Step 5
of
Managing Performance

Evaluate Performance

It's what you learn after you know it all that counts.
John Wooden

As you read the steps in this process, I know you recognize that it’s not a rigid, lockstep progression – you’ve always got to deal with the unexpected with your team members – they have personal and professional emergencies that must be handled – those may through you off your stride!

But what everyone is looking at is whether you are fair, unbiased, willing to balance personal and business demands. It all comes down to your process and recognition that you practice in a consistent, but fair manner.

It not’s about treating everyone the same – we’re none of us exactly the same anyway are we? It’s about being fair…and why you did such a thorough job of setting expectations – those give you the basis for making decisions and judgments about each team member as an individual.

Evaluation – once a year? Oh no. You’re making evals all year long and they may or may not come down to a performance appraisal, they may be quarterly or monthly summaries you provide; they may be on-the-fly evals, but they’re all based on those fair judgments you’ve be making as you observe preface, right?

Think about these recommendations:

Performance should be evaluated against the established expectations.

Guidelines for fairly evaluating include:

• Provide honest, objective evaluation of team member performance as measured against expectations.
• Substantiate evaluation with specific examples of behaviors and results - positive and negative.
• Separate the delivery of praise and criticism, supporting each with descriptive statements, not impressions or hearsay.
• Include no surprise information. Positive or negative news should be discussed with the team member prior to putting it in an evaluative format.
  
  Now take a look at your own practices based on the statements below – determine whether you’re
  

Satisfied with your own performance or
Not Satisfied with the effort you’re making here

Also decide the Importance of each practice to your success and to your team members’ success.

• I compare individual results against mutually agreed-upon established expectations.
• I do not compare one individual against another - I hold each accountable to his / her own established expectations.
• I do not allow one overwhelming event - positive or negative -- to influence my evaluation.
• I spring no surprises during an evaluation. The good or bad news has previously been discussed with the employee.
• I cite specific examples and observations in my evaluations.
• I am honest in my evaluations.
• I comment on the positives as well as the negatives.
• I do not allow my own moods, stylistic differences and personal feelings to impact my ability to evaluate fairly
  
  

In your own survey above, items checked as Not Satisfied in this step could lead to many problems organizationally: without the foundation of setting expectations, observation of the work and the behavior, providing timely feedback and effectively coaching people, the evaluation step is generally ineffective.

Most studies conducted on people who have quit their jobs reveal a fairly common thread. People generally do not leave their jobs because of pay; they leave their jobs because of how they are treated and whether they feel valued. They leave their boss!

Think about the environment created within your organization by the existing performance management practices. Are people treated well and do they feel valued? Is your process fair and consistent for all?

If I asked your team members, would THEY say you were fair and consistent? That’s the ultimate test.

Remember, this process doesn’t mean treating everyone the SAME, but having a simple set of behaiors that allow you to provide the guidance and support for each team member according to the expectations you two have negotiated.

That fairness also allows you to deal with totally unexpected emergencies that occur for everyone – you avoid the charges of favoritism and people know they can depend on you to balance the business demands with the personal demands each of us must face.

Speaking Up

How Do You Know if Your Open Door Policy is Actually Working?

The Speaking Up study identifies many situations in which people have information that would benefit the company if this knowledge or perspective could be incorporated into decision making.

Researched and written by colleague, Lunell Haught, this study is relevant to ALD and our clients because it discusses how effectively feedback is received - one of our favorite topics!

We usually think of feedback in terms of "giving" it, but how ready are many organizations to actually have feedback go UP the organization; information that is often necessary to the real effectiveness of managers and the organization itself.

Read the study here

Coaching Performance - How Are You Doing?

Step 4
of
Managing Performance

Coach Performance

The man who believes he can do anything is probably right,
and so is the man who believes he can't.

Coach the People You Care About - a free download (check the box for Two Free EBooks)


Many of us never expected to be teachers when we took over as a team leader, but that’s just what we became!

Our team members look to us for guidance, answers and solutions – but the smartest teachers know that the learning comes from fostering self-discovery. That means NOT TELLING everything we need people to learn, but having a conversation that includes questions and developing solutions – it’s the most effective way to coach in the work environment.

As a coach you’re really holding up a mirror to people to help them see that many answers to their issues reside within themselves. Effective coaching techniques minimize the telling of how something should be done and maximize the questioning -- helping someone see that he / she can do something.

Asking open-ended, thought provoking questions to stimulate awareness moves the "coachee" from receiving data and information from the coach to development of knowledge, which escalates to understanding and finally becomes wisdom about a situation or problem.

What one discovers through an effective questioning process leaves a greater impression and is longer-lasting than what the coach "tells" from his/her own base of knowledge.

So many great resources are available on coaching – it’s one of the critical competencies any team leader can master – I’ll offer several resources below for you to access.


Now take a look at your own practices based on the statements below – determine whether you’re

• Satisfied with your own performance or
• Not Satisfied with the effort you’re making here

Also decide the Importance of each practice to your success and to your team members’ success.

• I coach others in the development of their skills.


• I take advantage of “coaching moments”.


• I require learning and development.


• I know when to supervise and coach people and when to leave them on their own.


• I stimulate others to make changes and improvements.


• I provide time for people development needs.


• I provide challenging assignments to facilitate individual development.


• I review developmental plans regularly.


• I listen effectively - I really hear what is said.
  
  

Coaching is a critical skill for managers to build effective and motivated employees. If you have questions identified as Not Satisfied, there might be one or a combination of skills that could be improved. The technique that managers use in coaching can be effective or ineffective in influencing performance improvement.

Many managers tell the employee what to do rather than to engage the employee in problem solving to gain their ownership and commitment to agree upon solutions for changed behavior or improved performance – find a better way:

Here are resources that can improve your ability to Coach Performance

Developing and Coaching Others (online or classroom course)

Coaching - An Online Course

Coaching Job Skills (online or classroom course)

Personal Listening Profile - When the coach really hears what people are saying in response to those questions, the coach can stimulate learning and reaching greater depths of understanding. Our most-used, least-taught communication skill - listening - is an attribute people genuinely appreciate. Improve your own listening skills - really hearing what people are saying - by recognizing how you hear. Assess your own approach to listening with the Personal Listening Profile.

Time Mastery Profile - Help people identify and understand their time-management strengths and growth areas.
• Understand the roots of undesirable habits
• Recognize the most important liabilities in work habits
• Understand how your time is currently spent and misspent
• Develop a new perspective for organizing thoughts about time management

Coaching may highlight interpersonal differences within the organization. Those differences and difficulties may stem from deeper issues than a mere conflict in personality style. The diverse workforce requires that every employee be a contributor to a productive work environment - learn how to achieve that effect...

We recommend the:

Everything DiSC Management Profile - to maximize your effectiveness with team members

Everything DiSC Management - focuses on five vital areas

1. Your DiSC Management Style


2. Directing and Delegating


3. Motivation


4. Developing Others


5. Working with Your Manager
   
   Participants learn how to read the styles of the people they manage. The result is managers who adapt their styles to manage with better results - they become productive coaches.

Remember...it's about the effectiveness of relationships you create.

Providing Feedback - How Are You Doing?

Step 3 of Managing Performance
Provide Feedback



Feedback is the breakfast of champions
Ken Blanchard



Do you remember receiving positive feedback from someone you respected? How did it make you feel? Proud? Happy to be recognized? Valued? Satisfied about your work?

There are so many positive reactions to receiving feedback – most team members appreciate ANY kind of feedback – positive is good, negative is usually accepted as helpful and that’s what they really want: “Tell me how I can do better”.

But you have to be in a position to provide feedback, don’t you? As a leader, you must be able to provide people with the useful, constructive information they can put to work. So you need to give them something to work with.

I like the simple formula of Situation + Behavior = Impact. It’s direct, to the point, deals with the facts – just the facts.

When you’re talking with a team member, describe the situation you observed, describe the behavior you observed and conclude with the impact created.

A simple example: “Jane, this morning in the client meeting (that’s the situation), you fumbled for the answers to two questions (that’s the behavior) that you should have known; as a result, (here’s the impact) the client may now view us as unprepared and not competent to handle this project.”

Now where does the conversation go from here? No need for Jane to be defensive – you stated the facts about being unprepared for two questions that should have anticipated. She can only agree with you.

Your tone is not punitive, you’re merely talking with Jane. But now, you’re both in a position to discuss how to rectify the situation and how to keep it from being repeated.

This is the necessary win-win: Jane won’t let happen again, she’s in agreement with your feedback and together you can create a plan of action to deal with the client in this instance AND prepare for how you’ll both want to handle client meetings in the future.

Jane walks away knowing she’s learned something and you have provided the feedback and guidance a leader should be able to give.

I like this comment and how it relates to feedback:
Progress always involves risk;
you can't steal second base and keep your foot on first.
Frederick Wilcox

Too many leaders and managers avoid the straightforward feedback any team member deserves – why? Are they afraid to confront someone, to take that risk, are they timid about speaking of what’s happened, do they think it’ll fix itself next time and nothing needs to be said? “You can’t steal second base and keep your foot on first.”

Any of these are poor excuses for a leader to avoid providing feedback. People want it, they need it and their performance (and yours!) can depend on it!

Give feedback – make it positive to reinforce something that went well – you’d like to see that happen again! Make it negative (constructive) when something needs to be corrected.

Here are considerations in providing feedback that you will want to keep in mind:


• Be descriptive - specific and observable -- rather than inferential which is interpreting what has happened

• Describe behavior and impact as well as the consequences of the observed behavior

• A suggestion of what might be preferred

• Timing and circumstances (make it a private conversation – NEVER PUBLIC – and determine if the person is mentally ready to receive your comments (is there horrendous personal ordeal that may make it better for you to talk at another time?)

• Provide the feedback as soon after the event as possible

Remember: Situation + Behavior + Impact

Now take a look at your own practices based on the statements below – determine whether you’re

Satisfied with your own performance or
Not Satisfied with the effort you’re making here
Also decide the Importance of each practice to your success and to your team members’ success.

• I let people know when results are not up to expectations.
• I accurately define strengths and developmental needs in others.
• I encourage personal and professional growth.
• I give timely, specific and constructive feedback.
• I stimulate others to make changes and improvements.
• I let people know when they are performing well.
• I create an atmosphere of trust with open and honest conversation.
  
  Here are some resources that can help you Provide Feedback; these suggestions include tools you may recommend to someone when you are providing feedback

Providing Performance Feedback (online or classroom course)

Delegating (online or classroom course)

Effective Discipline (online or classroom course)

Supporting Change (online or classroom course)

Solving Workplace Problems (classroom course)

Leading Successful Projects (classroom course)

Motivating Team Members (online or classroom course)

How about Receiving Feedback!?!?

Do YOU know what team members think about you and your practices? Wouldn’t it be MOST useful to you to understand their perceptions as well as that of YOUR boss as compared to your own outlook on you?

Two resources are exceptionally outstanding for this purpose:

1. A highly effective technique that provides employees with a reflection of their performance is 360-degree feedback - collect feedback from a full circle of co-workers and customers. Our preferred 360-feedback system, 20/20 Insight GOLD -- provides the basis for improving performance by being the mirror of how others see our performance.

2. Everything DiSC 363 for Leaders - three personalized strategies for improving leadership effectiveness.

So whether you're giving or receiving feedback, there are ways to do it right and ways to do it wrong. Make the most of your feedback opportunities.

Three Tips to Help Leaders Eliminate Workplace Drama

Go to Talent Magazine for some very practical advice from Marlene Chism:

Whether it's complaining, negative attitudes or stress-related illnesses, workplace drama hampers productivity and personal effectiveness.

According to research firm Gallup, negativity costs the U.S. economy more than $3 billion a year in lost productivity. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that more than 90 percent of doctors' visits are stress-related and a top stressor is employee complaints.

To facilitate positive change, leaders must recognize the power of choosing consciously instead of reacting to circumstances. Here are three conscious changes a leader can make to get back in control and eliminate drama in the workplace:

Read the complete story here

Observe Performance - Do You Do This?

Step 2 of Managing Performance:
Observe Performance

Remember, you’re a team leader and your mantra really needs to become
Good results without a consistent process may just be good luck!

You’re working to develop a consistent and fundamental process for managing performance can yield...
• Improved business results
• Higher morale and satisfied employees
• Motivated employees
• Increased productivity
• Developing, growing employees
• More effective leaders

Everyday life is not as rigid as this process, but through the course of your management of team members, you want to be sure these six steps are practiced.

So, having Established Expectations, you’re ready to see what’s going on in the workplace. You may be able to physically observe, you may have to pick up on what you hear virtually, in meetings, in client visits and with other team members. But you are mentally observing all the time whether you know it or not – now you just need to become conscious of it and put your observations to work.


Be in the now, be present.
James Autry

Be aware of what is going on - observe the actions, activities, interactions and results of your employees - come out of the office and see for yourself. The best way to provide feedback is to give information based on factual observation.

Begin to assist employees in understanding their own performance by holding up a mirror they can look into -- a mirror that leads them to self-discovery and knowledge about themselves.

Take a look at your own practices based on the statements below – determine whether you’re

• Satisfied with your own performance or
• Not Satisfied with the effort you’re making here

Also decide the Importance of each practice to your success and to your team members’ success.


1. I look for opportunities to observe people so I can have an informed outlook on performance.
2. I ask questions and listen actively.
3. I test assumptions I may have developed.
4. I make note of observations soon after the fact to keep the details fresh in my mind.
5. I note direct information (observations) and indirect information (reports, work completed, feedback from others, meeting behaviors).
6. I make note of observations relating to job knowledge and job skills including those that pertain to interpersonal effectiveness


Resources that can help after you Observe Performance

Everything DiSC Workplace Profile
The Everything DiSC Workplace Profile makes us aware of different styles of behavior in the workplace. From DiSC we learn how people tend to behave most naturally, what their strongest characteristics tend to be, what their "weakness" in behavior might be, how they are best motivated, what characteristics add value to the workplace, how they complement a team environment and more. Understanding basic style differences can make our observations more comprehensive, can offer us, as managers, the language for discussing our observations with employees

ProStar Coach – your virtual gym

Resolving Conflict (online or classroom course)

Communicating Up (online or classroom course)

Managing Complaints (online or classroom course)

Improving Work Habits (online or classroom course)

We all commonly make errors while we're observing team members - you'll be surprised at the ease with which our judgments can be clouded! Then we base our feedback and evaluations on these error-based judgments. Check here for the list of common assessment errors.

Now it's time to give some feedback - if you've done a good job being aware of what's happening with team members, you'll be equipped to give helpful feedback. That's the next step.

Managing Performance - a Critical Work Process for Leaders & Managers

You’re the leader of a team – some people perform up to your standards, others don’t. How do you handle the performance shortfalls? How do you manage those who ARE meeting standards? Do they even KNOW what the standards are?

You really need a consistent & repeatable process that allows you to be on firm ground in the treatment of all employees & to fairly assess performance.

That’s why the basics of the critical leadership work process, Managing Performance matter so much. Though managers and leaders do so much more than is contained in this graphic, much of it will be without impact if these fundamentals are not effectively attended to on a fair and consistent basis.

Most managers/leaders we work with are chasing the current short-term objective, reaching for some quick results, being directed from above.

Yet the most successful leaders, the most highly-spoken of managers are those who have a firm grasp of these six basics. They do more, they’re strong personally, but they also handle the fundamentals. I've seen this in action and benefited from the practice myself.

All the considerable efforts we make toward delivering results, managing change, creating involved work environments, building effective teams, delivering top-notch service, urging innovation and creativity will be for naught without managing the individual performance levels of employees.

So what do you do, where do you start? Try this....

Step 1 of Managing Performance:
Establish Expectations

High achievement always takes place
in the framework of high expectation.
Jack & Gary Kinder

A best practice and the foundation of all performance discussions: Outline the skills, behaviors and performance levels for which people will be held accountable, discuss and develop these with your team members, gain their agreement and you have a basis for evaluating performance and for providing useful feedback.

In identifying expectations, leaders / managers set the tone for their organization. This is an opportunity to:

• Shape the environment: let team members know you see them as individuals, that their work has value to the organization - this also gives them some information about you - it humanizes you, the leader

• "Create a place" where you know people can thrive successfully and where team members know THEY can be successful.

AND…it's just imminently fair to let people know what is expected of them.

Establishing Expectations aligns work efforts for the year, gets all employees pulling in the direction desired.

Take a look at your own practices based on the statements below – determine whether you’re

• Satisfied with your own performance or
• Not Satisfied

Also decide the Importance of each practice to your success and to your team members’ success.


1. I clearly convey expectations for performance.
2. I reach a mutual agreement with each team member on his / her performance expectations.
3. Team members have a clear understanding of how their performance expectations support organizational goals.
4. I put top priority on getting results.
5. I establish high standards of performance for my team members.
6. I provide clear direction and define priorities for team members.
7. I reach agreements with others regarding expectations.
8. I gain commitment from others regarding expectations.
9. I have a well thought out plan for obtaining what I want to get out of my job.
10. I have clear goals for what I want to accomplish in my life.


If you've done a thorough job with Establishing Expectations, you're ready to look at and coach performance - you and your team members have agreed on expectations, now you'll observe what goes on, provide feedback against those expectations you've agreed to and coach performance.

Resources that can help you Establish Expectations

Develop Performance Goals and Standards (online or classroom course)

Essential Skills of Leadership (online or classroom course)

Essential Skills of Communication (online or classroom course)

Work Expectations Profile

Have you experienced a 360 degree feedback assessment? Done properly, this is one of the most informative resources a manager or leader can experience.

Of course, done improperly, the whole thing can be a disaster – we’ve heard stories of 360 surveys being the basis for performance reviews, harsh meetings and retribution – on both sides of the survey!

What’s the process really for? 360 degree feedback is FOR YOUR GROWTH and DEVELOPMENT. That’s not like your mother saying, “Take this medicine; it’ll taste terrible, but it will be good for you!” This really should be good for you!

Properly set up, the 360 survey process channels information to the leader that he/she NEEDS to be aware of – feedback that can make a difference to success or continued problems with relationships and results.

The 363 for Leaders® combines the best of 360’s with the simplicity and power of DiSC – if you’ve used DiSC, you already know how applicable it is to work life and improving relationships. So combine it with a 360 feedback process and you’ve got…

Feedback PLUS three strategies for improving leadership effectiveness.

CommentSmart is a unique feature of 363 for Leaders® – raters can give focused, balanced, constructive feedback that the leader can actually use! This process avoids the pitfalls of open-ended comments that can be unfocused and unhelpful.

You’ll see clear visuals and a conversational narrative style for interpreting and explaining the data, making the report easier to understand.

And finally, an answer to “Now what?” Very often, the leader is left to wonder what to do next after reading the survey results, but 363 for Leaders® answers that question by giving leaders their next steps with three things they can focus on right now – strategies to improve their leadership effectiveness that can put into action immediately.

Learn more here, download the brochure and discover for yourself the simplicity and value of a 360 survey to your leadership success.