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-- INSIDE TRACK --
- An E-zine for Tomorrow's Organizational Leaders -
PNA Incorporated
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Vol. <# here>, Issue <# here>
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IN THIS ISSUE: FIVE IMMEDIATE WAYS TO IMPROVE JOB PERFORMANCE
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TABLE OF CONTENTS:
1) Editor's Notes
2) Feature Article: âFIVE IMMEDIATE WAYS TO IMPROVE JOB PERFORMANCEâ
3) Tips & Tricks
4) Questions & Answers
5) About Our Company
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1) EDITOR'S NOTES
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Over the past year or so, our mailing list has grown enormously.
We want to be certain that everyone on that list still wants to
receive our mailings, so we're going to send everyone a request to
RE-CONFIRM their membership of the list. That way, no one should
receive newsletters from us who no longer wants them.
When you receive your confirmation request, just click on the
link to go on receiving "Inside Track." Otherwise, you will be
removed from our mailing list.
We thought we would do something a little different with the PNA
newsletter...a new look and feel, a new format and new content.
Over the past few weeks so many things in my life have become new
and different.
I've just returned from maternity leave after giving birth to my
first child, Jensyn Andree, who arrived on July 20, 3 1/2 weeks
earlier than we expected her. She is the most beautiful little
girl in the world -- but don't most new parents think that of
their child? She is now almost 8 weeks old and doing great. I'm
lacking a bit of sleep, but otherwise no worse for the wear. The
journey to parenthood has been incredible so far, helped
tremendously by the parenting e-zines I have subscribed to over
the past few months.
As if having a child wasn't enough, we decided to purchase a new
home which was scheduled to be complete just a few days prior to
Jensyn's arrival. Her early appearance altered our plans a bit as
you can imagine! I think the chaos that I have experienced over
the past couple of months is what some organizations experience on
a daily basis: Not quite knowing what to expect, not being quite
organized and not being quite ready.
And so, "The Inside Track" is born -- offering an ongoing dialogue
to valued clients and friends of PNA Inc in an effort to provoke
thoughts, share techniques and ideas and offer new ways to
approach old problems. I hope the insights and tips provided will
have a positive impact for your business.
Best wishes,
Martine Berreitter
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2) ** FEATURE ARTICLE **
"FIVE IMMEDIATE WAYS TO IMPROVE JOB PERFORMANCE"
by Adrian W. Savage
1) Describe the job FULLY...
Nobody can do a good job if they aren't sure what they're supposed
to be doing -- or what the boss and the business expects.
Okay, you all know this. But do you know that job descriptions and
competency frameworks don't provide enough information to deal
with this need?
Here's why. There are two parts to understanding a job. One is
WHAT you must do -- the duties, responsibilities and general
standards to be met. The other is HOW you're expected to approach
these.
Should you stick firmly to the established procedures -- or show
significant initiative? To focus on short-term wins or on long-
term possibilities, even if it costs a little right now? Maybe
both? Sure, but how much of each? Which is more important?
Over the years, organizations have developed better and better
ways to describe what jobs contain. But we've largely ignored a
key aspect of performance: how the job should be approached.
2) Clarify expectations...
Let's suppose there are two managers leading similar projects,
both competent, committed and hard-working and both reporting to
the same VP. Yet Manager 1 gets an A rating for performance and
Manager 2 gets C. Why is this?
The VP who's their boss has many "soft" (i.e. qualitative) ideas
and expectations about their roles, as well as the "hard" ones in
the job descriptions and competency lists. In judging performance,
what matters most to her is someone who does everything laid down
but adds a spark of initiative and strategic viewpoint. It's that
which will move you from C to A.
3) Communicate, communicate, communicate...
Sadly, the organization is strong on "hard" data, but hasn't got
a consistent way to communicate the rest -- the crucial elements
that make for better performance. Failing on the "hard" data will
get you fired in short order. But meeting them without the extra,
qualitative requirements gets you a C performance rating at the
most. In that organization, "soft" aspects of the job are left to
individual supervisors to handle, with very variable results.
Let's go back to Manager 2. He sees Manager 1 getting the praise,
but doesn't see why. She's no more able than he is. He checks his
job description and his objectives: he's meeting all of them. He
checks the competency list: again, no problem. From his viewpoint,
he's doing an excellent job and not getting the recognition due
for it. It must be because the VP doesn't like him, he thinks.
So his motivation falls and with it his performance. The VP sees
this as proof the C rating was right -- even generous. She tries
to coach him to perform better, but there's no clear way to
explain exactly what's missing. It comes out as a series of vague
needs to "take a broader viewpoint" and "cope better with change."
The downward spiral continues until Manager 2 leaves or is fired.
An able, committed person is lost for no good reason.
What would it take to rescue him and raise his performance from C
to B, or even A?
The root of the difficulty is communication. Manager 2 -- and most
of his colleagues, probably -- are used to getting nothing but
"hard" job information. Organizations badly need new ways to
communicate the crucial qualitative, "soft" requirements for good
performance in a way that is just as objective and rigorous. Only
then will it be given equal importance with the "hard" data people
are used to getting.
4) Limit "unforced errors"...
In the business world, forced errors occur when the competition
has a better business model, better product, better service or
better strategy. They outplay us. We struggle to keep up and make
even more mistakes because of the pressure.
An unforced error is a mistake made without any reason other than
lack of skill or composure. The fewer mistakes you make, the more
likely you will win.
Misalignment is the most common source of unforced errors. If
teams become so misaligned that they expend their energy in
political games rather than co-operate for the common benefit; or
if individuals are no longer aligned with their roles, the result
will always be a series of unforced errors that will cost the
organization dearly. The player who makes fewest mistakes is most
likely to win, even against a generally superior opponent.
Habit is the most common cause of misalignment. We all suffer from
a tendency to trust in what has worked before, even when it's
obvious it isn't working this time. We miss the signs of change,
misinterpret essential information and regard stubborn adherence
to past precedent as determination and courage. If something isnât
working, the only rational course of action is to do something
different, not reinterpret reality to explain why it ought to work.
5) Don't over-supervise...
We've inherited a set of management ideas that is guaranteed to
make things worse: ever closer supervision of supposed poor
performers.
Most people value independence and work that's interesting and
stimulating. Loss of performance is attributed to them personally
â not to trying to cope with a poorly define role in a muddled
structure â so their supervisor responds in the way most of us
have been taught: by increasing supervision.
Close supervision is seen as oppressive. Independence and interest
are lessened. Work becomes more stressful and less exciting. The
response varies from nervous compliance to outright rebellion.
Either way, it's seen as a further symptom of the performance
problem and supervision is tightened again. The spiral continues,
until the subordinate leaves, gets fired or becomes so nervous
about doing anything the boss hasn't pre-approved that he or she
gets labeled as âlacking in commitmentâ or âlow on initiative.â
The cure worsened the problem until it has become impossible to
treat.
The answer is taking the time to find out the true cause of the
situation. Is it individual incompetence or (more likely)
uncoordinated expectations and poorly designed roles. If managers
don't investigate fully before jumping into action that inflame
the problem rather than curing it, we'll continue to waste
valuable talent through using organizational âtruthsâ and
structural systems that are outmoded and ineffective.
(c) 2004 Adrian W. Savage
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Adrian has published more than 25 articles in leading British and
American publications and has been featured in articles in The New
York Times, The Wall Street Journal, USA Today and The Chicago
Tribune. His white papers have been featured in numerous web and
print journals. He now lives in Tucson, Arizona, with his wife and
devotes himself to writing, traveling and enjoying the desert.
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3) TIPS & TRICKS
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1. Quick Results Count
Many coaches find that people produce elaborate plans to
improve their performance, only to forget about them after a few
weeks. Try limiting development objectives to those that can be
linked to current tasks and setting a review date every week.
Once people see how the changes they're making impact "real"
tasks, they'll give them enough importance to make sure they
aren't swamped by daily needs.
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2. Too Much of a Good Thing...
Recruiters sometimes match people and job needs TOO closely. The
result is a recruit who exactly matches today's job needs, but
can't (or won't) change when the job changes.
Try adding a strong QUALITATIVE element to selection: what people
are most comfortable doing and how strong their habits are. People
with very firmly entrenched habits find it much less acceptable
to make changes.
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3. "Why Didn't You TELL Me...?"
Ever been caught by this? Wasting your time on something, because
the person you were doing it for didn't tell you clearly what was
expected? You could have done it easily too...only now you've made
a muddle you could have avoided. Why didn't they tell you? Was it
so hard?
Apparently, yes. Many managers have firm ideas about what they
want their people to do -- and how it must be done. Trouble is,
those ideas never leave their heads. They don't communicate them
clearly. They don't communicate them in time. Often, they assume
the other person already knows.
The results are frustration, waste and poor performance. And they
are all needless. Communication isn't a "nice to have.' It's the
heart and soul of leadership.
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4) QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
Q: Whenever we recruit for key posts, we run into uncertainty and
disagreements about what we should be looking for. Is there
any way to resolve these differences before we get to a shortlist?
A: The people who must approve the appointment seem to have quite
different ideas about what's needed to do the job well. Why not
ask them each to profile the role independently, then compare the
answers and isolate major differences well in advance. That will
allow enough time for everyone to reach a consensus about the
requirements candidates need to match -- before the interview
process starts.
Q: We're a technological organization, so many of our people are
"techies." Yet we also have some key roles where you need empathy
as well as brains. Is there any way we can discover which of our
people would be best suited to such roles?
A: You need to be able to discover strengths people have, but
aren't using every day. Most "techie" roles won't allow the job
holder to show what ability he or she has in forming relationships
or acting with empathy. But PNA's Strategic Focus questionnaire
will show instantly who can combine the two areas you need --
regardless of whether that person has ever been asked to show it
before.
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5) ABOUT OUR COMPANY
PNA DecisionReadyâ Solutions provide a complete toolkit for
identifying and managing people's strengths and unused potential.
Our web-based data collection and analysis methods are quick,
inexpensive and objective.
Use them to target development; match the right people with the
right roles; help people perform at their best; manage career
progress for performance and retention; and make the most of your
current resources.
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====> FEEDBACK
Your feedback is always welcome and appreciated! Write us at
mailto:<your e-mail>.
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