We’ve shared numerous posts about how to coach your average-to-excellent performers to ever higher levels. We call that process “Performance Coaching.” It’s simple and it works … for almost everyone.
While it is true that, as a manager, one shouldn’t focus all of one’s coaching efforts on the low performer, it is also true that he or she can be a genuine drag on the morale and efforts of the rest of the team.
We suggest that you begin your coaching efforts with the Performance Coaching process outlined in our prior posts.
Should that level of FeedBack prove insufficient to move the dial, it’s time to pull out the “bigger hammer,” Performance Accountability.
“Hammer” of course is a bit of a dysphemism – noone gets hurt in this process, although when done appropriately, the problem performer does sit up straight and take a long, hard look at how they are NOT meeting the mark. You don’t really allow any other choice.
Continue reading »
The Performance Coaching Process
I had the opportunity to speak today to a local Kiwanis club. What topic did I choose? Performance Coaching, of course. One of the simplest and most powerful communication tools to influence a team member or direct report to take accountability for their actions and their results. The end result? Changed behavior.
Most of the time.
I would love to say that it was a “foolproof technique”, but that would get it wrong on at least two counts:
Continue reading »
“Oops, I did a step out of order. We didn’t learn it that way …” Lest you get overly concerned with precision in the process, let’s step back for a moment.
The Performance Coaching process itself isn’t magic. The tool simply provides a structure for you to express
It “works” because you are actually expressing faith in him. And your people have a way of living up to your expectations. If you think someone is a lousy SOB and a slug, the sweetest words won’t induce the slightest positive change, only cynicism. If you really do respect your employee and approach him with the best intent, that too will be communicated.
We encourage you to consciously use the Coaching processes we shared with you: the particular steps, the order of those steps, the logic and power of those steps have been validated in real use over time. In short, they work to move employees to assume personal accountability for their behavioral choices.
And don’t sweat doing it “perfectly,” just do your best. You’ll get more confident and proficient over time. And you’ll have been positively exerting your leadership and influencing the employee all along, even when you weren’t “perfect.”
The ONLY absolute wrong way to have a performance conversation … is not to have it. You’ll be more effective if you follow the process and tips we’ve provided in the workshop and reinforced in these newsletters. But don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good. Step out, do your best, and you’ll be moving in the right direction. And your employee will be better for it.
[This is the sixth in a series of emails that we provide to graduates of our Performance Coaching & FeedBack workshops to support their continued growth. Get email number one here, number two here, number three here, number four here and number five here.]
[The following is the fourth in a series of emails that we provide to graduates of our Performance Coaching & FeedBack workshops to support their continued growth. Get email number one here, number two here, and number three here.]
As noted in earlier emails, questions are foundational to an effective coaching process. To review, the 5 steps in Performance Coaching are:
Today we turn to step 4. After your associate has admitted his error and you have reviewed the standard, he or she is mentally ready to turn towards a solution, so do your part: ask for it. Ask for a Specific Solution. Note the key words in that phrase …
Continue reading »
We define leadership as “creating the environment in which people want to do what you need them to do.”
You don’t have time to “keep after” your folk, you need your people to be accountable for their own behavior and their results. So how do you get their attention focused so that they do their best work when you’re not looking?
Performance System Analysis
[The second in a series of email tips that we provide as part of our follow up / ongoing support for clients who have completed our Performance Coaching workshop. See the first Performance Coaching tip here.]
Remember that the primary goal of any performance conversation is that the associate takes full responsibility for his or her actions and results. Everything we as supervisors do or say in a performance conversation should support that assumption of responsibility.
Most supervisors have been trained to “tell” the associate what’s wrong and how it “needs to be fixed.” We agree, partially …
Continue reading »
