What if there were no more Annual Performance Reviews?

By: Jonathan Creaghan – Solutions for the Human Side of Business 
 

Wow, would that be a relief!  I haven’t met either a leader or staff member in my over 25 years of helping companies grow who relishes the experience.  Stats found in the Psychological Bulletin show that 30% of performance reviews ended up with decreased employee performance.  Another 45% of HR professionals don’t think annual performance reviews are accurate, and according to a recent US poll done for the firm Achiever, 98% of staff found Performance Reviews to be unnecessary.  

So why is the Annual Performance Review so disliked?

o   Typically based on negativity and the past.

o   Doesn’t get to the root of the matter, the real issue, merely the surface reason.

o   Managers actually don’t really know how to help the staff member improve.

o   Most leaders dread doing them – the time, the potential for conflict, and no structure available for follow-up 

 

 

Yet Annual Performance Reviews continue to be administered by 93% of companies as discovered by Professor Edward Lawlor of University of Southern California.  

So why do Performance Reviews continue to be done?  Because leaders have to know how people are doing. It is our nature to measure success. It seems that the APR is so ingrained into the work culture, that to get rid of them would be impossible.  

So maybe going cold turkey and stop doing Annual Performance Reviews will be too difficult, is there an alternative?

Is there a way of measuring performance without enforcing a hated and archaic tool?

A future with of no Annual Performance Reviews that still gets the job done. 

First of all drop the word “review”. This implies a past. Use new language such as “development” or “growth process.”  Terms which mean/reference a vision of improvement and focus on movement forward. 

Next get rid of the word “annual”. Because these discussions should never be annual.  It can be too late to let someone know how they are doing. Isn't it better to allow them be able to look into the future and show them how they can progress? A road map that shows them where the next destination can be, and then help them get there? 

Finally focus not on “performance”, which is an outcome, rather focus on that which defines their performance: Behaviour.  Behaviour is the answer, the tool to use to get the outcome, to get the performance.   

So the answer is a roadmap that defines the path and defines a clear set of behaviours (or stages) to follow that ultimately achieves a high performing outcome.  Where the person is measured along the way. 

Of course in sales it is clearer whether someone is succeeding or not. Is she or he hitting their sales numbers? But even here the focus is usually on performance rather than the behaviours necessary to achieve the performance.

It is my belief that by providing a relevant and pragmatic experience that occurs on a regular basis, both the leader assisting the employee, and the employee will then respond positively and see results, and the company will be stronger for it. 

 

Copyright © 2015, Jonathan Creaghan all rights reserved  

                Jonathan Creaghan helps clients transform themselves and their workplaces.  He believes that businesses ultimately succeed or fail because of the human factor.  He teaches people to think differently, to see reality with fresh eyes when solving issues that impede them, whether personal or business.  Jonathan provides “Solutions for the Human Side of Business”.  www.jonathancreaghan.com  

Jonathan is the creator of the TotalLeader® 21 Leadership Assessment and TotalLeader® Development Program. He is the author of several books including Duxter’s Leap, Thinking Differently® about… Getting More Done, Succession.  His books are published around the globe in several languages.  Jonathan is also a sought after contributor for leadership blogs originating in North America and the Middle East.

 

For more information on  Jonathan Creaghan:

-       www.jonathancreaghan.com  

-       jonathan@jonathancreaghan.com  

-       519.472.2562

The 3 Secrets to Progress up the Corporate Ladder: Being (Part #3)

High Performing Leadership: Secrets for Progressing up the Corporate Ladder

Part#3 Being

By Jonathan Creaghan

                                             3. Being (Executives and CEO’s)

                                             2. Wisdom (Management and Directors)

                                                                                   

                                                 1. Knowledge  (supervisor & team leads)

3. The Role of Being

We can define being as who you are, it is your nature. That if there were no barriers in the way, you would operate freely and easily from this inner state. This is not the short-term emotional reaction of: “I am happy, sad, satisfied”, rather it’s the long-term deeper state that you operate from daily.  Leaders demonstrate who they are every day, whether they are conscious of it or not. But, few are aware of their impact on the company or their team.

At Being there is a shift from emotion to states of being and power.

           

Energy Draining Emotions Force	Energy Growing States Power
Insecurity and unease	Inner belief in self, others, and the world
Fear	Courage, willingness
Impatience	Strategic Patience
Reaction	Reason
Excitement	Passion

It is easy to use emotions to get things done. But it can be exhausting and counter productive over time.  The strategies that we use to succeed very often become counter productive over time as complexity and issues become larger. Driving change, growth and success take a great deal of energy. This in turn must be sustained with constant new sources to feed from.

States of being on the other hand don’t require external feeding stations, rather they come from within the person. For instance ‘Acceptance’ is not a weakness, but is the recognition of the reality of a situation where one is able to distinguish between what can be controlled and what can’t be. This allows for a focus of energy on productive actions, not a spraying of energy. I am not saying that anger can’t be useful on certain situations, but at the level of being, it is a tool not a way of leading.

‘Acceptance’ is not a weakness, but the recognition of a situation where one is able to distinguish between what can be controlled and what can’t be.

Likewise fear, which is prevalent within companies, can no doubt allow some people to ensure they do their best. Fear of failure, fear of looking bad, fear of poverty can be a great motivator to become very successful.  However in the long run fear suppresses and creates inaction and hesitation. Companies that operate from this place over time are less productive and make more mistakes, than those which operate from courage and willingness.

Being gets translated through action and behaviour. Every action, facial expression, statement and reaction are noticed and catalogued by staff. This information is then stored, and behaviour is adapted based on these collected experiences. Timing to approach the leader, even amount, type, and currency of information shared is defined by the judgments formed over time by staff.  Even how the information gets interpreted is shaped by the emotional lens it is viewed through.

Ethical and values based companies succeed. The values and ethics are determined by the state of being of the executive group.  These in turn get translated through their behaviour and decisions to everyone else:  staff, suppliers, customers and the community at large.

It is clear that every person brings who they are to the job, whether Supervisor or CEO, but as advancement occurs the attention gets placed in a different way.  Knowledge is important at first, but as one progresses, Wisdom shared (and invited to be shared), becomes more important until is understood that what drives the organization to success, is the quality of the person at the top (their Being).

The 3 Secrets to Progress up the Corporate Ladder: Wisdom (Part #2)

High Performing Leadership: Secrets for Progressing up the Corporate Ladder

Part#2 Wisdom

By Jonathan Creaghan

                                             3. Being (Executives and CEO’s)

                                             2. Wisdom (Management and Directors)

                                                                                   

                                            1. Knowledge  (supervisor & team leads)

2. The Role of Wisdom

At some point you require a new set of answers, and begin to accumulate thoughts about “how the world works”, making more philosophical conclusions that help you gain clarity around how to successfully maneuver through life. You seek wisdom.

“Seek wisdom”

A definition of wisdom can be: “the accumulation of experience, translated into insight and applied in such a way as to make life easier for you and others around you.”

Of course there are wise supervisors, but it is at a management level that wisdom starts to pay off. As you partner knowledge with experience and insight, you come to the startling revelation that the more you know, the less you actually know -- this is OK. It can in fact be freeing.  You will never know it all, so allow others to know it for you. Train them on what you are looking for, and ensure they can provide the information in a way that is clear and constructive. This will not only help you, but also help them to gain confidence and recognition useful contributors to the department. A wise manager uses the right information effectively, and operates with the goal of efficiency of energy and mental capacity. No need to over think. Speak less be heard more. 

You will never know it all, so allow others to know it for you.

Modern day managers need to operate from a position of wisdom. If you are a manager relying only on knowledge, then you are not tapping into the full potential of your team. The wise manager is prepared to share, coach, and lead their team to thrive in the context of achieving outcomes and goals. He or she will share their wisdom with others and vice versa tap into their wisdom to make life easier for all. In so doing create extraordinary results.

From Wisdom to Being and into the ranks of the C-suite

It is without doubt in my mind that “who” the most senior leader is as a person (i.e. their Being), has a profound effect on the success of the company.

The leap out of wisdom and into being is the understanding of who you are and how you operate in the world.  Many times the owner of a company will garner the greatest respect from their staff because of how he treat others and who he is (values, beliefs, strengths and personality), and not because he is the president of the company. A title is not a permission slip to lead. Operating from this position is the easiest way to live and achieve your goals. There are no pretensions, no need to make stuff up or be insecure.

(To be continued..........next week, "Being")

Copyright © 2015, Jonathan Creaghan all rights reserved

The 3 Secrets to Progress up the Corporate Ladder: Knowledge (Part #1)

High Performing Leadership: Secrets for Progressing up the Corporate Ladder

Part#1 Knowledge

By Jonathan Creaghan

 3. Being (Executives and CEO’s)

2. Wisdom (Management and Directors)

                                                                                   

1. Knowledge  (supervisor & team leads)

1. Role of Knowledge

At this initial level we are interested in the world of day-to-day living and concrete issues where knowledge and practical skills help us to live successfully. What you know, the courses you have taken, the books you have read, the apprenticeships taken, certifications received, and degrees you have attained are all important. This level includes the information and guidance your family passed on to you (their wisdom is your knowledge). It is also the collective information we naturally have within us, gathered through osmosis.

We have been in the age of reason for over 500 years. Our society is driven by knowledge and rational thought. It is not surprising that from a leadership perspective knowledge is deemed to be critical. Knowledge of a job, of people, markets, finance, sales, product and so on are needed. And very often progress through the company is based on ones ability to translate knowledge into performance.

Knowledge in partnership with performance is critical to supervisors and team leaders, who not only need to have it to be respected by others, but need it to achieve the goals of the organization.  Knowledge of the job, knowledge of people, knowledge of processes and goals of the team or department is important at this level.

“Knowledge of the job, knowledge of people, knowledge of processes is important at this level”

Knowledge can get in the way though when it becomes the overriding driver for success. In sales departments this occurs when people who use their lack of knowledge as an excuse to stay in the office to learn more about products or sales techniques, rather than actually getting out to sell.  Likewise there are people in leadership positions who believe that hoarding information will ensure job security, when in reality this actually limits their growth and advancement possibilities.  

Here is the crux of the matter if you want to grow and rise up through the ranks: “It is not what you know that will get you there, it’s what you need to know but do not yet know which is critical.” This may be a gap in knowledge about yourself, others, or the company. You can obtain knowledge by observing, having curiosity, asking questions and being honest about yourself and your limitations.  The level of knowledge, is about discovery and observation.  Listen and be open to new experiences, and seek the truth.

“It is not what you know that will get you there, it’s what you need to know but do not yet know which is critical”

To move into Management, advance from Knowledge to Wisdom

The movement from knowledge to wisdom is discovery that the more you know the less you actually know. The constant drive to control and know all things as a leader is not possible. As one progresses up the ladder, knowledge has to give way to something else. The complexity of the job is greater, the responsibility is heavier and ones ability to get work done shifts from activity base to meetings, dependence on specific kinds of information, and thinking. Reliance on knowledge alone can be a crutch.

People are seeking you out for your knowledge, but for you to be extraordinary and move up to the next level, they need to be looking for something more in you. 

(To be continued.........next week, Part #2 "Wisdom")

What if you couldn’t procrastinate?

Why labeling behaviour is distracting.

 

Article #6 – Solutions for the Human Side of Business - By: Jonathan Creaghan

 

What if believing in the concept of procrastination was the issue, and all the energy you are spending worrying about procrastinating was the problem? Imagine if you took that misspent energy and redirected it to getting into action.

 

 

Now I am not saying we don’t push activities back, but maybe there is a true reason for the inactivity. But to label an inaction merely gives another chance to feel guilty, for not getting something done when you feel you “should” have.  

There may be an underlying cause: 

1.      You may be going against your natural rhythm.

2.      The creative process sometimes requires space or "downtime" to fully form.

3.      More information is needed to make a decision or take action.

4.      You don't believe that what you want -- is what you want.

5.      You don't really want to do - what you think you “should” do.

6.      It's not yet time.

7.      You don't trust yourself.

8.      The task is overwhelming when envisioned in your mind.

9.      Habit and conditioning.

 

When talking to people about the issue of “Getting More Done”, there can be a freedom around letting go of the guilt and panic of not having completed something on your terms.

“Follow your natural rhythm” 

A Sales Rep for a steel fabrication company, who makes many presentations, would often leave the task to the last minute and create a presentation the night before. When we discussed this, he was under the false assumption that there was a “right way” of creating and so he thought he “should” have taken more time, he felt bad when he would “push off the preparation till the last minute”.

 However, when he looked truthfully at how he operates, he found he was creating the content and mulling it over in his mind over several days anyway. So that by the time he was ready to actually write his presentation, it flowed through him easily and quickly. What would have taken him days to construct and write, took him a few hours. He was able to tap into his creativity much more powerfully.  

Now it may be your nature to work in small pieces over time. If that is the case, go for it. It’s important to acknowledge your own work strategy.

The issue was never so called procrastination; he discovered the real issue was trusting himself and how he actually worked, then learning how to maximize his natural rhythm.

The issue was never about procrastination ... real issue was trusting himself, how he worked, and learning to maximize his natural rhythm

Today he works much more smoothly and efficiently, achieving more and spending less time doing so, as his mind is clear and focused on the task at hand. But more importantly, when he works -- he works, and when he doesn’t -- he doesn’t. No lost energy.

 

 

 Labeling behaviour is distracting. Who came up with the word procrastination anyway? How does it truly help knowing that there is a name for something you are doing?  When you lift the veil on labeling this kind of behaviour, you are free to explore the real reason. Get to work or don’t, you’ll get it done when it needs to be done. It just might be on different terms than you thought.

 

Copyright © 2014, Jonathan Creaghan all rights reserved

 

Beyond Motivation Is Decision

The importance of  Consistent Motivation.

 Article #5 –  Solutions for the Human Side of Business - By: Jonathan Creaghan  

 I had a wonderful conversation with a friend about why some people achieve their goals and others don’t. He had been sharing his experience of feeling excited about working out and losing weight. For the first month his determination was high, and then it waned after he injured himself during a workout session. His commitment to his goal fizzled out. Frustrated with himself, he couldn’t get back to his original regime and enthusiasm.

 

 We have all been there — we start something with vigour and passion, only to find our excitement and energy naturally dissipates after a while. The problem is that we interpret this waning as a loss of interest, making it difficult to overcome the natural ups and downs we are inevitably going to face.  

I can imagine your heads nodding as I write this. The issue is not the loss of enthusiasm, the issue is where you have placed your attention and energy. Typically, we place a great deal of emphasis on the initial excitement and passion we feel for our cause, and rely on that unbridled energy to move us forward. This energy, which is difficult to sustain because of its naive nature, can disappear very quickly at the first set back.

 

 

The same pattern can be seen in companies wanting to improve: great beginning, but short-lived follow through.  If we feel enthusiastic, we move forward. If we feel we’ve lost that energy, we panic and question our decision — or worse, beat ourselves up for losing it. An enormous amount of time is spent wondering why we are not excited any more. Our mistake is relying on a passion that isn’t deep enough to handle varying external conditions or fragile internal emotions. Shift your focus away from whether you are excited, and you will see that this lost energy can be directed to a re-commitment to the original purpose.

 

“Goal is to be efficient and economical with your actions”

 

Contrary to what you hear from most motivational speakers, you don’t need to get up every morning feeling passionate about your life. Nor is it necessary to be excited about your goal every moment. You don’t need to artificially build yourself up. The energy it takes to do so is energy better spent on just achieving what you want. The goal is to be efficient and economical with your actions right now. When you do this, you can then maintain the higher levels of energy and focus over a longer period of time, and ultimately achieve your goal faster.  

It is never about the level of sustained enthusiasm, it’s about the efficient use of energy and focus over time at an appropriate level to create quality outcomes. And believe it or not, this is easily attainable. You just decide to do it.

 

 

 

Excerpt from Jonathan’s upcoming book

 Beyond: Finding Freedom and Meaning in the Everyday

 

Speak Less, Be heard More!!!

The importance of "Listening" 

 Article #4 – Solutions for the Human Side of Business - By: Jonathan Creaghan  

In sales situations how much potential service opportunities and money is left on the table by not truly focusing on the client in front of you, but rather keeping to the way you think the meeting should go?

 

 

Case Study

The sales rep representative for an automotive company (let’s call him Michael) was directed to collect the tooling costs from a Japanese tier one customer. His goal was half a million dollars that was due. His usual strategy was to try to anticipate the other person like a general going to war. Playing out in his head the arguments he would receive, and his rebuttals. He would keep control of the situation. But this time he decided to play differently.

 

The idea of going through the meeting to prepare is a well suggested practice, but what happens if things don’t go as planned? Can you move with the meeting, staying flexible to meet the unpredictable?

 

Follow these basic rules:

1.       Keep your outcome clear in your head but not how it gets achieved

2.       Stay relaxed and open to the direction of the meeting – keeping it on track if needed but staying flexible to new opportunities

3.       Listen intently with your ears, eyes, and instincts. Listen for the deeper message

4.       Ask questions for clarification and feedback what you think you heard

5.       Focus completely on the other person - trying not to anticipate or complete their thoughts or sentences for them

6.       Meet people at their level of understanding

 

 

Case Study - Outcome

Keeping those six rules in mind forced Michael to speak less, allowing the relationship to evolve naturally. As his mind settled and his awareness grew, he heard clues and information that were new to him and which he was able to use. This deeper attention took the meeting out of the adversarial mind-set and into a new place of relationship and trust. The tier one buyer exclaimed after many minutes into the meeting “Michael san, finally we connect. Now we can do business!” It seems the buyer wanted something different anyway. Michael didn’t walk out with half a million dollars, he walked out with $1.75 million and advice on future bidding.

 

Trust yourself, trust others and trust the process

 

The buyer heard Michael more clearly, and Michael heard the buyer. Less talking means talking at the right time, saying the right things with the right level of intensity to be heard clearly. Sales meetings are about developing or reinforcing  trust. Let the trust evolve.