Managing a Performance Gap
Very short session for Managers who cannot spend several days on management training. Very intensive, solution oriented, one day workshop. Includes fundamentals on Coaching, Performance deviations & measures, MBO, Human interaction.
What exactly means: Managing a performance gap ?
It means :
- Giving direct appropriate support so that the Employee will reach the assigned objectives.
- Creating a working environment in which the Employee will perform according to expectations. The environment should be favorable for the deployment of competencies and should be motivational enough to perform more than average.
- Making sure that the "good behaviors and attitudes" are recognized, rewarded and promoted year after year.
- Creating a special "emotional link", based on trust, between the Manager and the Employee.
- Having a clear coaching process in place.
- Knowing what to look for and how to interact in case of deviation.
Key points on "coaching" :
- Always act in a way that will help your Employee to be more successful.
- Think and act like a Manager, be attentive to the words you are using and to the tone of your voice.
- Do not play the "amateur psychologist". You observe behaviors and results, not people minds and values. You notice attitudes, you do not analyze the reasons behind.
- You recruit and hire the behaviors, competencies and acts of people, not their souls or personalities.
- Listen carefully to solutions and alternatives, listen to questions. Ask for more !
- You should manage competencies: they can change and they can be measured. You have to see some improvements taking place.
- Make sure that you see "deviations from an established norm" more than "mistake" or "things you dislike".
- It is OK to catch somebody doing something wrong. Most of us are good at it ! How about being also good at catching somebody doing something well? It is very motivating to say : I like what you are doing right now! Most Employees will react in a way to get more of those positive comments, provided they are real and not manipulative.
Process for Managing a performance gap :
- Analyzing the deviation
- Applying coaching step by step
- Apply Management by Objectives (MBO)
1. Analyzing the deviation :
- Define clearly the problem: what are we talking about (facts, numbers, expectations, descriptions, dates, duration, percentages, etc...)
- Make sure the Employee agrees with the deviation level or with the problem.
- Is it very important, is it worth spending time and energy?
- Does the Employee know how important it is?
- Does she or he has the tools to act differently?
- Does she or he has the competencies?
- Does she or he knows how to do?
- Did anybody told the Employee what could be the consequences of acting in that way?
- Did the Employee have a chance to act differently in the future?
- Does she or he know the mission and objectives well enough?
- And more than anything else : ARE YOU A MODEL FOR THE EMPLOYEE?
2.Coaching step by step :
Follow those steps and the order :
- Know exactly what is the deviation, from what norm, with enough concrete facts.
- Choose the environment where the coaching will take place: a separate confidential room. Not the Employee's work place, nobody should notice what is happening.
- The coaching follow-up can be done on the work place, in a smooth way.
- Make you that you and the Employee agree on the problem definition. Do not start unless you get an agreement on the performance gap.
- Share the cause and effects, the facts, the "why" it happened.
- Share and discuss different solutions or suggestions for improvements.
- Agree on one and only one clear action plan. Do not leave the room without an agreed action plan. In the action plan, the level of performance and expected results should be redefined and the understanding should be checked.
- Be the person with questions, not with answers
- Be positive, constructive, fair, smart.
- Listen well, remember that when you are upset you do not listen well.
- Make sure you notice improvements rapidly on the work place. If you see improvement, let the Employee know what you saw. If you do not see improvement, do not wait too long, say it rapidly too.
3.Apply Management by Objectives
- Create a set of measurable objectives for each Employee at the beginning.
- Review objectives achievement regularly with each Employee. After 3 months then after each year.
- Manage the Department global objectives as well.
- Set challenging objectives each year, with growing difficulty
- For each objective not met, make sure you write a detailled action plan on how to achieve it better in the near future
- Train yourself on Management by Objective theory & practice
- Use performance evaluation models and tactical plans to record objectives and achiements
How to fail in "Managing a performance gap" ?
- You talk and you do not listen
- Stay at your desk
- Do not wander around
- Do not socialize with Employees
- Analyze people thinking, mind, motives
- Believe that people are paid anyway, so they do not need attention
- Think that if Employees are successful, this is rewarding enough in itself
- Think that if someone fail, she or he is a failure
- Think that Employees will cheat anyway, will take advantages, will fail if not controled...
Summary
- Coaching is an important management tool to manage a performance gap
- It aims at improving Employee's behaviors and results
- It is a one to one process
- First you must assign measurable objectives
- The process is based on a deviation which has been observed and described
- The process starts with an agreement on the deviation
- You share solutions for improvements. More than one!
- You end the process with an action plan
- You make sure the Employee have the competencies needed, the tools needed and a proper environment
- You manage performance gap by wandering around, not by staying at your desk
- You catch Employee doing something good, not only the ones doing something wrong!
Who should attend :
Any Manager or Project leader willing to get better results in his or her team.
Any Leader having low performers in the team.
Seminar logistics :
- The seminar duration is: most probably one day intensive
- It includes many workshops with direct feed-back.
- Real cases will be analyzed and debriefed
- Participants will get information on their management style, strengths and weakness'
- Participants leave the class with an action plan
- It is organized as an in-company program, with up to 10 participants
- Seminar in French or English
Price and specific needs on demand at: info@csiconsultants.com
Includes personality analysis, manuals, mini assessment.
Travel, meals and lodging not included.