I’m going to cover and then use bullet points for supporting information.  Here is an example:

I want to talk to you today about some problems with your TPS reports:

·        Timeliness (3 were late)

·        Accuracy (2 had mistakes)

You can use whatever format you like, but I recommend having something in writing when you meet with the employee because you’ll want an anchor to keep yourself on topic.

Please note that I have not yet suggested that you prepare a written performance document or disciplinary action form for your employee.  Even if you have decided to use formal written discipline, this step should occur after the performance discussion, never before.

Once you have written out your notes for the discussion, take a moment and think about the following:

“Given what I know, what kind of response do I expect from this employee?”

You know your employees, and some will be angry, some will be accepting, and some will be upset and may even cry.  Some employees may argue, and it will be your job to determine the following.  Is the employee bringing up something I need to investigate? (For example: The TPS reports in question were done by another employee?) Or is the employee disagreeing that the issue is important? (For example:  All TPS reports have some errors, so what is the big deal?)

Take a few moments to anticipate the response and come up with a plan for handling the anticipated response.  If you are presented with some information you don’t know how to respond to, or information that you need to investigate, simply tell the employee you’ll get back to them. 

Meanwhile: here are some tips for handling some of the emotional aspects of performance correction meetings.

Crying: There are two helpful things to keep in mind if an employee cries.  The first is that you are both human, crying happens, and it is not shameful. Hand the employee a box of Kleenex and wait a moment.  The second thing to remember is that you are not to feel manipulated by the crying.  You don’t need to comment on it, you can simply be present in the moment, give the employee a moment to recover, and then keep speaking.   Note: If the employee is so hysterical as to be unable to take in what you are saying, you may want to send them home for the day if your company allows, using whatever policy is applicable.  You can also simply say: “I can see this is really hard for you.  I’m going to step out for a few moments to give you some time, and then I’ll be back in to continue our conversation.”  Be polite, but firm.

Anger: Anger can arise when the employee feels misjudged or unfairly treated.  There are a few things you can do to help diffuse angry feelings in a performance meeting.  The first thing is to remain calm and model calm behavior.   Therefore if the employee is getting red and starting to steam, simply remain calm and speak in an even tone.  If you start to get angry too, all bets are off.   Questions can also serve to diffuse anger.  For example simply stating “I notice you’re clenching your hands and that you seem upset.  Why don’t you tell me what is bothering you?”  Then make note of what they say, jotting down some notes.  If the anger begins to escalate, such as the employee yelling, or any sort of physical intimidation – end the meeting.  You can do this by standing up, walking to the exit, and saying “You seem to be very upset, and I don’t feel comfortable continuing this discussion right now.  I will reschedule this discussion.”  If you feel the employee will be a problem for the workgroup, send them home if appropriate.    Reschedule the meeting with backup (your boss and/or a member of HR) and begin that meeting with a discussion of the angry behavior and how it will not be tolerated in the future.

Acceptance:  If your employee is accepting of the feedback, be grateful.  Accepting tough feedback gracefully is hard to do, and is often the mark of a future top performer.  Be sure to thank them for being professional and positive in a difficult discussion.

Withdrawing:  Sometimes an employee will withdraw, seeming to not listen.  This can also include refusal to make eye contact or complete silence.  Withdrawal usually means the employee is embarrassed by the situation and/or they don’t feel there is any use to them responding.  Sometimes it means they are thinking “It doesn’t matter what I say, he/she will just say I am wrong.”  While withdrawal is common, you can help engage the employee by asking questions.  Questions such as “What do you think is going on here?” “What do you think would make this situation better?” and “Do you have any feedback for me?” can sometimes help.

Once you have your notes and have anticipated the response you may get, the next step is simply to have the discussion.  Find a private location, get to the point of the meeting in the first couple sentences, and leave some pauses in there for the employee to respond.  Take note of their responses.  Here are some things that I keep in mind during performance discussions that help me get through them:

·        Everyone needs performance correction from time to time. 

·        I am helping this person’s career by giving them timely feedback.

·        It is OK for me to ask for improvement and still be supportive.

·        If I ignored this conversation because it was hard for me, I’d be doing this person a disservice.

·        I’ll be helping this employee, our customers, and my company by having this conversation.

·        I can be open to feedback while still being firm when necessary.

·        I respect this employee, and I can have this conversation while treating them with the highest respect.

·        Even if it doesn’t go perfectly, I know I’ve done my best.

·        Once I’ve done my part, the rest is up to them.  I can only point the way.

Once you have finished the discussion, make some notes about what you said, what they said, and what your follow up items are (both for you and the employee). Put these notes in a confidential file. In most cases I’d recommend you meet with the employee within 2-4 weeks to check in on the issue, something as simple as “I’ve noticed there have not been any more errors on those TPS reports, and I wanted to say thank you!”  And if the problem recurs be sure to go right to the next step.  You put a lot of hard work into this meeting, and you don’t want to lose it by letting things slide afterwards.

Good luck!  I’m going to end this post with some sentence starters that may be helpful if you experience arguments or defensiveness in the performance discussion.  Be sure to let me know what you think about this series of performance correction, and what other topics you might find useful.

Sentence Starters:  Argumentativeness or Resistance in Performance Correction:

Pointing to the Mistakes of Others:

“I understand that you are saying that others have made similar mistakes.  I am not asking you to be responsible for the mistakes of others, but I do need you to correct your own.”

“Yes, I am aware that others have made similar mistakes.  However we’re here today to talk about the mistakes in your report, not other people.”

“Thank you for pointing out that others may be making similar errors.  I’ll follow up on that.  But for now I’d like to talk about the mistakes in your reports.”

“I understand you may not see me talk to others about their performance.  This is because I do all performance correction in private.  I think it’s important to respect you by holding this conversation confidentially.  I do the same for the rest of the staff.”

Discounting the Mistakes:

“So, are you saying that it is OK that we make these kinds of errors in the department?”

“What will be the consequences to our customers/peers/etc if we keep making these kinds of mistakes?”

“Actually, doing an excellent job on these reports is very important.  Here is why:”

“I hear what you are saying.  However I need to tell you that this work is very important, and it needs to be done correctly.   It is not OK if we make mistakes.  Do you understand why?”

Arguing on trivial facts/changing the subject:

“Yes, I understand that you didn’t get the confirmation call from Accounting.  I’d recommend that you remind them that you appreciate those calls.  However the reports are always due on the same day, so the fact that you didn’t get the call doesn’t mean that we can turn in our reports late.”

“I hear what you are saying, but it doesn’t change the fact that….”

“Can you tell me how the problem with the copier machine prevented you from turning in your work on time?   Could you have used a different copier?”

“I hear that you are upset about (X).  However today I really want to talk about (Y).  We can set another time to discuss (X) if you would like.”

These are just a few examples of how to “bring the subject back” to the topic at hand.  However keep in mind to model good behavior even while changing the subject.  Use good listening skills, good eye contact, and don’t interrupt people mid-sentence unless there is no other way.  You say as much by how you speak as by what you say.

Performance Discussions Part Two

In this second post on correcting performance problems, we’ll discuss how to prepare for the discussion with the employee.  Having completed step one, you now know in more detail what the specific performance issue is, how it fits into the grand scheme of things, (is it a big problem or a little one), and what your policies are that relate to the issue. 

Step one was about getting all your ducks in a row.  Step two is about preparing to show those ducks to your employee. 

What are your goals for the performance discussion with your employee?

1.      To tell them what their performance was, and how it differs from expectations.

2.      To ask them to adjust future performance to meet the expectation.

3.      To offer to them whatever support you can in making this adjustment.

4.      To explain to them any consequences that will arise should they not make this adjustment.

5.      To answer any questions they have about the situation.

6.      To keep good notes of the discussion for your records.

Some of you may be asking about number two.  Why am I asking this employee to change when I should be telling them to change?   The answer is this: You are dealing with an adult, and to ask them to make the change is to show them respect.  To “order” an employee to make a change is an attempt to use your authority position as one of force, and this can be damaging to the relationship.  Therefore I recommend you ask for the change you’d like to see.  Truth be told there will be consequences should they not make the change, so asking is not being soft, it is merely being courteous.  Be courteous please.

You’ll also want to check in with your boss or your HR department in most cases if this discussion is going to be part of a formal “disciplinary action process.”  I know this takes time, but each company has its own idiosyncrasies, and it’s better to check first than to withdraw later.  A quick call with “this is what happened, this is my plan, do you have any questions?” should suffice if you’ve done your homework.

Okay – here is your process for preparing for the performance discussion.  Do these steps in writing.

1.     State the problem clearly in the words you will use when talking to your employee.  You will want to use language that is descriptive, but not evaluative.  What is the difference?  Here is an example:

Descriptive:  John, your last three TPS reports were turned in late to accounting.  There were also substantial errors on two of those reports.  That is what I want to talk to you about today.

Evaluative:  John, your reporting skills are terrible.  I can’t have you making these kinds of mistakes, they are embarrassing.

Please note that the Descriptive statement stuck to the facts, was specific, and was in no way designed to smash John’s self esteem into tiny bits.  Evaluative language is not only harmful to your relationship with the employee, but it is also vague and unhelpful. 

2.     List briefly any prior discussions you have had about this same problem, and any formal performance documentation that you have about that problem.  Use the language you will with the employee.  Here is an example:

John, I looked at my notes and it seems that we talked about this same problem back in April.   At the time you had a handful of TPS reports that were given back to us from Accounting, and you said you would work on the problem.  It has been a couple months, but I am concerned that the quality of your work is slipping.

3.     Check in with the employee to see what they think is going on.  This is KEY, do not skip it.  As soon as the employee feels like this is a one-way tirade, they’ll close down.  Examples:

“So, can you tell me what you think is going on?”

“I’m wondering what you think is happening to cause these errors?”

“What do you think is the problem here?”

I realize this seems unorthodox to some, but the truth is that you may not have the foggiest notion of why this employee is making errors.  You probably have made inferences: you think the employee is slacking off, you think they are talking on the phone too much, but the truth is you don’t really know for sure.  Ask.  You may get nothing, but you may also get a surprise.

4.  Check in with the employee about the impact the problem has on the business, and tell them what the consequences are going to be, either for this time or for next time.  Example:

“Well, the reason that these TPS reports are important to the company is (insert reason) and when they are late or incorrect we have to delay billing for our services.  And that means that we don’t have the cash flow we expected – which really impacts the company.

Because we’ve already talked about this once, our performance coaching policy says that I should be giving you a written coaching on this situation.  John, because I think you’re going to turn this problem around I’m going to delay that step, OK?  But if we have similar issues in the future, even if it is a few months from now, I’m going to need to put that written coaching in your file.  Do you understand?”

A few things to note on this example:  First, because the manager felt strongly this error would not be repeated, she decided not to proceed with formal written discipline.  Your company may or may not allow such a delay.  Showing this kind of flexibility can be motivating for an employee with real potential to move past the problem, but it involves Three key considerations:  First, you must be clear that this is a delay, and the issue will not be ignored a second time.  Second, you need to give a clear reason why you have delayed the formal discipline.  You’ll want to document that reason in case future employees claim unfair treatment. Third, you should be fair.  If you skip a step for one employee, will you do it for other, similarly situated employees?  Even if you don’t like them personally?

5.  Offer your support, if appropriate.  Examples:

“John, what can I do to help you out here?”

“John, I’d like to sit down with you and review a few of those errors you made.  I know you can probably fix them fine on your own, but let’s take the opportunity to review them together to make sure you don’t have any questions.”

“If there were one or two things I could do to help you out, what would they be?”

7.     Conclude with a thank you, next steps, and any follow up items.  If the employee is a good performer in other areas and you feel encouragement would motivate them, mention their good performance in other areas. Examples:

“Thanks for meeting to talk about this; I know this was not an easy conversation to have.  As I mentioned, I won’t be putting anything in your formal file this time.  Please do let me know if you have any questions for me, OK?”

“Thanks for meeting with me John.  I think you have great potential, you’ve been doing great work on the (software) installation, and I think if you can improve your reporting timeliness and accuracy, you’ll be in good shape.  Let me know if any questions come up for you later, OK?”

Manager Resource: These questions are available in a PDF File for your individual use.  Download MGRTK_PC2.pdf

In our next section we'll discuss how to navigate the actual discussion, prepare for resistance, and follow up appropriately afterwards.