Prune the Performance Appraisal, Perpetuate the Performance

Posted on April 9, 2013 by Stephanie Murphy

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.

Managing Employee Performance Variability

Posted on February 15, 2013 by John Ranalletta

In case you missed it, here’s an re-post of my article that appeared this week in Plastics Technology as well as other publications in the Gardner Business Media family.

Less than a year after Steve Jobs’ exit, the iPhone 5 rolled out with a defective maps application. Apple stumbled. The map fiasco wasn’t a technical problem, process breakdown or the result of a natural disaster. Simply, it was an error in human judgment.

There’s No Escape from Natural Cycles

Companies experience numerous life cycles over the duration of their existence. The manager’s job is to propel the company upward in the cycle (ascent) while preventing the early onset of decay (descent).

Declines in organizational performance can be precipitated by poor quality, no sales, product obsolescence, poor decision making, cost overruns, inefficiencies and/or a combination of these factors; but, invariably, the root cause is almost always people. The probability and frequency of performance failures increase with head count. Managers in big companies likely spend more time and energy forestalling descent and too little time fueling ascent.

Murphy’s Law

Entropy is “a process of degradation or running down or a trend to disorder.” Innovation, risk taking and vision are critical for success, but managers who are exceptionally proficient at managing variability and building fire walls that inhibit entropy thrive. We non-scientists call this “Murphy’s Law.” Well, Murphy only shows up where’s he’s invited.

While seldom malicious, entropy is insidious. It starts with an unmotivated or untrained employee; a salesman who can’t ask for the order or hold margin; a trusted associate who bottlenecks workflow and succumbs to time pressure; a key manager who avoids or takes too long to make important decisions or who takes on too much work because he/she can’t or won’t delegate. It can be the likeable supervisor who refuses to enforce work rules on the shop floor to avoid confrontation.

Is this a too negative view of how things work? How did you spend your time and energy last week? Were you able to concentrate most of it making forward progress or just kept from sliding back? Our experience tells us that managers who spend most of their time backfilling and fixing are very likely hiring the wrong people and/or managing people the wrong way because they do not have all the data they need to recruit, select and manage differently.

The Flip Side of Variability: Predictability

Metals are measured, weighed and assayed. Machines are dialed-in. Shopfloor environmental factors are finely controlled. Much applied science is used to ensure predictable performance of materials and machines; thus, managers can reliably measure their working properties and predict how they will perform under a given set of conditions.

People bring differing and changing levels of intelligence, education, culture, maturity, values, language skills, physical abilities and attitudes to the job. That people are not as predictable as materials and machinery is an understatement. Managing people optimally requires wisdom, patience and goodwill, and, applied science.

Predictive Index^® (PI^®) is the applied science thousands of managers use to reliably predict how a person will act and react in the work environment, uncovering if each person is technically or socially oriented; has a sense of urgency or operates in a methodical mode; and is either strategic or tactical; and much more.

Using the Performance Requirements Options (PRO) form, managers can “spec out” a job scientifically to reveal the behaviors it demands before starting a candidate search. Knowing how the job requires the person to behave using the PRO and how a person works using the PI Organization Survey, managers can make a better match of the two. It lets managers task people to do work that meets their needs and that drives out unwanted variability.

PI provides an informed glimpse into the future so managers can make informed decisions about operators, managers and sales people. For 57 years, managers have used PI to accelerate growth and as a fire wall/early warning system to provide lift and prevent performance degradation in the talent management pieces of their enterprises.

Workplace Excellence: Six Fundamentals I Have Learned

Posted on February 5, 2013 by John Ranalletta

Through the years, I have learned many things about creating workplace excellence. The following is a list of six fundamentals that I believe provide the foundation for all the rest. While some of these items may seem obvious, it is perhaps the most obvious lessons that are the hardest to learn:

Know yourself. It is very difficult to manage what we don’t understand. Strive for deeper self-awareness.
Be disciplined. Nothing of value comes cheap or easy.
Time is a finite resource. Once spent, we can never reclaim it. On the other hand, if we invest our time wisely, we can make the time we spend in the future more valuable. During Predictive Index^® training, you spent three valuable days learning new techniques and tools. Use the tools to save time and effort every day. If you do this, those three days can pay dividends in future time saved.
Change is hard. Likely, you learned that managing others in a way that makes sense for them requires that you deny yourself the very things that satisfy you. If you are impatient, writing out processes for your high C employees is a chore. If you are introspective, taking time to notice the specialness in others will seem unnecessary. If you are more team oriented, confronting conflict and taking a stand may make you feel uncomfortable. If you are a perfectionist challenged to make guesses about future events or outcomes, you will worry more.
Change is hardest at first. When you start to see people respond to your efforts in positive ways, the changes you are making will become easier, more natural and maybe even fun.
You have the ability to change peoples’ lives in very meaningful ways. Low B’s will think this is corny, but try for a “lollipop moment” ( http://youtu.be/hVCBrkrFrBE ) every day. PI^® will help you find them. With your PI knowledge, you can see the world through others’ eyes; PI helps you understand what they need; and, how you can bring out the best they have to offer.

Free Webinar – Real-Life Stories about Familiar Leadership Challenges

Posted on March 16, 2011 by Paul Dumouchelle

Join me for a complimentary ADVISA webinar reviewing real-world success stories addressing these familiar challenges:

Leadership Effectiveness

When the “Golden Rule” isn’t good enough (Focus on Others’ Needs
Communicating with someone who will not listen (Managing Difficult People)
Getting a “perfectionist” to delegate work (How to Supervise People)
Am I doing a good job? (Working with People Different than You)

Teamwork

Herding cats (Executive Team Building)
Rules? What rules? (Another type of people challenge)
Defusing conflict (Proven processes to overcome conflict

Job Fit

“Stop chatting & get to work!” Do you say that too much? (Personality mismatch in a job)
Knowing exactly what you want (Defining hiring targets)

Leadership solutions grounded in real-world experiences provide immense value and insight, often comprising the core content of leadership development programs. If you’re responsible for leadership effectiveness, teamwork or matching people to work (job fit) then you won’t want to miss these key lessons from real-world experiences.

The webinar will be repeated on two dates. Please choose one that is most convenient for your schedule:

Wednesday, March 23rd, 10 a.m.

Tuesday, March 29th, 2 p.m.

How to Supervise a Superstar

Posted on March 5, 2010 by BJ McKay

Learning how to develop, supervise, and lead underperforming employees is a day-to-day struggle for many managers throughout the world. As a manager engaging employees and helping them realize self-confidence will lead to maximum productivity. This can be an exhausting effort for you. However, managing the superstar can be all the more challenging, especially during times when a small handful of business development pro’s can be one of the few things keeping the lights on at your company. They know how critical they are to near and mid-term survival at your company. Now what do you as the manager do with it? Below are a few tips to keep in mind to maximize self-confidence within your entire team, while keeping your superstars engaged:

Provide opportunities for your superstars to leverage their success to teach teammates within the organization, or to a wider audience outside of the organization. Think webinar series, or a similar vehicle of promotion of both your superstar and your company.

Listen, listen, and listen some more to what your superstars have to say. You may not always agree with the direction they see for the company, but their success is a testament that they care about what they’re doing and are able to articulate why your company’s products/services are top notch. Every interaction should be a two way street.

If your superstar is loose with the rules that others are held firmly to, be sure that they truly understand the value of the rules to successful business operations. This too should be a two way conversation. If the given rules do not have substance, it might be time to reevaluate which rules are the ones most deserving of enforcement.

Use the success of your superstar as momentum for the entire organization, and let a wider group feel the high of success with them. The superstar, in most cases, believes in the organization and is usually willing to be a springboard for the success of others

With the Predictive Index® tool we are able to identify the source of self confidence for all those who take the survey, this is a giant leap ahead into understanding how to supervise people and foster an environment where confidence, motivation, productivity, and consistent results are the norm. Evaluate P.I.® as your behavioral assessment instrument. You’ll be far better equipped with objective data on the talented people that drive your business.

Gaining Agreement with Somebody Who Won’t Listen to You

Posted on December 16, 2009 by Paul Dumouchelle

Have you ever had to work with somebody who won’t listen to you because they think their own ideas are the best? The most-direct form of communication is ineffective – simply telling them what you think leads to immediate rejection simply based on the source of the idea.

One technique to finesse this challenge is to make the other person think your suggestion is THEIR IDEA. You can accomplish this by guiding the person to your position by asking them leading questions.

A “leading question” in this case is a question where there is only one reasonable answer, or you know the answer in advance, and simply want the other person to verbalize the answer. This simple act of verbalization transfers ownership to the other person; if you say it first it will always be YOUR idea.

Leading Questions for Manager in Example about Promoting Employees

Scenario: An HR manager had a challenge with a supervisor on a team she supported. The supervisor wanted to promote a subordinate but the challenge revolved around whether to tell the subordinate in advance of the promotion actually being approved by headquarters.

The HR manager wanted the supervisor to wait for final approval while the supervisor wanted to tell the subordinate in advance. The supervisor, historically, had never listened to the HR manager’s advice on how to supervise people.

Questions recommended for the HR manager to ask:

How do you think the subordinate will feel if you tell them they have been recommended for promotion but then headquarters turns down the promotion?

How is the subordinate going to view your authority if headquarters turns down your recommendation for promotion?

In both cases the only reasonable answers are ones that lead the supervisor toward the HR manager’s point of view. By moving the supervisor to her point of view the HR manager will increase the likelihood that the handling of this situation will end up improving employee morale.

“6 Pails” – Setting and Measuring Employee Productivity

Posted on December 10, 2009 by John Ranalletta

Are you rationalizing poor performance? It’s an easy habit to acquire and sounds like, “We can’t find the right person” or “the employee has been here for years.” In some cases, the employee has a Predictive Index® profile that is appropriate for the job and sometimes, not. In either case, there seems to be a growing unease among managers to insist on employee productivity andperformance. Here are some thoughts on performance measurement:
The most common reason managers tolerate sub-standard performance is that performance hasn’t been defined. At gut level, most managers know which employees are doing well and which aren’t but when asked, non-performers and performers alike are often unable to describe what’s expected of them. Some managers and owners have not equipped themselves with a definitive strategic planning system and near term objectives to benchmark performance of the company, its divisions, departments, managers and employees and measure their contribution to the plan.

In some cases, especially in larger companies, there appears to be a growing reticence to make tough decisions. Fear of lawsuits and fear of conflict and confrontation permeate the atmosphere. Worse, the idea that any person can do any job if just given enough time and training is gaining traction among human resource practitioners and some managers. What a lovely thought! Too bad it isn’t so. If this were true, nobody or no company would fail but we know they do, despite our every effort.

In other cases, managers haven’t been given authority, incentive or management skills training by their organizations to make these decisions; and, elsewhere, the managers themselves don’t understand their own performance measures; and, thus, have difficulty re-defining or delegating their authority or responsibility for details to their subordinates.

In a small furniture store near my home hangs a framed token inscribed, “6 Pails”. The token is from an old tomato canning operation found during a recent restoration project. Employees earned one token for every 6 pails of tomatoes they packed. Not 5 or 5 1/2, but 6. That’s a clear connection between pay and performance.

Can each of your employees answer this question, “What do you have to do today to be successful in your job?” Does the answer suggest the work is aligned to your goals?

Every employee’s pay plan should clearly and unequivocally state what the employee has to do today and how to do it to keep his/her job and enjoy performance bonuses, if appropriate. The connection between pay plans and performance should not be fuzzy or non-existent, nor should employees be rewarded for time in place or seniority.

Managing Difficult People – Shipping Distractions

Posted on December 2, 2009 by Paul Dumouchelle

This is an occasional series describing (anonymously) a real challenge faced by one of my clients and my recommendation to them based on an analysis of the situation.

Shipping Distractions

Scenario: A manufacturer who ships product to a large number of customers on a daily basis employs a very extroverted person as a shipping specialist.

The Issue: The Shipping Specialist is considered a problem employee by their Supervisor. While the Shipping Specialist is very effective at handling the job, even during times of extreme pressure, this employee distracts others from their work. The Shipping Specialist walks throughout the plant and talks with everyone about both work-related and non-work-related topics. This talk takes place even it is not necessary to get the shipping job done.

The Shipping Specialist also draws everyone’s attention whenever possible, and if high-priority shipping work needs to be done the Shipping Specialist can create a great deal of drama around this fact – while still getting the job done.

Personality Assessment Pattern: The personality assessment pattern of the Shipping Specialist had a strong orientation toward extroversion.

Analysis and Recommendation for Supervising Employees: The Shipping Specialist is acting exactly like we’d expect from a very extroverted person. They need to interact with others and draw the spotlight on themselves. So while the Shipping Specialist is effectively completing the required shipping activity they are also wasting a lot of productive energy by distracting others from their work.

There were two different options for the Supervisor:

1. Leverage the person’s need for social approval with an approach that allows them to fulfill their needs for attention and interaction by completing their work in a way that does not distract others. To accomplish this, the Supervisor must use a new approach in how to supervise people – in other words, establish a close and personal working relationship with the Shipping Specialist and consistently emphasize how important it is TO THE SUPERVISOR that the shipping job be done quickly, as always, but ALSO QUIETLY. When using employee motivation techniques such as this, the Shipping Specialist values both their relationship with the Supervisor AND what the Supervisor values in the work, then the Shipping Specialist should change their behavior.

2. Replace the Shipping Specialist with a person whose natural behavior matches the needs of the job better. It seems the shipping job at this company would be better served by a person who is not extroverted.

We focused on the first option as our priority given the employee’s record of contribution at the company. Option 2 is available, of course, if the first approach doesn’t yield results.

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