Destroy job descriptions and create role clarity statements
Most job descriptions are a list of tasks. Often ‘and anything else as directed’ appears in the fine print. Very rarely is there anything concrete about relationships, which are key to accountability. We don’t let down people we have great relationships with.
Create role clarity statements with people not for them.
Create an operating structure based on a supplier-customer chain as a big picture, then put roles for people into the structure, and then matched people to roles. Do this exercise yourself. You will find a lot of roles should be made redundant, a lot of people would be better in a different role, and that you are nowhere near as effective and efficient as you think you are.
Involve your people in this exercise and you will revolutionise your business and likely the lives of many of your people. You will also see a great rise in people being engaged and accountable.
Stop appraising people, instead have appreciation and accountability conversations with them
If you have an appraisal or performance review system get rid of it.
Instead, focus on what’s worth celebrating and what could be better conversations with people informally as a part of every day work. At least every 90 days formalise the conversations and help people to create a performance plan for themselves for the next 90 days around how they will keep doing what’s worth celebrating and correct what could be better.
People do not want to be appraised or reviewed, they want to be appreciated and helped to be accountable. When conversations about performance are happening properly and are integral to every day work, performance reviews and appraisals become redundant and you will finally be able to bury them.
The 'Double A' Technique
Ask: “How are things going?”
When you get a positive response:
Ask: “How does that make you feel?”
(be quiet and pay attention)
Then say, Great, Brilliant or whatever is appropriate.
Then ask: “Any other areas I can help you with?”
(be quiet and pay attention)
When you get a negative response
Ask: “What happened?” (be quiet and pay attention)
Then ask: “What do you need to do to get back on track?”
(be quiet and pay attention)
Then ask: “Is there anything I can do to help you?”
(be quiet and pay attention)
Finally, ask: “Anything else?”
(be quiet and pay attention)
The above conversation is a basic starting place. To inspire accountability leaders need to excel at all kinds of communication and conversation.
"Is there any organisational practice more broken than performance management?" asks Sylvia Vorhauser-Smith in an article for Forbes recently. She goes on to say: "Everyone hates it - employees and managers alike, nobody does it well - it's a skill that seemingly fails to be acquired despite exhaustive training efforts, and it fails the test of construct validity - it doesn’t do what it was designed to do, i.e. increase performance."
"Traditional performance management programs have become organisation wallpaper. They exist in the background with little or no expectations for impact. Yet despite its poor popularity, the concept of performance (at an individual and organisational level) is critical to business success. It can’t just be ignored."
A key is overcoming a reluctance to have conversations about performance particularly when there is conflict, disagreement and/or difficulty.If you are struggling to have authentic, candid conversations with your employees, you are not alone. Don’t be embarrassed. Admit your shortcomings and get help today.