CEO, Clear Impact Consulting Group. Executive Coaching, Leadership Development, Organizational/Team Effectiveness.
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In a recent Forbes article, I described what we call the "vital attitude of co-responsibility." This attitude can be a huge upgrade to the attitude most managers bring to their performance management conversations or, as I call them, performance dialogues. One practical way to embody this attitude of co-responsibility is through a higher and more sophisticated level of feedback.
But first, what do I mean by the attitude of co-responsibility? In my trainings, I ask leaders if their supervisors are co-responsible for how they show up, for how effective they are. They all agree. Then, I ask them if they are therefore co-responsible for the performance of their direct reports. After some thought they agree, sometimes a little more reluctantly. Then, I point out that the structure of their performance management and performance evaluation conversations generally ignore this fact. Their performance conversations are like giving report cards. In speaking to their direct reports, these conversations are more "how you are doing" rather than "how we are doing."
Most managers and direct reports talk about their dislike for performance management and performance evaluation conversations. They both like to avoid them. But performance dialogues are collaborative and engaging, with both parties taking collective responsibility for the overall results. They are in it together and the energy is constructive rather than simply evaluative.
This does not mean that managers never have to point out gaps in performance, areas where current results are not meeting organizational expectations. There may need to be some hard conversations. But even in these situations, managers and their direct reports can be in it together to try to address those discrepancies.
In my original article, I described some of the many ways that managers may be co-responsible for the performance of their direct reports. If co-responsibility makes sense to you, try the four-step feedback process below, which is a concrete way to embody that attitude with your direct reports. Before engaging in a dialogue, let direct reports know you plan to do things differently. Share the structure ahead of time, so employees have time to thoughtfully reflect as well.
Manager To Direct Report About The Manager
To prepare for the dialogue, ask yourself how you have contributed to your direct report's succeses and challenges. That is, how are you co-responsible for your direct report's performance? Here are some reflection questions to consider:
- To what extent have I provided role clarity, access to needed resources and appropriate coaching and mentoring?
- Have I done the best I can to make sure work deadlines are reasonable, and pushed back on my superiors when I think they aren't?
- What is the culture on the team I lead, and how has that impacted my direct report's performance? Does the team have a culture of collaboration, where people help each other out? A culture of competition? A culture of multiple silos?
- What are the factors out of my immediate control that are impacting my direct report, including the overall organizational culture and expectations from more senior leaders?
When you’re ready to share, you can start the conversation with something like, "I've been thinking about my contributions to your current performance and how I might be even more effective in assisting you. I’ve also been thinking about the impact on you of how our team functions, as well as our overall organizational culture and context. Here's what I've come up with."
Direct Report To Manager About The Manager
After sharing your reflections, engage your direct report by asking:
- I've shared with you how, after reflection, I see myself as co-responsible for your performance. What would you like to add to that? And how else might I be of even better support to you going forward?
That doesn't mean that you have the time or resources to do whatever is asked of you, but you can then dialogue about what you can say yes to and what's not possible or reasonable.
Direct Report To Manager About The Direct Report
Now, seek the direct report’s assessment of their own performance. Ask:
- What do you see as your current strengths and challenges, and what might you do to take your performance to the next level?
- What else would further assist you? This could include connections within the organization, resources, etc.
Manager To Direct Report About The Direct Report
Finally, this is where you can give feedback about what you think your direct report can do to perform at an even higher level. I suggest wording it like, “Here's what I've noticed, and what I think you could focus on to increase your effectiveness.”
Whenever I provide this structure, I ask what leaders usually think of when they hear the word "feedback." They see that they jump right to the fourth question, without the assumption of co-responsibility embedded in the first two questions. This is what makes feedback like a report card, rather than a collaborative dialogue where both are in-it-together. I ask them the results of this omission. They say that it makes these conversations more stressful, more blaming, less collaborative, less engaging and less effective.
Some leaders have a hard time being vulnerable enough to acknowledge what they could be doing better. If that's the case, I ask them to consider the different leadership worldviews that are more effective for leading in times of increasing volatility, uncertainty, complexity, ambiguity and rapid change. An unwillingness to have appropriate leadership vulnerability can greatly limit your ability to drive sustainable results and increase employee satisfaction and engagement.
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