The company I’m working for has seen lots of change in the last couple of weeks – management consultant arrives, very senior permanent staff leave, more staff leave, etc., etc.

It’s all good, hopefully, if the consultant delivers. I’d like to get involved, as I have a lot of ideas about how to improve both the production process and (more importantly for a ROI point of view) the business model.

So I’m setting up my own company, and trying to do a full-time job at the same time. There’s a lot of admin to completed before I’m in a place just to let the business run itself and get on with work proper.

Nonetheless, it’s giving me the boost in momentum needed when working in a fairly boring contract. The company I’m currently working is very mixed, for several reasons: it’s recently been bought out, so is going through a merge and cross-over of personnel; its project pipeline is stuffed way beyond what it can handle; its account handlers don’t know that it’s possible (and frequently advisable) to say no to the clients.

The project I’m working on is delayed by creative issues and re-workings (how does Agile deal with creatives?), whilst the technical side is either sown up or can’t move any further without assets.

Aha, creatives and process. I guess the reason that there’s so much written about process from a technical POV is that no-one has a clue how to deal with the bloody creatives. Surely solving that conundrum would make me a millionaire. And the answer’s not just putting one’s foot down and demanding greater adherence to process.

So, this evening’s book is: Ten Minute Guide to Performance Appraisals

and my notes are:

APPRAISALS:

1. “Balanced approach” – give appraisee feedback to review and book the meeting for a couple of days afterwards.

2. provide comfort in the meeting:
- allow appraisee to review notes privately before meeting
- get their participation in setting goals
- self-monitoring feedback system

3. set tone:
- meeting is celebration of accomplishments
- performance, not personal appraisal
- candor and disagreement (disagreement is foundation of future agreement)
- accept responsibility for role in problems
- separate appraisal from salary review (worth saying to Pierre/Jeremy)
- use their suggestions on how they should improve

4. earn appraisee’s trust:
- be interested in their successes
- recognise their contributions
- criticise privately
- treat them as peers
- avoid comparing them to each other
- admit when you’re wrong
- allow them their own devices
- match words and actions

5. forge (emotional) agreements:
- agree on their strengths
- consider language used to discuss improvement opportunities (e.g. “How do you think you can improve your skills?” vs. “What’s the next level of success you want to achieve with these skills?”)
- agreeing the approach:
– allow them to choose their own devices
– if their approach won’t work, use leading questions to help them realise it won’t work
- to get their commitment to measures:
– ask for their estimate of what’s realistic
– ask what obstacles stand in their way
– help devise a plan to remove these obstacles

6. feedback systems:
- put interim goals and deadlines in place to ensure focus
- make it easy for the appraisee to know whether they’ve met those goals
- feedback guides success, recognition rewards success
- communicate expectations
- use communication triggers
- maintain feedback systems
- make it easy for appraisee to monitor own progress

how to minimise time with poor performers?

1. set expectations, with/out agreement
2. set deadlines, with/out agreement
3. create a self-monitoring feedback system
4. tell employee the ball is in his court
5. let him know his choice will determine his future employment

performance appraisals encompass:

1. evaluation of current performance
2. goals for improving that performance
3. definition of future rewards for achieving goals
4. feedback systems for monitoring performance
5. periodic meetings to discuss progress
6. corrective action when they’re struggling

vital components:

1. they can’t improve unless they know current level of performance
2. quantifiable goals, so success measurable
3. knowing what rewards to expect
4. ability to monitor self increases interest in process
5. periodic meetings encourage self-monitoring
6. requirement to report results encourages them to get on with it as don’t want to admit failure
7. corrective action determined in discussions that identify causes of failure

Daily Checklist:

- Have the feedback systems been updated?
- Have I reviewed the feedback?
- Have I publicly recognized all achievements?
- Have I honored my commitments to periodic meetings today?
- Did I earn my employees’ trust today?
- Were there any performance problems that I neglected to address today?
- Are there any concerns that I have that I haven’t expressed to my employees?
- Are there any expectations that I haven’t communicated to my employees today?

Weekly Checklist:

- Have I spent at least a few minutes with every employee this week?
- Have I recognized every employee at least once this week?
- Did I find some interesting ways to celebrate my employees’ success this week?
- Do any of my employees appear to be behind schedule in achieving their goals?
- For the employees who are falling behind, did I take time to discuss their problems and help them get back on track?
- Are any of these employees exhibiting signs of lack of interest or boredom with their work?
- If an employee is developing a morale problem, did I discuss it with her?
- If I’ve had more than two discussions with an employee about morale, did I employ the approach defined in Lesson 14 and place the employee’s future employment in her hands?