A strategically balanced performance management plan is the key to consistently effective leadership, especially when direct reports have responsibility for business development or organizational growth.
The most successful approach not only enables managers to identify opportunities for execution and improvement based on analyzing past activities and outcomes, but to also identify preemptive action steps and strategies that can impact future results while optimizing team and individual performance levels.
Managers who place all or too much focus on analyzing past performance and then go on to initiate improvement plans after-the-fact miss the opportunity to course correct in time to avoid what otherwise might be sub-standard or poor results – in a way, it’s like managing through a rear-view mirror.
A systematic approach also enables leaders to more proactively interact with direct reports. While there are different ways to go about this, here’s a well-tested example consisting of five key components:
- Team building and team motivation are best accomplished when addressing the team in group mode. Therefore, holding regular team meetings is the first component of the system. These meetings should be scheduled at regular intervals – i.e., weekly, bi-weekly or monthly – and conducted on the same day and time each week or month. Or, as media buffs might say, on a “same time / same channel” basis (ST/SC). All team members must attend. The manager must create a compelling agenda for each meeting and must keep the discussion at group level – individual issues or strategies will be addressed in the next step.
The meeting content must be value-added so the team leaves each meeting with useful information that will help them improve customer relationships, discover new opportunities, and be more aware of team achievement and the big picture. A good way to accomplish this on a consistent basis is to create an “agenda template” and build each meeting’s agenda day-by-day, adding relevant information based on input from senior management, personal experience, changes in the competitive landscape, observation, joint customer visits, etc. - The second step involves scheduling regular one-on-one meetings with each team member. These should also be scheduled at regular intervals and conducted in a consistent (ST/SC) manner. The most successful managers create a standard agenda for these sessions so that, in addition to addressing specific situations or customer issues that might arise, discussions also include career goals along with a review of performance and the key activity metrics associated with each direct report’s job.
An action plan should be set at the end of each session. Managers must follow up on this plan (step #4) regularly and should begin each session with a review of the previous meeting’s plan and outcomes. - Step three requires the manager to spend time (ideally at least a part of one day per month) in the field making joint calls with each direct report. This provides the manager with insight into each team member’s skill level, developmental needs, attitude, and work ethic. It also keeps managers in touch with the marketplace and with the business development process. In addition, field time enables managers to develop relationships with customers, which can be significant in times of transition or turnover. Joint calling days also serve as a great source of input for team meetings and one-on-one agendas.
- Next, managers must make proactive contacts (i.e., “base touches”) with team members on a seemingly spontaneous basis. Many people compare this to Hewlett Packard’s well-known practice of Management by Walking Around (MBWA).
These interactions can consist of phone calls, emails, voice mail or in-person conversations. The only two requirements are that they be initiated by the manager (proactive) and that they include an inquiry based on interest rather than confirming compliance. These inquiries should be about a specific activity that the manager and team member had previously discussed – i.e., a presentation or sales call, the resolution of a customer issue, or even something important outside of work.
The impact and value of these impromptu inquiries can be immense. People generally appreciate their manager’s interest, which tends to reaffirm the importance of their work. However, for this step to be effective the manager must be careful to send the right implied message – that is, the intent is to help or show interest (or both), and not to check-up on the person’s work. - The final step is to create an organizational system to keep track of these activities. Many managers use a simple spreadsheet with multiple tabs (one for each direct report). Others prefer a three-ring binder with tabbed sections. Either is effective provided it is kept up to date. Some include the managers “to do” list, which promotes daily use of the tool. This data can also be very useful to managers when planning and conducting annual or semi-annual performance reviews, as it facilitates more comprehensive discussions and opportunities for recognition and/or reinforcement of desired behaviors.