Three Secrets to Eliminate Painful Performance Conversations
Everyone slips into old habits.
You make progress.
It feels good.
You lose focus.
Old patterns return.
Nothing changes.
Successful leaders focus on improving performance.
3 reasons performance conversations are painful:
- Infrequency. You’re a hand-holding, back-patting leader who procrastinates when it comes to performance conversations.
- Ignorance. You don’t understand what makes your people tick. Worse yet, you don’t feel confident in how to bring up performance without sounding mean or aggressive.
- Formality. You make performance conversations a big deal rather than a daily deal.
Secret #1:
Avoid formal performance conversations as much as possible.
Secret #2:
Make performance conversations part of everyday life.
Have performance conversations while walking to lunch.
Secret #3:
Follow a performance conversation pattern.
“How’s that project going,” is the beginning of a performance conversation.
“It’s going great.” they reply.
“What are you doing to make it go great?”
Pause. Listen for strengths, passion, and behaviors. “We’re working hard,” isn’t the answer you’re looking for. Watch for them to light up. Follow that topic.
“That’s great. What are the sticking points?”
Pause. Listen for reasons why they aren’t doing as well as they could. Don’t resolve their reasons. (Sticking points are often teammates.)
“What would you like to do about that?”
Listen for behaviors. “Work harder,” isn’t the answer you’re listening for.
Identify simple behavioral responses to sticking points.
Attach a time-frame to the behavior.
“When might you do that?”
“How will you know things are improving?”
Clarity and simplicity are your friend.
Lower expectations. Aim for small gains, frequently.
Frequency enables lower expectations. You don’t need giant leaps.
How can I help?
Let’s talk about this next week.
Cheer when you see success. Explore when when things fall short.
Create situations where stepping forward is more likely than falling short. Create wins.
How can leaders remove the pain from performance conversations?
Great stuff as usual. Thanks Dan!
it’s also important that you give feedback to your team, that avoids surprises.
Ajay, I agree that the problem of setting unatainablr goals based on broad company expectations can be a huge demotivator. It puts not only the salesperson, but also the supervisor in a difficult position. This is where an open and honest dialoge about set company expectations is very important. The sales person needs to know the reality of their situation, but also needs to know that their manager is invested in their success. This makes the transition to performance discussions when they are not meeting goals much more fluid. I also believe, that when ever possible, they need to create their own goals and action steps. Obviously doing this will only be effective if they know the company benchmarks to be able to tailor them around. After creating these goals, and specific actions they will take to meet them in a timely manner, we need to ask them what they need from us to meet their goal. After taking those measures consistent follow up will take them down a road toward either their success, or a clear understanding that they are not able to meet the requirements for their position.
Dear Dan,
One of the important impediments in performance conversations is about achieving goal. These goals are generally unrealistically set and hence difficult to achieve goals. People often find it hard to achieve. They know it before hand but superiors keep on tracking the progress. They do so to report to their superiors. Now, what happens to people who are assigned to meet targets. They expect not to achieve the target even after putting best possible effort. They develop a de-motivation because goal does not motivate. They know what their superiors can do to them and that is why they get ready to face consequences.
Had these goals realistic, people would get motivation in achieving target in order to get connected benefits. In case of unrealistic goals, they do not expect any benefit hence get de-motivated. So, leaders should make the target challenging but not unrealistic.
This is one way leaders can remove the pain from performance conversations. People may find it interesting to discuss about their performance when they see they are achieving and can achieve targets.
Great article. http://www.gbfyn.wordpress.com
Secret #3 is what it’s all about: the conversation. Our conversations create reality & direct our focus. Great questions to frame the conversation. Thank you, Dan!
Another problem I have with formal performance discussions is that I don’t have many tools to encourage people. I have a bag of sticks to beat them with, but almost no carrots. The otherside of this is everyone else knows it too, which doesn’t make the conversation easier. Money, awards, rewards, different work – not in scope. All I have is the offer of more of the same work. That inspired Jonas Salk, but not everyone’s like him!
Dan Pink would say those kinds of rewards wouldn’t be effective if you had them, or could even demotivate. People are motivated by autonomy (direct own destiny), purpose (what I do matters), and mastery (I’m improving myself). Connect to what motivates that person at that time. Interesting thoughts: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6XAPnuFjJc
When all you can offer is doing the same thing over and over again, performed to a set of strictly prescribed rules, and with confidentiality clauses that mean you never see the whole picture, the mastery, autonomy and purpose that can be offered is pretty limited.
Mitch, study after study has shown that people are motivated by recognition (even a thanks from the boss is recognition), appreciation and relationships as much as or more than money or a better job. Growth doesn’t have to mean a new or different job; a greater challenge in the same job is effective, too. Informal discussions can cover a lot of these things.
Great comments. There is too much Performance Review ‘bashing’ in the current literature due mainly I think from people who think the Review is the objective rather than the two-way need for ongoing feedback. Further thoughts on this can be found here: http://wp.me/p2k440-6E
Dan, another great blog with terrific suggestions. Keep up the good work!
I think consistency is key when it comes to leadership. I agree with your first reason why performance conversations can be painful: infrequency. Thanks for the tips!
This is the BEST direction I have ever read or heard for managing/coaching…specific, actionable…shows me how to actually be compassionate, engaged and useful to staff. THANK YOU!