Prune the Performance Appraisal, Perpetuate the Performance

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Is there anyone in today’s workforce that has experienced a traditional-style performance review and walked away satisfied with the exchange?

A couple of recent posts describe the problem well and offer excellent alternatives:  Appraising the Performance of Performance Appraisals and Replacing the Performance Appraisal by the VeraSage Institute’s Ron Baker.

Several of Ron’s points really hit home with me.  The unfortunate truth is that in today’s break -neck business world, many managers take a tactical and often defensive approach to employee evaluation.  Early on in a previous role I held as a VP of operations, I remember looking at the daunting challenge of doing 26 employee reviews on top of the everyday “real work” that needed to get done.  I would get the flag from HR; fill out the cookie-cutter sheet – because that’s what I was forced asked to do; tell the employee to do the same; and then meet to compare answers.   The process was underdeveloped, incomplete and typically biased toward negativity.  It went against the way I managed and always felt unnatural.  In this limited scope the question was always “What do we need to fix?” as opposed to “How do we get more of the stuff that makes us great?”

In Replacing the Performance Appraisal, Ron describes strategies that are much more effective bringing out the best in people.  One of these is the Key Predictive Indicator.  More than just results-based measure of success (as in: “Did we hit X number in sales?”), the Key Predictive Indicator looks at the predictable behaviors that drive sustained success.

Ron echoes a reality that we can easily forget:  “Human capital determines the performance capacity of any organization.”   Yet we use traditional-style reviews as a “one-size-fits-all approach that impedes relevant, authentic feedback to different individuals.”  Organizational change and innovation is carried out by the people thinking and working in different ways to achieve a common goal.  A good leader leverages these talents.  Ron makes another great point about this aspect: “Good leaders—like good coaches—design performance processes and tasks around a person’s strengths, and ignore—or make irrelevant—their weaknesses.”

I would further argue that a reliable, science-based personality assessment (such as Predictive Index®) is essential to helping build authentic baselines for identifying and understanding the measures that map directly to positive work results. By identifying the behavioral requirements of each job – requirements such as work style, pace and risk-taking – managers can more effectively pinpoint proper expectations, giving even the most novice manager an automatic baseline for performance appraisals, and a clear road map for both praise and essential conversations that will lead to performance improvement.

When strong managerial skills are paired with a reliable analytical tool, managers can be very strategic and deliberate about giving employees real, actionable feedback that will help them happily grow and positively impact the company.

How satisfied are you with your current performance appraisals?  Reach out to me if you would like to continue the conversation or hear more about the role Predictive Index can play.  If you are thinking to yourself, “Hmmm…not sure we have ‘good managerial judgment…’”   ADVISA can help with that too.   Email me or go here to learn more about our impact areas.

3 Ways to Be ‘Irreplaceable’ HR!

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In my role at ADVISA, I spend a lot of time with CEOs and Human Resource Directors – two potentially powerful leadership roles that contribute to an organization’s level of success.  An article recently on MSN about being an “irreplaceable” employee prompted me to offer three tips specifically for HR Directors to become even more effective as leadership partners with CEOs:

1. Know what matters to your CEO.

Understanding what s/he considers to prime objectives for the year, and beyond, can put you in a position to support them.  For example, in a conversation recently with a CEO of a large law firm, he told me that his goal is to grow the firm.  He wants to hire people who will develop new business as well as bring a solution to him when they recognize an issue, not just bring him complaints.   “I need to know that they are ‘go-getters and problem-solvers’  We can teach them aspects of the business we need them to know.  But, we can’t make them proactive when they’re not,” he said. Being aware of these goals, and acting on them when it comes to talent acquisition, is what will make the difference for his HR department.  (How can HR identify candidates who are more likely to problem-solve and develop business for the CEO?  A behavioral assessment, like Predictive Index®, can provide the data needed.)

2. It’s All About Productivity:  Quantify It!

Measuring productivity or success in a role can appear difficult at first for non-sales positions.  “Am I doing a good job?” is a question many ask and the answer is often left to subjectivity when it doesn’t have to be.  For example:  if you are responsible for acquiring talent in your organization, track the turnover or the productivity of the candidates you’ve brought into the company.  Are there departments where the turnover is exceptionally high?  Be proactive in looking into the problem and identifying a solution.  And, tracking data gives you the opportunity to identify what is working well so that you can duplicate it in other areas.  (Do you have a “turnover problem”?  Whether it’s departmental or company-wide, consider talking to ADVISA about how Predictive Index can help you identify the reason AND create a solution.)

3. Be the Expert AND Be Open to Change

CEOs will often look to HR to help them understand personality assessments and what they can potentially bring to their business in terms of improving talent acquisition; developing management skills and improving communication.  You can’t possibly know everything about every tool available!  But you can become the expert about what’s important to your organization.  Whether it be increasing sales; reducing turnover; improving communication or employee engagement, fully understanding the problem at hand positions HR to seek solutions.  When looking at various solutions, you will know what is a reasonable option for your company and what isn’t.  (If you are not comfortable presenting a new tool or solution, allow the solution provider to be the presenter instead.  Do you have an issue that you need help resolving?  Let’s talk about it!)

Human Resources serves a unique and often unappreciated role in many organizations by being responsible for its lifeblood – its people.  As an HR professional, you can take your organization to new heights and new levels of profitability.  What company and CEO doesn’t want that?  It’s just a matter of considering what’s important from their perspective, in addition to yours, and taking action.  Sometimes that can be a bit overwhelming.  Where do you begin?  ADVISA is here to help.

Structured Planning to Initiate Recognition Program

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This is an occasional series describing (anonymously) a real challenge faced by one of my ADVISA clients in Ohio and Michigan and my recommendation to them based on analysis and understanding of PI®. Please let me know what topics you’d like to see included in this series.

- Paul

Structured Planning to Initiate Recognition Program

Scenario: The President of a financial service firm seeks to turn around people’s attitude in her firm. She is interested in using every tool available for improving employee morale

PI Patterns

President – She is similar to a Control Reference Pattern, although with a Lowest B (Highest D, Low B & C, High A)

Typical Employee Reporting to President – Craftsman Reference Pattern (Highest C & D, Lowest B, Low A)

The Issue: The President wants to use face-to-face recognition that will connect with each employee’s motivating needs and drives. She believes this an effective approach to changing attitudes and that such conversations can be done quickly without additional expense. She is not comfortable with the idea of simply talking to people without some structured approach to identify the appropriate action.

PI® Analysis and Recommendation: The President’s hesitation is natural for somebody with her PI Pattern – she is a Highest D who wants to know the “right” way to do things and a Lowest B who is more comfortable with logic, facts and data than emotions and feelings.

The typical employee pattern differs from the President in that most employees are Low A and High C. What is critical with one-on-one recognition, however, is crafting an interaction that fits EACH INDIVIDUAL’s motivating needs. This is best done by focusing on each person’s single strongest need – something that a structured approach using personality assessments allows.

To address the President’s need for structure we created a table of all her key employees’ strongest PI drive. As part of the table we identified the type of recognition appropriate for each high drive (e.g. “Recognition for Error-Free Work” with Highest D individuals) and noted a list of activities in her firm that would tie into that type of recognition. We then cross-referenced this with a weekly calendar she could use as a checklist to make sure she touched each of her people at least once per week.

This type of simple task-management approach is often very useful to generate a real change in behavior. Turning the challenge of one-on-one recognition into just another to-do item simplified this activity for the President.

Results: My client followed the program through the first two cycles of employee interactions. After this point the checklist no longer became necessary as she had effectively learned how to adopt this new behavior and make the tool of in-person recognition work for her team. Happily, my client reported that attitudes began to improve. While she couldn’t take all the credit as other factors supporting a positive change occurred at the same time she still felt good about her contribution to the turnaround.

Managing Workplace Stress

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My first recommendation in my work for ADVISA with PI® clients in Ohio and Michigan is to minimize stress on your team by matching people to work using our personality assessment.

It is not unusual to find that people who are in jobs that constantly require them to act in ways that are directly opposite of their personality preferences suffer from stress-related maladies. People who suffer from physical ailments obviously aren’t going to be contributing at the top of their game.

On the other side of the coin, when your work is consistent with what you enjoy most then you will be most-engaged and productive.

A recent study on alternative stress management techniques highlights that attitudes about stress itself can also affect performance. When stress is seen as highly negative it generates a “fight or flight” response – which ADDS TO THE STRESS!

If improving employee morale is your goal then your strategy should include systematic talent management that assesses job requirements and evaluates candidates’ personal qualities. You should also consider how stress is percieved in your organization to minimize the “fight or flight” response.

Creating Employee Engagement

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ALL THE NOSES IN THE SAME DIRECTION!

 

 

Most organizations have gone through the values – mission – vision stage. By now, these documents are covered in dust. Many are still displayed in reception areas and board rooms. But most managers don’t really pay attention to them anymore. So it is not really surprising that many people site “lack of direction” as the single most irritating factor in the company they work for.

 

We forget that the goal of these documents was to bring people together around a common theme. The end result was never as important as the road to get there; the discussion was to be the catharsis. It is the leveling that occurs that brings people on the same page. A day talking about your values-mission-vision statement can be invaluable!

 

Too often even the actual strategy remains a mystery! Small companies are often lead by the original entrepreneur, and she is surprised to hear her immediate co-workers don’t comprehend the strategy she has spent many a waking night to develop. And the same disconnect easily develops in a larger organization, where the plan devised by the top is just not disclosed to the troops, or as a minimum, not understood. A few tips to avoid this disconnect:

 

  • Verbalize your strategy in a clear and concise way. Use a few sentences if you have to, but the shorter and simpler, the better. Use a pictorial if possible.
  • A strategy is not a dream. Make it a call to action, an achievable and believable goal that everyone, from top to bottom, can believe in.
  • Engage in true dialogue. Take it from Alan Greenspan:

 “I have never found the arbitrary use of authority to control an organization either effective, or, for that matter, personally interesting. If you cannot persuade your colleagues of the correctness of your position, it is probably worthwhile to rethink your own.”

  • Every team member on your payroll needs to have clear goals, directly linked to the achievement of the overall strategy. Demonstrate your commitment to these goals by a clear prioritization: how critical is the strategy if my contribution is just part of my day to day tasks, and many other goals also need to be achieved? It sends the message that it is OK to point your nose in the right direction at a specific time only. And that is wrong!
  • If you don’t have the discipline to follow a strategy, then don’t waste time putting one together! Now I live by the dictum “What is the point of having a mind if you cannot change it”! You’d better change the strategy if you discover a better one! But be consistent, and follow your plan until you come up with a better one. And at that stage, communicate the new plan, and start the cascading process anew.
  • Follow up. Make sure the individual’s goals are met. Find out why deviations occur. Use your Plan-Do-Check-Adjust cycle. Get people to assist one another where needed so the overall goal does not get compromised. Jump in where your expertise can help, or throw more resources at the issue. And demonstrate your commitment to achieving the goal by your actions!
  • Visualize your strategy, the cascading goals and the progress made. It will point out to all which noses are not aligned. Peer pressure never hurts!

 

 

Following this process with rigor will make sure people understand how they feature in the overall goal of the company, and why their noses should point in the same direction. Make sure they know that exceptions won’t be tolerated. You cannot afford a lack of discipline in this area!

The benefits of strategic planning , and a sound strategic planning service to help you through the cycle are vital getting your employees truely motivated. It is a key component of best HR Practices.

Doing more with less

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A managers ability to tap into discretionary effort might very well be a key differentiating skill in the next three to five years.  Employee motivation techniques and the ability to increase employee productivity will be critical to the success of supervisors and managers in the coming years.

Discretionary effort is called that because that is exactly what it is.  It is not what is required to do the job, it is what an employee voluntarily chooses to give you that is above an d beyond what is required to meet the minimum expectations of the job.

Yankelovich and Immerwahr discovered that there was approximately 70% discretionary effort available in most employees.

By being able to tap that effort you could do substantially more just by doing a better job of engaging employees that you currently have on staff.  Managers need to understand the individual and unique needs of their employees and manage them in a way that meets those needs.  Work is contractual, discretionary effort is personal.  Get to know your people and what they want from you as a manger.  After you understand that for each staff member then you can provide them with the best environment and the type of work that gives them the greatest opportunity to fulfill those motivating needs.

The economic situation and its impact on businesses and their workforce has done little to help in the area of employee engagement.  Unless you are in one of the few businesses thriving through the current economy your people and their attitudes have likely been dramatically effected.  The irony to this is as mangers we have less time to actually devote to managing.  But the reality of it is as an individual you have little chance of being able to personally provide the level of effort you could achieve from your staff if you simply directed your efforts toward doing the right things as a manager.  Great managers commit time to managing and that time commitment is non-negotiable.  Build these times into your schedule and stay committed to them.  (Literally schedule the time on your calendar and set the alarm on your Outlook or whatever you use)

Motivation More Important than Ever in Changing Economy

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While the worst of the recession’s impact on employment may be behind us the lingering impact of significant downsizing on those still employed needs your attention.

While there are many good recommendations for employees who remain keep in mind that engaging employees is best done when we use employee motivation techniques that match the personality of the individual involved.

The changes forced by the difficult economy will affect people differently and if not handled correctly you may find you are managing difficult people who used to be your best performers.  People who once were change agents can turn against change if they don’t have a voice in how that change takes place or see a personal benefit in how that change takes place.

People who are risk averse will find any change stressful but you can maintain their work satisfaction by taking the time to provide information to them about how well the change is planned and how such programs have worked in the past.

ADVISA’s supervisor training programs give you the tools you need to identify which approach will work best with each of your people.

Why does a COMMON Vision matter?

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We choose to go to the moon. We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win, and the others, too.  – John F. Kennedy, 1962

The American people bought into, believed in, and supported that vision.  On January 14, 2004 George W. Bush gave a speech announcing that we plan to have extended human missions to the moon by 2015 and manned missions to Mars by 2020.  Both the Kennedy plan and the Bush plan were well designed and prepared strategies.

I believe there are not many Americans who are even aware of the Bush speech.  Without any doubt the benefits of strategic planning are unquestionable.  We would not have made it to the moon in 1969 without one.  However, I fear that without the common vision supported by the American people the Bush plan is at risk of not being successful.  Not because of lack of a good plan, or the skilled people to accomplish it, or the resources, but because of lack of support and belief from the people.

An autocratic strategic plan is often left to the author of plan to insure it’s execution and seldom survives beyond them.  Kennedy’s plan lived beyond him.  Will Bush’s survive?  A key concept in creating a strategic plan is to gain the buy-in of the people you have to drive and/or contribute to its success.  Is your strategic plan your vision or is it shared by those in the organization?  Although a strategic planning retreat can be a painful process, it can aid you greatly in securing a vision all participants take ownership in.

Talk Some, Listen More, Learn Lots – Review Time!

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Ahhh…for many it is THAT time of year.  Annual reviews are coming up.  I was reading an article by John Reh where he makes three points about performance reviews to which I would like to respond and somewhat, dispute.

  1. They are a waste of time. – For many this can be true because they are only performed annually.  You should make bi-annual reviews part of your overall leadership skills assessment and development.  Then, there is an opportunity to make improvements, and give more feedback, before the year is over.  More frequency is likely to lead to more efficiency.  Get rid of them completely and beware.
  2. They are required at many companies. – Why wouldn’t they be?  Here, I think Reh assumes that all management uses a cookie cutter form for this and their reviews are meaningless.  (I however disagree and, of course, provide assistance to those who need it.)  Everyone needs to know how they are doing.  It’s part of career pathing.  Feedback is essential if performance matters.  And, I’m willing to wager that it does.
  3. They should contain no surprises. - I agree with this statement completely.  However, the rest of what Reh wrote here was making elementary assumptions – like the sole purpose is about the determination of salary raises.  (Huh?  Maybe a piece, but not the pie.)  In the day-to-day management of our teams, they should have some concept of how they are doing and this should be provided by management.  Don’t let poor or exceptional performance go unnoticed.  This is simple leadership and management training.  But, a performance review may be where they find out how their  performance compares to others on the team and its contribution to the overall strategic objectives.

When giving reviews this year, give thought to the true purpose behind it – better teams comprised of highly skilled and motivated people.  Constructive information and insight that only you can provide is what they need and deserve.  Going through the motions doesn’t cut it to retain top talent.  Help them navigate success.

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