| Practical Leadership | | | | answer? What has previously worked for me will |
| As managers we've have had a tendency to use | | | | not necessarily work for others. |
| catch-up meetings as a chance to air our views, | | | | Let's run with the idea that I believe I do know |
| give directions and point out what our reports are | | | | the answer but choose to hold it back - at least |
| doing wrong. But what is it the individuals in our | | | | for a while; by asking the right questions I give |
| teams really need from us? What stops them | | | | my report a chance to reach the answer I have |
| from being fantastic at their jobs? Maybe it's us. | | | | and maybe produce a few more options, some |
| If "people leave managers and not companies", as | | | | of which may be even better. In pure coaching, |
| Marcus Buckingham concluded after 25 years of | | | | final choice always lies with the report - even if |
| research at Gallup, this should serve as a huge | | | | the coach has offered a 'suggestion' that can sit |
| reminder as to the importance of the manager | | | | on the table with all the other ideas. Players can |
| role. | | | | be both surprised and inspired by their own |
| | | | creativity. Why would a manager not want to |
| 'Practical Leadership' covers both sides of the coin | | | | give their report the chance to feel that good |
| and achieves a new kind of balance that | | | | about themselves at work? |
| managers can use as their 21st century mantra. | | | | When discussing the rationale for coaching, for me |
| On the one side you have the expanse of | | | | there are three broad reasons to coach: |
| leadership where leaders can find a style that | | | | Communication; Change; Concern; and they all fall |
| suits their personality and talents; on the other lies | | | | under the popular coaching umbrella of 'improving |
| the routines of performance management. | | | | performance'. Let's look at each in turn:a) |
| Without effective means of managing | | | | Communication |
| performance inspirational words from the most | | | | One of the most disempowering and |
| charismatic of leaders will not yield results. And so | | | | de-motivating experiences for team players is |
| building on the work of Buckingham and more | | | | when they experience communication difficulties |
| recently the Appreciative Inquiry movement, | | | | and the manager steps in to take care of it - |
| managers need to pause, take stock and find a | | | | either by assuming control or responding to the |
| place where they and their teams can work from | | | | report request to do so. Unless players conquer |
| a position of strength, which leads us to the first | | | | fear, apprehension, uncertainty and a lack of |
| of the 6 keys to effective performance | | | | focus and assertiveness in their verbal skills, they |
| management. | | | | may never find their corporate 'voice'.b) Change |
| 1. Strengths | | | | Coaching a team player through change initiatives |
| The first job of every manager is to conduct | | | | provides the report with a periodic soundboard |
| some appreciative inquiry and locate the strengths | | | | and base to work from. The coach can support |
| of the team. Should those strengths not be | | | | the report throughout the process, helping them |
| sufficient to achieve the goals of the department, | | | | to build an overall strategy, explore all benefits, |
| then careful recruitment must take place where | | | | identify possible risks, include contingency plans, |
| again the focus should be to recruit natural talent | | | | gain peer support, maintain motivation and recall |
| and elicit the strengths of the applicants and how | | | | past successes and prime strengths at |
| they might be used in the organisation to | | | | appropriate stages. This is the very heart of |
| maximum benefit. | | | | encouraging performance.c) Concern |
| As managers we need to make strengths a | | | | The need for creativity at work is strong when |
| focus in the department so that when their | | | | there is an issue or problem to solve. It might be |
| reports forget how good they are, we won't. To | | | | an inter-departmental barrier, a procedural block |
| remind individuals of their talents enables them to | | | | or something very personal like stress from a |
| tackle their daily challenges with greater | | | | high workload. When a report comes to a |
| motivation so that they will be always working | | | | manager with a concern, it's all too easy to launch |
| from a position of strength. We may even be | | | | into advice and direction. Coaching for clarity is a |
| able to park 'issues' for 10 minutes and get to | | | | great starting point. Placing (leaving) ownership and |
| start meetings with what is working and stop | | | | responsibility in the hands of the report is a good |
| seeing our companies as continual problems that | | | | antidote to 'monkey management'. |
| need fixing. | | | | 4. Reward & Recognition |
| 2. Enforcement areas | | | | There are many different ways to reward a |
| Have you seen Charles Handy's doughnut | | | | member of the team and many different ways |
| principle? It's a model which is very useful in | | | | to recognise their performance. I still remember a |
| determining the 'non-negotiables' of performance | | | | previous boss of mine from many years ago, |
| management. In the centre of the doughnut - the | | | | sending my wife a bunch of flowers when I was |
| inner ring - are those elements of the working | | | | detained very late one night - appropriate and |
| week that need full compliance without question. | | | | memorable - the core elements of R'n'R. Think it |
| The manager decides which parts of someone's | | | | through in detail and consult broad opinion before |
| role need to be enforced and which are open to | | | | launch. |
| initiative and creative input. Defining and declaring | | | | 5. Evaluation |
| the areas of enforcement is crucial in achieving | | | | To get a sense of where someone has been, |
| transparency about ownership boundaries. All the | | | | how far they've come and where they are going, |
| 'non-negotiables' are placed in the centre of the | | | | measurement is absolutely essential. Regular 1:1 |
| doughnut. | | | | sessions and structured two-way appraisals with |
| This process enables managers to establish their | | | | 'smart' objectives - there's really no substitute. |
| 'tell v ask ratio'. Before starting a conversation at | | | | Keith Bishop is the product of 10 years of |
| work with a report, it is essential to be clear: "in | | | | managerial negligence and you will not want to |
| this situation, am I asking or telling, is this | | | | inherit or develop a Keith in your team under any |
| discussion to be directive or collaborative?" If the | | | | circumstances. To avoid, give individuals attention |
| item is in the centre, there is no negotiation: this | | | | and feedback; prevent disconnection and |
| part may contain the core of company policy: | | | | disengagement at all costs. Take care your office |
| quality standards, contractual obligations, company | | | | doesn't quietly become "The Office". |
| administration and other senior management | | | | In terms of the 1:1 session, the term 'regular' is of |
| legislation. | | | | course subjective - frequency needs to match |
| It is the manager's duty to ensure company | | | | the structure of the department, the experience |
| policy is enforced. (Of course if someone | | | | of the team and the nature of the work. |
| constructively challenges the 'why' of company | | | | Once-a-year appraisals without interim catch-ups |
| policy this should be taken on board and placed in | | | | are a no-no. To fully evaluate performance and to |
| an appropriate review meeting; compliance until | | | | maintain strong rapport, regular feedback from |
| the review is still non-negotiable and managers | | | | the manager is crucial and appraisal must never |
| should commit to the review). | | | | be a shock to the system. Reports should get |
| The doughnut principle also teaches us that if the | | | | used to a healthy mix of encouraging feedback |
| inner ring is too large - i.e. if too much is placed in | | | | and constructive criticism. |
| the centre thus reducing the space in the outer | | | | Managers would do well to avoid using the |
| ring - individuals can feel suffocated, and their | | | | appraisal as a chance to air all their accumulated |
| creativity will be stifled. When the contents of the | | | | grievances or see it as a golden opportunity to |
| inner ring have been declared then a greater | | | | point the finger. No report wants to hear their |
| freedom of expression can be given to individuals | | | | manager constantly criticise them as 1:1 meetings |
| in the outer ring. Once there is clarity in the rings, | | | | soon become something to dread and the person |
| teams will know exactly what is required of them | | | | stops being receptive to the wishes of the |
| and where within their roles they can apply their | | | | manager. It is no coincidence that the word |
| unique talents. | | | | 'praise' is in the verb to 'appraise'. Achieving a |
| The outer ring is one of enterprise and | | | | healthy balance of positive and negative is |
| excitement. It is the place where individuals can | | | | important to the self-esteem of the report and |
| really stake their claim in the organisation and find | | | | the credibility of the manager. The only viable |
| an authentic way of making a special contribution | | | | feedback from a manager is one that contains |
| that adds value to the company and provides | | | | evidence, preferably written. |
| meaning to their role. In this larger zone of | | | | 6. Three Sixty Degree Feedback |
| ownership and individual responsibility the report | | | | The evidence that a report will be most |
| needs an approach that is both facilitative and | | | | convinced by is the output of thorough research |
| empowering. | | | | conducted across the company. |
| 3. Coaching | | | | 'Stop-Start-Continue' contains three simple |
| "The ability to learn faster than your competitors | | | | questions that gather a broad set of feedback |
| may be the only sustainable competitive | | | | from a wide audience.o What is ... doing well that |
| advantage" - Arie de Geus | | | | he / she should continue to do?o What is ... doing |
| Everything starts with a conversation and | | | | which if he / she stopped doing, would improve |
| therefore the quality of that conversation | | | | his / her performance?o What is ... not doing |
| determines everything. "The best leaders talk with | | | | which if he / she started doing, would really add |
| people not at them" as Susan Scott expressed | | | | value to the service he/she provides? |
| poignantly in her "Fierce Conversations". When | | | | Define the audience; send out the questions in one |
| 'The Answer' is provided by the leader, minds in | | | | email; collate the incoming data into one summary |
| the immediate vicinity tend to close and thinking | | | | document; discuss with your report. Efficient and |
| capabilities are paused. When we think a solution | | | | incisive. |
| to a problem is found and a decision is made to | | | | Keys on the Table |
| run with an action plan based on that solution, we | | | | So there you have it, the secret to effective |
| must be sure that there are no alternatives | | | | performance management revealed - in |
| otherwise greater solutions may be overlooked. | | | | summary:o locating and maximising Strengths;o |
| A big decision for managers is when to mentor | | | | defining and stating areas of Enforcement;o |
| and when to coach; this can be a complex and | | | | encouraging performance through Coaching;o |
| subjective dilemma. Coaching sceptics will ask: if | | | | establishing a Reward and Recognition |
| you know the answer why on earth would you | | | | framework;o ensuring that an Evaluation and |
| not want to share it with your report? Coaches | | | | Three sixty feedback mechanism is in place. |
| will respond: how do I know that I 'know' the | | | | I've handed you the keys - now don't lose them. |