Tag Archive for: performance improvement

Leadership Spotlight: Difficult Conversations

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Hi, and a warm welcome to The Human Side of Business Podcast. I’m your host Ange MacCabe. I have the pleasure of introducing you to Diana Butler.

Diana is an HR professional working in the tech industry with a passion for people and an interest in how focusing on individual needs can drive performance in the workplace.

Leave Your Issues at The Door

Diana Butler: We hear a lot of people say, leave your home issues at home. We don’t have space for them at work. Right? And that’s not really fair. You can’t ask people to completely shut off areas in their life that they’re maybe struggling with or trying to understand better. I see it. As humans, things happening in our lives consume us. There’s a point where we need to just let people be who they are and have that conversation. What’s going on? Something seems off right now. Are you okay? And that is something that’s frowned upon. We’re getting better. Companies are doing better, and managers are doing better at taking a human-centric approach. And at the core of it, it frees people up to not have to hide the heavy. We talk at work as if we’re a family. Well, if somebody’s going through stuff and all you can think about are metrics, it’s like, okay, great, but there’s something off.

Why Self-awareness Is Important in the Workplace

Diana Butler: I’m at work, and something is incredibly triggering me today, and I don’t have the self-awareness around it; then I’m going to charge through my day and tear everything up in my path. Right? And so to me, that’s, oh, I see something. They’re triggering me. I need to be curious about it. What’s going on? You can drill down a little bit. For me, it’s, well, maybe I thought I was supporting correctly, and now I feel like I didn’t help. Right. And now I’m like I’m not good enough at this moment? And some people double down. Well, now I’m going to really prove it. And so, like, I’m just going to shrink. And that’s something I used to do. I used to shrink when I felt that little bit of, like, a pullback from maybe I didn’t do good enough. But if I haven’t worked on that in myself, that trigger can really cause issues in the relationships around me.

Framing Difficult Conversations as Opportunities

Ange MacCabe: Not that we want to approach every conversation with it being challenging or complex or difficult, but when they do arise, having the culture set in place, at the end of the day, we trust that we’re looking at this from a place of curiosity in the first instance and navigating it from a place of problem-solving. My business partner and I – whenever we’re strategizing, we make jokes, you know, Are you ready to rumble? Because we know what that signals to each other is that we may have disagreements, but at the end of the day, we’re two very different people that complement each other, which makes our business great. And so it’s ensuring that your team members know it’s okay to have differences of opinion. It’s how we go about it. And trusting that at the end of the conversation, we may not always have a resolution immediately, but minimally, we’re going to have some action steps or something else to percolate on so we can come back to the table for future conversations.

Having Difficult Conversations Can Lead To Team Connectivity

Diana Butler: People inherently want to do a really great job. And sometimes you hear the conversations of, oh, they’re lazy, or they don’t want to do this but are you motivating them correctly? Also, difficult conversations don’t always arise when something goes wrong. For some people, a hard conversation is getting to that next level of connection. And that’s where the magic is because you find out what makes people tick, and you find out, oh my gosh, you’re curious about this, and you’re motivated by this. I’ve been thinking about a project, and this is where we’re aligning. And so it’s giving people the freedom to express and be who they are without fear of, I’m not going to fit in here differently. And that creates the space for people to showcase the gifts and abilities we don’t see on a resume.

If you’re interested in learning more from our Spotlight Leaders check out Jeff McCann’s Leadership Spotlight on: The Key to Performance is Executing

A Fix to Performance Reviews: Starts With Asking the Right Questions

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Starts Asking the Right Questions

It’s that time of year for many, yes! Performance reviews. Many leaders cringe at the thought of adding more to their plate. So much so that research has shown over 90% of managers identify that performance reviews are not valuable, ratings cause debates or minimally awkward moments over performance. This creates an overall negative or lackluster feelings towards creating/conducting performance reviews which at the receiving end as an employee is not encouraging. In another study, 54% of people indicated that performance reviews make no impact on actual performance (McKinsey & Company).

What are the reasons holding us to our archaic and arguably ‘broken’ approach to performance?

In my experience, I’ve heard classics like:

  • Well we’ve always done it like this
  • It’s not the worst system (but not many are happy with it)
  • We do not have time or money to invest in fixing it
  • Performance reviews and discussions take too much time to do and our turnover is low, so what’s the point!

Other studies as seen published by Gallop point to organizations may not exactly know how to fix their performance management systems issues and that is enough of a barrier to halt any attempts for positive change.

What makes performance matter?

Having employees feel validated and holding performance conversations regularly can increase productivity by up to 20%, studies have shown. If done correctly, performance is a psychological contract between your team members and management resulting in increased employee engagement and less “gaming” on company time. That alone is a cost savings of millions per year in employee retention and keeping company knowledge within your walls. In addition, it gives employees one on one time with their manager and a clear picture of their performance and expectations. The end result leaves the employee minimally knowing where they stand and further engaged, resulting in higher productivity.

How do we fix a broken performance system?

So we understand all of the reasons for what makes a poor performance program that doesn’t work and the barriers it may bring. What about the ways performance systems can work? There are so many options out there these days. They do not have to be attached to a huge ticket performance platform with oodles of automation (although your HR team would love you for it!); but it does need to make sense for your company culture and your team members. So how do we fix a broken performance system? You start asking questions and REALLY look at your culture, the actual style (not just what is written on your walls). Diving into fully understanding your culture, objectives for doing performance and dialing it into individual objectives and value for employees are four key components of a successful performance program.

Your organization ‘type’ impacts the performance management style

What this means is if your company is profit driven, all goals and objectives should be aligned and performance measured the same, within reason and communicated at all levels. Arguably, performance would be aggregate based on company net profits each year with conservative measures. At the other end of the spectrum is if a company is extremely team oriented, their performance program would include agreed upon goals, measures and a budget for managers to oversee for year end performance increases. Having alignment between culture and performance is key. Otherwise you will have disengagement and water-cooler conversations about why the ratings were so hard that year and coincidentally company profits were down 13% that year. In other words, a perception of a failed performance program.

What is the best performance program?

The best performance program is one that fits and is customized to your organization. There are many out there ranging in style and age of inception. When there is culture alignment with the structure of performance program it’s an easier fit to your organization:

  • Is it 360 feedback
  • Management by objectives
  • Competency based
  • Anchored ranking
  • The coach approach

Personally, I am an advocate for a hybrid of objectives and the coach approach to performance, for so many reasons. A few are: ease of use, employee buy in, two way conversations and meaningful objectives that are measurable.

What objectives are you trying to achieve with your overall performance program?

Understanding the what and the why to conducting performance within your organization approaches performance with purpose. Is it keeping alignment? Achieving productivity? Stretching performance? Or simply gains on profit margins? Regardless of the what and why, establishing objectives and communicating them to your team sets the tone and purpose for reviews.

Do we really need individual objectives?

In short, yes! Tying individual objectives to departmental then organizational objectives gives your team members a clear and succinct picture to their daily purpose of their role, how they impact the organization and add value. Making individual objectives clear, measurable, accountable and a joint venture further sets the tone or stage for expectations and the team member’s vision for the year. This takes away any doubt as to what they are going to do for the year for achievement. It will also allow for accountability in how the team member chooses to complete the objective, within reason of course. These are such important things to have if you aim for a productive performance program and year.

Keeping the people in performance – is there value?

Here’s the thing we often do not think of: if we keep ‘people’ in mind while building and conducting performance reviews we will be much better off by way of value in performance, ease of conversations, higher levels of retention and effort from employees. Talking to the employee as an asset rather than a liability is a learned behavior that is pivotal to impacting positive performance. Discussing succession, training, mentoring or job enrichment opportunities are all ideas that will assist in keeping your team members proactive and feeling wanted in their roles. Other things that can lead to positive performance outcomes are:

  • When deciding on ratings think about the actual outcomes and be transparent in communication. How an employee obtains a five should not be a mystery or moving target. Consistent rating is certainly key.
  • Regardless of the tool, team members must have a comment box. Having team members reflect on their own performance allows for alignment between the manager and team member.
  • Companies ought to be transparent as to how ratings impact their compensation, if at all. Employees should not be in the dark on the formula.
  • When discussing annual performance, it should never be a surprise: good, bad or indifferent.
  • Ensure there is an approach to keep employees engaged and wanting to provide feedback and viewpoints on their goals/objectives and performance.

A performance review isn’t broken if there is value. We do not need Cadillac systems, just systems that work for our respective organizations.

If you would like to discuss your performance system(s) in detail, connect with us!

How Perfectionism Impacts Performance

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Have you ever wondered the impact of your perfectionism on performance?

I’d like to tell you about my ‘Why’ in becoming so passionate about helping professionals elevate their performance.

The world has a funny way of pushing you into paths. I won a Facebook contest and could choose a 1/2-day group session or a one on one coaching session. I choose the one on one session as I am conditioned for coaching. My intention was to grow from coaching, but I had no idea what I was about to discover. And (know now) subconsciously believed I could breeze through it.

For the coaching session all I needed to do is show up, be honest and vulnerable, discover and choose how I will move forward. EASY I thought.

WRONG! What came out of this session with Ricky Goodall was a flood (I mean literally a flood) of emotion that my perfectionism was a result of feeling like I am not enough. I am not smart enough, experienced enough or brave enough.

Let me back up. Throughout my career I’ve always done well, finding ways to make it to the next corporate step but feeling small along the way. I’d do one of two things: 1) avoid and delegate; or 2) often time take personal time to perfect the report, the program or strategy.

I’d go out of my way to help other leader’s successes instead of focusing on my own success.

After self discovery, and responding to some really hard questions: it boils down to; am I enough and what does that have to do with performance, you ask?

EVERYTHING! Working through my career, I was sarcastic (which many found funny), and wore a corporate veneer while letting others take the limelight because I always told myself it wasn’t important to me. But that was a fib. It was a defense mechanism to navigate through corporate worlds from fabulous bosses to the bosses that shouldn’t be bosses.

It gave me an out from things that may intimidate me or challenge me in a good way.

As an entrepreneur, now, those defense mechanisms are stunting me, come to find out. I’ve read so many books and articles and follow the Gary Vee’s, Simon Serik’s, etc. that you do not have to be perfect but you do have to put yourself out there.

My gap was always things like: someone else has talked about it, someone else is the subject matter expert or someone else says it so much better.

My own realization: You do not have to be perfect and you do not have to be the first to the mark, because no one will say it how you do. Perfectionism and avoidance are red flags sometimes disguised as being too busy.

My defense mechanisms are what drive my passion to help others grow their performance. Now, however, I have a different lens, a developing lens that says I can play ‘big’ AND help others.

I do not have to downplay myself to help lift others. I can sit with them, in their communication language and help them elevate their performance from within.

I’d enjoy sharing more of my learning opportunities with you! Feel free to subscribe to Intuity Performance for more great performance, coaching and facilitation moments!

Contact us for your complimentary consultation.

The Power Of Downtime: Achieving Greater Results

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In a culture that celebrates 80-hour workweeks, sleepless nights and busy work – it’s easy to become overwhelmed.

Inspirational quotes and influencers expressing your need to work harder, celebrating the daily grind, only contribute to an increasing pressure to perform.

Now, working at home with less structure then before it’s become even easier to get caught in the rat race. With your office steps away from the bedroom, I’ve had clients recount answering emails from the time they get up to the time they go to bed.

Yet in my experience, the harder I worked the less I felt I was progressing. Because sometimes the most productive thing you can do is take a break.

But what about the power of downtime?

The Power Of Downtime

For the sake of this post, downtime is the time in-between tasks, meetings or mandates.

If you’re like most, you’ve tried to determine ways to be more productive at work.

Creating habits around how you organize your inbox, set meetings or prioritize your tasks.

But have you ever thought about being productive with your downtime?

Now it may sound counter-intuitive at first. Isn’t that the time I can finally rest and reset? Well yes, mostly… but you can learn how to use your downtime effectively.

Rather than feeling guilty about stepping away, using it to benefit your productivity and increase your performance.

For me a 5-minute walk outdoors at lunch made me feel more refreshed than ever! Where scrolling through 100 Instagram stories took less effort, but left me feeling more exhausted.

Mindless distractions serve to pass the time, but also deplete your energy.

Where productive downtime recharges and restores.

No matter how hard you try, unlike the Energizer Bunny, we can’t keep going and going and going…

The Pomodoro Technique

The Pomodoro Technique is a productivity hack, which has easily doubled my productivity and focus. It’s the light at the end of the tunnel that revealed to me the power of downtime.

The brain can only function for about 90 minutes at a time before needing a break. The Pomodoro Technique promotes working in highly focused, short sprints with micro-breaks in between.

With the goal to maintain hyper-focus during “working time” and allow your mind to reset in-between sprints. Here is what it looks like:

Working time: 25 minutes

Distraction free focused on one single task (no multitasking) striving for a measurable objective (ex: finish report).

Rest: 3-5 minutes

No emails, social media, phone calls, meetings, etc. Safeguard this time to relax and let go of wherever your mind may be racing.

And repeat.

After 4-5 Pomodoro’s (25m sprints), you’ll begin to feel tired due to the hyper-focused nature of the activity and may need an extended break (15 minutes).

Over time you’ll learn what works best for you and can adjust the sprint and break time as you go.

As a high achiever, you’ll want to start with long sprints. I recommend going against your nature and beginning with short 25 minutes sprints before ramping up.

Where studies show that unplanned interruptions increase stress, frustration, workload, effort, and pressure, the power of downtime can alleviate these stressors.

The challenge is staying focused on one task for the entire 25 minutes, undisturbed.

Habit Challenge

As we’ve seen the power of downtime depends on how you spend it. By using your time wisely to re-energize will allow you to come back to work with a new perspective.

Here are 5 ways you can be productive with your downtime:

  1. Movement: Will increase energy levels and release endorphins in the body leading to a more positive mood. A 5-minute walk, stretching or a few push-ups can have a lasting impact.
  2. Nature: Click the link to discover how 40 seconds of connecting with nature can impact your productivity.
  3. Breathing: Meditating or focusing on your breath can help release stress and regain focus.
  4. Gratitude: Put pen to paper and write a few things you’re grateful for and it can help bring back perspective to what’s important to you.
  5. Know Your Why: I re-read my purpose and goals as a daily reminder of what I am working towards and helps when facing difficult challenges.

The power of downtime is necessary to improve productivity and focus. Trying to work straight through your day only leads to diminishing returns on your energy and focus.

Take the time to recharge and allow yourself time to reflect on what you may be stuck on. Begin by incorporating short breaks into your day by using the Pomodoro Technique.