If performance metrics are established based upon the “feeling of the manager” then you will achieve misery, anger and fear…which is mutually exclusive of engagement. The measurements must be co-established by employee and manager in reference to the goal set. The employee has the final say over how to complete their own work, with the knowledge of the manager’s goals in context.
Contact Mike to develop team processes and managerial-leadership systems that will increase productivity and completion of great work.
Rhea, her ‘Too Small Manager’ + Objective Measures of Progress and Regress
Rhea, a new hire, recently earned her MBA and had a passion to do great work. She was ready to be engaged in her work and flourish with the company!
She arranged a meeting with her manager to determine her goals and how she would be evaluated throughout the year. The first meeting did not go as expected. When Rhea asked, “Can you share some of my key result areas, and what is expected of me on a monthly basis?” her manager said, “Rhea I would never dream of telling you how to do your work. I hired you because you know what to do and telling you your key result areas and what I expect from you monthly would be undermining your intelligence.”
Rhea left this meeting a little confused but mostly angry. She really wanted to do great work, but wasn’t sure what to do. She decided to set her own goals and do what she felt was right, after all that was what her manager told her to do.
The following week Rhea’s manager asked her to meet him in his office immediately. As soon as Rhea sat down her manager started screaming at her, asking why she did not finish her work on time. The manager said the department would have to work overtime and would be over budget for the month. Rhea explained that had she known the goal, she would have done it. The manager screamed that he could not micromanage everyone.
The following week in a staff meeting the manager publically thanked Rhea for being a team player and continually rising to the challenge—although Rhea was still not too sure what she did or how she rose to the challenge.
If Rhea’s manager stated the expectations of her work initially and shared a goal for that month, Rhea had a chance of staying engaged.
That would have looked like the following:
Manager to Rhea: Rhea’s manager stated that her major key results areas for measurement and evaluation were;
- completing audit forms in a timely and accurate manner each month;
- resolving customer service questions to the set quality standards within 15 business days;
- informing the other staff of product changes at monthly staff meetings;
- maintaining a quality rating of 90% based upon customer surveys.
This would have provided Rhea with some objective goals for her work that could be accomplished whether her manager is happy or sad or absent.
Employees must be able to objectively, on their own, measure progress and regress on work that is meaningful to them. This is accomplished by the competent manager setting contextual goals and the employee working to determine the needed small steps, how to accomplish those small steps and how to know what progress looks like.
It can be fixed…
People join companies, and leave managers…Be the reason people stay with your company
Leaders use Create-Learning’s Exponent Leadership Process to develop the professional, organizational, and emotional skills to be the manager that people look to as the reason to remain with your organization.
Contact Mike call 1.716.629.3678 to discuss making your team and managers better.