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ManagerZine Archive Favorite
3. Feedback: The Ultimate Management Tool
Last summer, we developed a unique format for a management development
program in a large company. The idea was that managers would bring two
kinds of management problems to a clinic-like session: A people performance
issue and a team process issue. In small groups, we dissected each problem
and came up with approaches. It was fun and also revealing.
What kind of people performance problems really bugged managers? After
almost 180 participants, here’s the top four mentions:
Poor managers. Victims of rock ‘n roll culture and blasé schools that under-
prepare people for work? Was this a case of defective employees?
Unmotivated? Unskilled? Overly ambitious? The managers surely thought
so. “Why can’t they send us <<better>> people?”
But wait, there’s more.
A poll this spring by Monster.com shed light on what management consultants
and veteran managers have known for years is at the heart of this problem.
The web poll asked, “When was the last time your manager said ‘Well Done’?”
Of the more than 81,000 respondents, 33% said “Never” and “12%” said “Last
year.” Almost half this population is positive feedback-deprived.
We also know from our experience that if managers do give feedback at all-
and many simply don’t-it’s usually negative or critical.
What does this mean?
Sure, there’s more to it. We’ll peel back some of the layers of dealing with
performance in future issues. Right now, we’d like you to think about how
much and what kind of feedback you give to employees and even colleagues.
When was the last time you got a “Well Done”? Don’t be shy; ask for feedback
from <<your>> manager.
In case you can’t wait, check out Kenneth Blanchard’s One Minute Manager.
Great on basics. For the more on the psych underpinnings, B.F. Skinner,
Beyond Freedom and Dignity. Deep and stimulating.
Team Life Cycles
From Our Far-Flung Readership:
“Our group reorganized several months ago, and
people assumed new roles in serving clients. Instead
of each individual having a separate relationship with
a client, a Relationship Manager was to deal with the
client. The rest of the team were specialists, called in
to the client situation when needed. We started off
with a great deal of enthusiasm and optimism for this
idea. The problem is, despite our best intentions,
within a short time, the team has become political,
filled with cliques and not friendly. We don’t get
information when we should, people get left out of
decisions; there is a lot of conflict. What happened?”
What happened is what happens to every team, usually at the beginning of
the team’s life. The good news is it’s the normal way teams develop, and,
if you know the underlying cause, it’s manageable. The bad news is, left
unattended, this could spin out of control and submerge the team. Or at
least make it a very unhappy place to be.
Here’s the pattern. After the initial phase of forming the team, the work of
the team starts. Because roles are new, processes are not defined nor
well practiced; things are bumpy. If you asked, you might find different
members will report different team goals. People have different
expectations of what the team should do in different situations. There’s
little common ground on “How-To”. When something goes wrong, there’s a
lot of blaming people. People forget they are on a team. Conflict emerges;
it’s one person versus another. In many places, that conflict is never open,
never confronted; it’s submerged and hidden. But it acts like a nutcracker
breaking apart the efficiency of the team.
What’s going on? The team did not pay attention to defining how it would
operate—what the processes would be, what would happen when things
go wrong, who is responsible for what. Operating rules as simple as “Don’
t commit another team member’s time without asking” need to be
formulated. A team needs rules.
The point is that a lot of those rules-the team Constitution, if you will-can’t
really be foreseen until the team starts its work. Things gotta happen. The
key is to recognize that the brand new team is not “finished” unless it has
experienced and successfully dealt with the bad things that can and will
happen.
It’s normal because every team has to experience reality before it can
become truly functional. It’s the Storming Phase of team development. It is
a time to have a really clear perspective of what is going on. It’s <<not>>
because the team is comprised of bad people. The idea is to get your team
through Storming quickly, into Norming, the next phase, where rules
become clearer. That’s a good thin
© 2006 Singularity Group
3. Feedback: The Ultimate Management Tool
Last summer, we developed a unique format for a management development
program in a large company. The idea was that managers would bring two
kinds of management problems to a clinic-like session: A people performance
issue and a team process issue. In small groups, we dissected each problem
and came up with approaches. It was fun and also revealing.
What kind of people performance problems really bugged managers? After
almost 180 participants, here’s the top four mentions:
- Employee not willing, avoids more work 23%
- Poor work habits, lazy, sloppy 17%
- Poor interpersonal skills, ineffective 15%
- Peaked performer, bored 12%
Poor managers. Victims of rock ‘n roll culture and blasé schools that under-
prepare people for work? Was this a case of defective employees?
Unmotivated? Unskilled? Overly ambitious? The managers surely thought
so. “Why can’t they send us <<better>> people?”
But wait, there’s more.
A poll this spring by Monster.com shed light on what management consultants
and veteran managers have known for years is at the heart of this problem.
The web poll asked, “When was the last time your manager said ‘Well Done’?”
Of the more than 81,000 respondents, 33% said “Never” and “12%” said “Last
year.” Almost half this population is positive feedback-deprived.
We also know from our experience that if managers do give feedback at all-
and many simply don’t-it’s usually negative or critical.
What does this mean?
- We believe that many managers aren’t effectively or consistently
using the sharpest tool in the box of management skills-<<Both>>
positive (reinforcing) and corrective feedback. If they were,
performance problems wouldn’t be as big a headache.
- People want and need feedback on how they are doing. Not just pats
on the back; helpful and constructive coaching, too. Done well,
feedback is a powerful key to performance and motivation. In fact,
one of the most powerful.
- Without feedback-or with a steady diet of only critical feedback-most
people assume or imagine no one cares about them or about their
contributions and work becomes hell.
Sure, there’s more to it. We’ll peel back some of the layers of dealing with
performance in future issues. Right now, we’d like you to think about how
much and what kind of feedback you give to employees and even colleagues.
When was the last time you got a “Well Done”? Don’t be shy; ask for feedback
from <<your>> manager.
In case you can’t wait, check out Kenneth Blanchard’s One Minute Manager.
Great on basics. For the more on the psych underpinnings, B.F. Skinner,
Beyond Freedom and Dignity. Deep and stimulating.
Team Life Cycles
From Our Far-Flung Readership:
“Our group reorganized several months ago, and
people assumed new roles in serving clients. Instead
of each individual having a separate relationship with
a client, a Relationship Manager was to deal with the
client. The rest of the team were specialists, called in
to the client situation when needed. We started off
with a great deal of enthusiasm and optimism for this
idea. The problem is, despite our best intentions,
within a short time, the team has become political,
filled with cliques and not friendly. We don’t get
information when we should, people get left out of
decisions; there is a lot of conflict. What happened?”
What happened is what happens to every team, usually at the beginning of
the team’s life. The good news is it’s the normal way teams develop, and,
if you know the underlying cause, it’s manageable. The bad news is, left
unattended, this could spin out of control and submerge the team. Or at
least make it a very unhappy place to be.
Here’s the pattern. After the initial phase of forming the team, the work of
the team starts. Because roles are new, processes are not defined nor
well practiced; things are bumpy. If you asked, you might find different
members will report different team goals. People have different
expectations of what the team should do in different situations. There’s
little common ground on “How-To”. When something goes wrong, there’s a
lot of blaming people. People forget they are on a team. Conflict emerges;
it’s one person versus another. In many places, that conflict is never open,
never confronted; it’s submerged and hidden. But it acts like a nutcracker
breaking apart the efficiency of the team.
What’s going on? The team did not pay attention to defining how it would
operate—what the processes would be, what would happen when things
go wrong, who is responsible for what. Operating rules as simple as “Don’
t commit another team member’s time without asking” need to be
formulated. A team needs rules.
The point is that a lot of those rules-the team Constitution, if you will-can’t
really be foreseen until the team starts its work. Things gotta happen. The
key is to recognize that the brand new team is not “finished” unless it has
experienced and successfully dealt with the bad things that can and will
happen.
It’s normal because every team has to experience reality before it can
become truly functional. It’s the Storming Phase of team development. It is
a time to have a really clear perspective of what is going on. It’s <<not>>
because the team is comprised of bad people. The idea is to get your team
through Storming quickly, into Norming, the next phase, where rules
become clearer. That’s a good thin
© 2006 Singularity Group
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Well-Spoken
"Substantial change
requires an alternation
of the heart."
Anonymous
"If you always do what
you've always done,
you'll always get what
you've always got."
Anonymous
"Substantial change
requires an alternation
of the heart."
Anonymous
"If you always do what
you've always done,
you'll always get what
you've always got."
Anonymous