by Judy Rathwell | Oct 19, 2021 | Continuous Learning, Performance Development, Trust
Gene Kranz, NASA Flight Director for the ill-fated Apollo 13 mission, famously said, “Failure is not an option!” And indeed, in that case, with the lives of three astronauts on the line, he was right. But for the rest of us, failure is not only an option; it is inevitable if we are pushing the boundaries of our performance and driving hard for results.
The Difference Between Average and Achieving
In life, the question is not if you will have problems, but how you will deal with your problems. If the possibility of failure were erased, what would you attempt to achieve? When you consider the people on your team, is the fear of failure or a fear of your response to failure holding them back?
Which Way are You Failing?
Obstacles and challenges are a part of high-performance leadership. They are going to happen, and you will have times when you won’t get it right. The question you need to consider is, are you failing forward or backward? When the people on your team have setbacks, which way do they lean?
When someone fails backward, they will blame others or portray themselves as the victim. When someone fails forward, they will take responsibility for what happened and look for ways to ensure it doesn’t happen again. When my kids were teenagers, a motto we lived by was, “make all new mistakes today.” People who fail forward learn from each mistake, so it doesn’t happen again.
I failed, but I Am Not a Failure
Another characteristic of someone who fails backward is the relationship they have with the failed effort. Instead of viewing the setback as an event, they consider it as defining who they are. Failure is an event; it does not define who you are. People who fail forward view failure as feedback. The failure does not define them; they just learned something that doesn’t work. It was reported that when Thomas Edison was asked how he persisted through so many failures of the light bulb that he said, “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” People who fail forward persist.
What are You Communicating to Your Team?
How you view your failures, mistakes, and setbacks communicates a lot to those around you. If you want people (at work or home) to grow and develop and become the best they can be, they must have the freedom to fail. Then they must take the learning from those setbacks and put them to work as feedback on how to do it better next time. Thomas Watson, the founder of IBM, once called an executive leader to his office after the failure of a new product that had cost the company millions. The executive was sure he was to be fired and had prepared himself for that certainty. When the executive arrived in Mr. Watson’s office, he commented, ” I guess you are going to fire me.” Watson’s response is priceless and a great reminder for us all. Mr. Watson responded, “Fire you!! I just spent millions educating you, now don’t let it happen again!”
All failure is feedback and education about what does not work. Encourage those you serve to stretch and try new things, and when they come up short, encourage them to fail forward, take the learning and try again. Don’t waste the investment you are making in their personal development.
Source: Perry Holley via John Maxwell’s blog
by Judy Rathwell | Feb 1, 2021 | Leadership Aha!, Newsletter, Performance Development
As we enter a new year, organizations
continue to adjust to the impacts of the COVID-19 outbreak, including an
extension of work-from-home policies for many employees. As more time goes on
between “what used to be” and “the new normal,” the need to establish updated
procedures for employee-performance conversations has become imperative.
Employee performance conversations can be
challenging for all involved, even without considerations related to working
remotely during a pandemic. However, these conversations should still be a
priority to ensure future productivity, maintain morale and let employees know
you are invested in their performance as a member of the organization.
If your team is continuing with remote work, consider approaching performance conversations in a new way — thoughtfully, with compassion, and with a structured plan for mutually beneficial results.
Here are five ways to improve remote employee evaluations.
1-Check-in more often.
About three years ago, the University of Phoenix did away with annual performance reviews in favor of quarterly check-ins. It was a smart move then, and it makes even more sense now.
More frequent, structured conversations can
help offset the lack of in-person connectivity that naturally occurs in an
office setting.
It also allows managers to gauge whether employees are receiving the support
needed to complete tasks, meet objectives and succeed in their roles in their
work-from-home environment.
These regular check-ins should be used to make sure that expectations are clearly understood and that progress is being made. Remember that in many cases, remote employees are likely not working straight through from 9 to 5 every day, so this measure no longer applies.
2-Be compassionate but firm.
Leadership in a time of uncertainty requires
emotional intelligence. Every employee has challenges, some work-related and
some not. From the stress of helping children with online learning to managing
anxiety and depression to caring for an elderly parent, each stressor can
affect an employee’s work.
Communicating with understanding lets employees
know you care about their overall well-being and don’t view them as a cog in a
machine. This does not mean employees should be absolved of expectations or
responsibilities. It does mean you may have to think creatively and make
adjustments to support their success.
For instance, managers may need to consider flexible deadlines instead of rigid ones for noncritical work or reallocate resources to see a project or assignment through to completion. Rather than changing expectations, find solutions to achieve goals. This ensures continuity for the organization and shows employees you value them. Your return on investment will be in loyalty from your employees.
3-Reflect on the past, but focus on the future.
Managers sometimes make the mistake of using
performance conversations to look backward only, missing the opportunity to
look forward.
While evaluating an employee’s past performance is important, it shouldn’t be
the sole focus of your conversation. The past can be instructive, but you
cannot change it.
Instead, leverage past experiences as a way to create future successes. Performance conversations should be less about what happened during the past quarter and more about how to align to achieve success moving forward. A manager should leave a performance conversation knowing what the employee needs to effectively accomplish goals, and the employee should leave knowing the expectations. If you can effectively communicate on both ends, successful outcomes should follow.
4-Rethink your rating system.
Around the time we did away with annual
reviews, UOPX also nixed the traditional rating system, such as “needs
improvement, meets expectations,” etc.
Putting labels on employees does not add
value. In fact, employees can become so focused on the performance review label
that it distracts from what matters most in a performance conversation —
setting the employee up for success.
The value is in the coaching and the feedback, not an arbitrary label or rating. That focus is even more important now as we balance the stresses of the pandemic.
5-Camera on or camera off?
Prior to the coronavirus pandemic, I typically
met with employees face-to-face for performance conversations, even if they
telecommuted. There is value in seeing someone’s body language and hearing
their tone of voice.
To personalize these conversations now, I
prefer video calls to phone calls. It provides a sense of normalcy and allows
for human connection. At the same time, I recognize that some employees may
have reasons for keeping their camera off. In those situations, I always
turn my camera on as the leader even if the employee feels more comfortable
with their camera off. I want them to see they have my undivided attention.
While it may seem easier to delay performance
conversations or even scrap them entirely, they are necessary now more than
ever. Adjust your processes to best meet the needs of your employees, but do
not do away with the opportunity to provide feedback and support for your team
members.
Source: Jeff Andes January 22, 2021, Chieflearningofficer.com
by Judy Rathwell | Sep 15, 2020 | Leadership Aha!, Leadership Development, Newsletter, Performance Development
For
every hundred men hacking away at the branches of a diseased tree, only one
will stop to inspect the roots -Chinese Proverb
Are individual members of your team
performing less well than you’d hoped for? How do you get them to improve their
performance?
First, understand that performance is a function of both ability and motivation. It takes both to do a job well. So, before you address poor performance, you have to diagnose if it’s a lack of ability or low motivation.
Tips
for addressing ability
- Resupply. Does your team member have
what they need to get the job done? Ask them about additional resources. Listen
for points causing frustration. Give the individual space to take
responsibility and share their perspective.
- Retrain. Provide additional training to
individuals lacking specific skills. It’s important to keep employees’ skills
current to cure poor performance.
- Refit. If the first two steps aren’t
curing the problem, consider refitting the job to the person. Are there
components of the job that could be reassigned and new tasks for them to take
on?
- Reassign. Consider reassigning the poor
performer to another role. Is there another job within the company that would
suit them better? Remember, this is not a punishment tactic, but a shift in
skills and tasks.
- Release. As a final option, you may need
to let the employee go. Sometimes there are not opportunities for refitting and
reassignment within the organization. In these cases, the best decision may be
for the individual to find other work.
Tips
for improving motivation
- Set performance goals. Goal setting is an important aspect of performance improvement. Employees need to understand what’s expected of them and agree on the actions they must take to improve.
- Performance assistance. Once you’ve set performance goals, support your team member by reassessing their progress, providing necessary training, or additional resources. Encourage cooperation and assistance from other team members.
- Performance feedback. It’s important for the individual to understand where they stand in their performance and long-term expectations. Consider providing timely feedback, being open and honest, and encourage individuals with a reward system.
It’s
important that you and the team member discuss and agree on the plan for improvement.
Set specific goals with timelines and dates by which goals should be achieved.
Monitor progress according to the tips above for improving ability and
motivation. Goal setting, feedback and a supportive environment are necessary
for improving poor performance.
Source:
MindTools
by Judy Rathwell | Oct 7, 2019 | Leadership Aha!, Newsletter, Performance Development
Many of us have those very talented friends and colleagues that are always being pursued by other organizations – Some leave; some don’t. Companies are often taken by surprise when the announcement comes that someone they idolized leaves for another opportunity.
In asking those that leave, many of these have rung true….“As you reflect upon the past few years, what missed opportunities did they have to retain you?”
- Believe a paycheck is a retention tool. A paycheck, alone, won’t make someone stay.
- Act like retention is only HR’s job. People don’t quit their company, they quit their managers and colleagues. Retention is everyone’s job.
- Think you know what’s best for your employee’s career. Employees, too, should have a say in how their career develops.
- Ignore the importance of culture. If organizational values only exist on a fancy wall poster, culture isn’t being minded.
- Not offer professional development. Learning doesn’t have to be fancy or expensive. It just needs to happen.
- Fail to develop career paths. Career growth doesn’t mean climbing the corporate ladder. It means helping people feel like they’re progressing in their profession.
- Don’t tell people they matter. Employees need to feel like they count. Small things add up.
- Ignore the little things. Every employer knows your birthday, start date, and other odds and ends about you. If they don’t use this personal information to make you feel valued, they’re missing out on easy opportunities to engage you.
- Fail to keep pace with workforce trends. If software is outdated, the dress code doesn’t make sense, and there’s not a lot of focus on the workplace experience, then your business needs to catch up with the rest of the world and develop modern workforce practices.
- Treat your top talent like everyone else. If you’ve got superstars, they deserve superstar treatment. (Not diva treatment, they just need special attention so they’re developed for future opportunities.)
We know that work is a relationship between an employer (and leader) and an employee. For any relationship to work, both have to be committed and put their best foot forward.
List first seen in a blog post from Lead Star, September 2019
by Judy Rathwell | Sep 23, 2019 | Leadership Aha!, Newsletter, Performance Development
When it comes to success, we have often been taught the value of IQ through test-taking and traditional education focus.
Psychologist Carol Dweck has spent her entire career studying attitude and performance, and her latest study shows that your attitude is a better predictor of your success than your IQ.
Dweck focuses on two core attitudes: a fixed mindset or a growth mindset.
Fixed mindset – you believe you are who you are and cannot change. Often leaving you feeling hopeless and overwhelmed when faced with a challenge that is more than you believe you can handle.
Growth mindset – you believe you can improve with effort. With this attitude, most outperform because they embrace challenges and an opportunity to learn.
Many believe having an ability, like being smart, inspires confidence. It does, but only while the going is easy. The deciding factor in life is how you handle setbacks and challenges. People with a growth mindset embrace setbacks as learning opportunities.
According to Dweck, success in life is all about how you deal with failure. She describes the approach to failure of people with the growth mindset this way,
“Failure is information—we label it a failure, but it’s more like, ‘This didn’t work, and I’m a problem solver, so I’ll try something else.'”
Thankfully, your mindset is something you can change and grow. Below are strategies that will help you do just that:
- Move beyond helpless. After a failure or being stuck, we can feel helpless. The key is how we react to that feeling. We can either learn from it and move forward or let it drag us down and stay stuck.
- Be passionate.What you lack in talent, you can make up for in passion – driving your unrelenting pursuit of excellence.
- Take action.This helps eliminate fear and anxiety which can be paralyzing and the best way to overcome them is to take action.
- Expect results. This keeps you motivated. If you don’t think you will succeed, you may become discourages or not even try.
- Be flexible.Embrace adversity as a means for improvement, as opposed to something that sets you back.
- Don’t complain when things don’t go your way.This can become a habit! A growth mindset looks for the opportunity.
What are some ways you encourage others (or yourself) to move from a fixed to a growth mindset?
by Judy Rathwell | Jun 4, 2019 | Communication, Leadership Aha!, Performance Development
“No matter how much success you’re having, you cannot continue working together if you can’t communicate” –James Cameron
Managers play a critical role in developing the people on their teams. Without strong leaders and a strategic management plan, people often become complacent or feel unfulfilled and “stuck” in their jobs. John Wiley & Sons, Inc. recently shared A Winning Approach to Employee Development, making it personalized to the individual by noting the following for each direct report:
- Individualized assessments of the employee’s potential
- Employee’s career and development goals
- Identifying employee’s motivators. Such as do they appreciate acts of service (helping them)? Gifts (coffee cards, lunch certificates)? Quality time (regular meetings, going out to lunch together)? Words of affirmation? Etc.
- Identifying the employee’s preferred work personality style (DiSC)
Curious about how to tailor your development approach to the employee’s preferred work styles using DiSC? Here are some simple ways to get started:
- For D-style employees, consider development opportunities that have the potential for impressive results, as success is typically their bottom line. Review the big picture with them and encourage them to come up with appropriate long-term goals.
- When working with i-styles, allow them to lead small groups, as they thrive in a collaborative environment. Help them stay focused by pointing out the negative consequences of not taking enough time to develop skills with deliberate effort.
- For developing S-style team members, be mindful to push them gently to grow and develop—slow and steady tends to win with them. Show them that they have what it takes to work autonomously, and don’t be afraid to offer constructive feedback when necessary.
- With C-styles, try putting development opportunities into clear, well-organized framework. Make sure that these independent and logic-driven employees see the drawbacks of always playing it safe, and remind them to fill you in on their progress.
By communicating with our employees in the way they are wired/prefer, shows them we see and hear them – making them feel valued. And that is a critical component to developing people.
Aha! Leadership is an authorized partner for Everything DiSC® and its tools and assessments. If you would like to learn more about how we can help you or your employees, please email aha@ahaledership.com
