Skills Library

Performance Management

• Works with employees to set and achieve performance goals aligned to the company’s business goals and objectives

• Provides ongoing, honest and actionable feedback to help individuals correct behaviors and know where they stand

• Sets SMART goals (Specific, Measurable, Aligned, Relevant, Time-bound)

• Listens and asks questions to understand employee’s point of view and provide coaching for further growth and development

• Rewards and recognizes employees and team in a fair and prompt manner

Video tutorials

On-the-job practice

• Set the tone for a feedback culture. As a manager, you’re expected to model the behavior you want your team to exhibit. Actively solicit feedback from your team on your management skills.

  • Try this: Conduct a new manager assimilation to help your employees "get to know" you to lay a foundation for open communications, work planning and problem-solving between you and your direct reports.

  • Try this: Use this 180 Feedback by LifeLabs Learning to request feedback from your employees. 

• Give positive feedback to recognize desired behavior and constructive feedback to correct undesired behavior. Saying “good job” or “do better” is never enough. If you want employees to stop or continue exhibiting that behavior, they need to know exactly what they did and why it was important to you and the company.

  • Try this: Use the SBI Model (Situation, Behavior, Impact) to help guide effective feedback messages.

• Hold effective 1:1’s.

  • Try this: Meet with each of your direct reports every week and use this session as an opportunity to focus on development, engagement, and alignment. A 1:1 is a great time to clarify expectations and coach your reports through challenges. Check out this list of 1:1 meeting questions by Culture Amp.

• Align individual goals to the big picture. Sometimes business goals and purpose are not clear or priorities may change. Employee’s are more likely to perform well when they find meaning and purpose in their role. Help the individual understand how they’re important in the company’s overall success.

  1. Try this: Either during a 1:1 or team meeting, share the relevance and meaning of the each individual’s goals to the organization’s vision. Facilitate a discussion of how your department contributes to that vision. If your employees are performing tasks that do not align to the overall picture, considering realigning the tasks or pushing back on your manager’s requests.

  2. Try this: Communicate priorities to your team and explicitly share which tasks and goals are most important and why. Clarify priorities at least once per month, and help your direct reports translate them into weekly and daily priorities.

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Resources for more inspiration

Articles

• Createdly: The Easy Guide to the Goal Setting Process by Amanda Athuraliya

• Association for Talent Development: 15 Roles Leaders Play to Manage Performance and Accountability by Chris DeVany

• Inc.: New Manager Assimilation: 5 Simple Steps to Setting Up a New Manager For Success by Steve Cadigan

BOOKS

• Fierce Conversations by Susan Scott

• FYI For Your Improvement by Michael Lombardo & Robert Eichinger - Chapter 7: Caring about Direct Reports 

• FYI For Your Improvement by Michael Lombardo & Robert Eichinger - Chapter 12: Conflict Management

• FYI For Your Improvement by Michael Lombardo & Robert Eichinger - Chapter 13: Confronting Direct Reports

• FYI For Your Improvement by Michael Lombardo & Robert Eichinger - Chapter 20: Directing Others

• FYI For Your Improvement by Michael Lombardo & Robert Eichinger - Chapter 34: Managerial Courage

• Radical Candor: Be a Kickass Boss Without Losing Your Humanity by Kim Scott

PODCASTS

• a16z: Giving and Getting Feedback — For Bosses and Employees with Chonal Chokshi and Kim Malone Scott (24m 59s)

• Coaching for Leaders: Giving Constructive Feedback to Others (27m 54s)

• Deloitte Insights: Avoiding the Feedback Monsters by Todd Fonseca and Tim Murphy (18m 9s)

• Kellogg Insight: Give Better Feedback by Ellen Taafe and Eli Finkel (18m 15s)

Videos

• TED Talk: How to Speak So That People Want to Listen by Julian Treasure (9m 55s)

• TED Talk: The Happy Secret to Better Work by Shawn Achor (12m 14s)

• TED Talk: The Puzzle of Motivation by Daniel Pink (18m 33s)

• TED Talk: What Makes Us Feel Good About Our Work? by Dan Ariely (20m 23s)

• TED Talk: Why Good Leaders Make You Feel Safe by Simon Sinek (11m 56s)