Feedback the Toastmasters method

One of the key skills that we practice as Toastmasters is how to give people feedback on their performance.  Feedback happens at every single meeting, every single week for every single person.

We have a three step method for giving people feedback that is tried and true and builds people up rather than pulling them down.  It goes something like this -

1. Commend.  Start with telling people what they did right.  Focus on the positives of someones performance.  This way you build them up and they are receptive to receive the recommendation that you have for them.
2. Recommend.  Pick a oint or two (at very maximum three) and let the person know some tips on how they could do better next time.
3. Commend again.  Find other postive aspects of the person and build them up.  This way you leave people with a positive feeling and the person will know that the next time they will be treated the same way.

The great thing about this method is that it suits everyone no matter what level or how experienced they are.  So for new people you spend a lot of time looking at the positives and for the negatives you start with the surface issues and then build them up again at the end.

For people who have been in the game a bit longer you can focus more on the finer points of their performance and hone in on specific aspects.

Another great thing is that in a Toastmasters meeting you only ever have 2 to 3 minutes to comment on someones performance.  There is no time to spare and no time to waste your words.  So the feedback giver needs to be succinct in their approach and wise in their approach.

Performance Appraisal Jargon - Demistyfied

Performance evaluation translations

A keen analyst: Thoroughly confused.

Accepts new job assignments willingly: Never finishes a job.

Active socially: Drinks heavily.

Alert to company developments: An office gossip.

Approaches difficult problems with logic: Finds someone else to do the job.

Average: Not too bright.

Bridge builder: Likes to compromise.

Character above reproach: Still one step ahead of the law.

Charismatic: No interest in any opinion but his own.

Competent: Is still able to get work done if supervisor helps.

Conscientious and careful: Scared.

Consults with co-workers often: Indecisive, confused, and clueless.

Consults with supervisor often: Very annoying.

Delegates responsibility effectively: Passes the buck well.

Demonstrates qualities of leadership: Has a loud voice.

Displays excellent intuitive judgement: Knows when to disappear.

Displays great dexterity and agility: Dodges and evades superiors well.

Enjoys job: Needs more to do.

Excels in sustaining concentration but avoids confrontations: Ignores everyone.

Excels in the effective application of skills: Makes a good cup of coffee.

Exceptionally well qualified: Has committed no major blunders to date.

Expresses self well: Can string two sentences together.

Gets along extremely well with superiors and subordinates alike: A coward.

Happy: Paid too much.

Hard worker: Usually does it the hard way.

Identifies major management problems: Complains a lot.

Indifferent to instruction: Knows more than superiors.

Internationally known: Likes to go to conferences and trade shows in Las Vegas.

Is well informed: Knows all office gossip and where all the skeletons are kept.

Inspires the cooperation of others: Gets everyone else to do the work.

Is unusually loyal: Wanted by no-one else.

Judgement is usually sound: Lucky.

Keen sense of humor: Knows lots of dirty jokes.

Keeps informed on business issues: Subscribes to Playboy and National Enquirer.

Listens well: Has no ideas of his own.

Maintains a high degree of participation: Comes to work on time.

Maintains professional attitude: A snob.

Meticulous in attention to detail: A nitpicker.

Mover and shaker: Favors steamroller tactics without regard for other opinions.

Not a desk person: Did not go to college.

Of great value to the organization: Turns in work on time.

Use all available resources: Takes office supplies home for personal use.

Quick thinking: Offers plausible excuses for errors.

Requires work-value attitudinal readjustment: Lazy and hard-headed.

Should go far: Please.

Slightly below average: Stupid.

Spends extra hours on the job: Miserable home life.

Stern disciplinarian: A real jerk.

Straightforward: Blunt and insensitive.

Strong adherence to principles: Stubborn.

Tactful in dealing with superiors: Knows when to keep mouth shut.

Takes advantage of every opportunity to progress: Buys drinks for superiors.

Takes pride in work: Conceited.

Unlimited potential: Will stick with us until retirement.

Uses resources well: Delegates everything.

Uses time effectively: Clock watcher.

Very creative: Finds 22 reasons to do anything except original work.

Visionary: Cannot handle paperwork or any project that lasts less than a week.

Well organized: Does too much busywork.

Will go far: Relative of management.

Willing to take calculated risks: Doesn’t mind spending someone else’s money.

Zealous attitude: Opinionated.

(From: BasicJokes.com via http://genuineevaluation.com/)

Reflections on performance appraisals

The end of the financial year is quickly coming up in us and now is the time to look at employees performance over the past 12 months.  Here are a few thoughts and musings that I have had on the subject -

1. Performance appraisals appraise performance.  It can be easy to confuse the two if you have an employee with whom you don't get along with or who may have ticked you off recently.  Ignore that and stick to tangible results.
2. Setting KPI's is better done in  the following year than in the current.  So much can change in the workplace over Christmas and New Years.  This is especially true in countries where it is the summer season at this time.  many workplaces close down and go on vacation at this time.  So it is a good idea to set performance targets after people have returned to work and you have a better idea of the landscape and upcoming expectations.
3. There are no limits on how many people exceed expectations.  If people are exceeding the performance targets set for them and are consistently doing well then tell them.  Don't place limits on how many people can be the star of the month.  Some people are driven by competition while many others are turned off by it. 
4. Appraise people on the tasks and goals you agreed on at the last meeting.  When reports understand what targets they are being judged on and against then that empowers them better to try and achieve.  Hidden goals or targets demotivate and reduce trust between the manager and the employee.
5. People are individuals.  Set individual goals and performance targets.  There can be team goals and strategies set in place but you still need to remember that people are individuals.  Individuals respond better than teams but teams are better at achieving bigger goals.
6. Reward, praise and motivate.   Great employees deserve to be told what a great job they are doing.  And more than that they need to be rewarded appropriately for the work they have done. 

There is no greater motivator than pure praise and reward.

 

 

Increase your performance with four easy steps

The best way to improve your performance in life is to measure, plan, change and review.  Want to improve your performance?  Lets view these four steps in action using physical fitness as our example.

1. Start measuring.  Find some parts of your role/life that can be measured and measure them.  For example - how much time do you spend each day working on your fitness? 
2. Start planning.  After you have your measurements then you will have a clear idea on where your issues may be and you can start planning on what and how you are going to improve.
3. Start changing.  Put your plan into action.  Start making changes - small ones at first and then grow those changes into larger and bigger changes.  The important thing here is that the changes are incremental and sustainable in the long term.
4. Start reviewing.  This is where you begin the cycle again from step one.  Look at where you were when you first measured, assess the plan - did it work?, were the changes too much - just enough - or too much?, then start all over again.

The more data and measuring you do, the easier it is to judge if you are improvinr or not.  Another aspect to this is getting a coach.  Find an expert who can look at your performance impartially and who can guide you towards making improvements.

Quote of the Week

"An ambitious horse will never return to its old stable."  Chinese Proverbs

(Image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/pues/2552993021/)

Quaterly Performance Review

The first three months of 2010 have passed already. So now is a good time time to go back and review the goals and objectives that I set for for the year and assess - where am I up to in my progress?

My original resolutions and focus areas can be summarised as follows -

1. Compliance.
2. Excellence.
3. Teamwork.

So how do I rate my progression so far this year?

Compliance -A; Excellence - B+; Teamwork - B+.

(Note - I usually rate myself a bit harder than I should so I am happy with the results to date.)

• Compliance is the single biggest area that needed working on. And I feel that I am succeeding in that. Compliance is defined as - following instructions, adhering to regulations and making sure others are aware and also comply with the guidelines set out for the organisation.
• Excellence is coming along nicely and it's always easier to a task properly or the best of our ability when it is something we care about and get some fulfillment out of.
• Teamwork is going well. This year has been odd because the 'team' I manage has changed. I now have seperate two areas to focus on. In order to look after both I have had to let go of who I thought was most important (staff) for others who are just as important but take up far more of my time (students).

As far as my personal goals go - I am well on my way to getting to where I want to be. By July I will have completed half my goals for the year which will line me up nicely for finishing the year that I thought I would at the beginning of the year.

"We have no control of the locations of our dreams, we do however control the steps and paths we take on our way to get there." (Me).

How are your goals going so far this year? Are you achieving? What area's do you think you need to spend a bit more time on before you make your next appraisal?

KPI's for improved performance

Setting Key Performance Indicators and Targets for those who report to you works. Through having a discussion with the person you can define goals and targets for them to reach over a certain period of time.

KPI's are generally used for two things - ironing out small areas of inefficiency or business growth.

I like to set no more than 4 targets for my reports. Any less that and they become too easy, any more than that and the chances of being able to achieve them reduce exponentially according to the increase in targets listed.

Another thing I like to do is set a mixture of soft and hard targets. That is some targets are based on physical actions and outcomes, whereas soft targets deal with relationships and things that can't be measured physically.

Ongoing feedback and communication is vital and important but doesn't provide the necessary formal layout that an appraisal and KPI does. By defining goals and targets (and reviewing them quarterly) you can empower your reports to achieve more.

Ambiguity

Often times there is a lack of certainty around decision making and the direction of an organisation.

For the middle manager there is no real method of being able to accept change upwards.

So what do you do? Change yourself.

• Attitude - your attitude determines your altitude.
• Goals - define who you want to be, and where you want to go.
• Direction - think for yourself, understand the bigger organisation and consider where you fit in and if you can make incremental changes at your level.
• Communication - be honest and open. Let those above you know that you would like more openness and a knowledge of where things are going.
• Patience - don't be in a rush. Good things take time.

There are no silver bullet remedies for work situations that you have no control over. But you can control your attitude and your responses!

Performance Appraisals

It is important that employees get feedback on how they are doing. Performance appraisals are an effective way for people to understand where they are at in terms of reaching, completing and executing -

• Organisational goals
• Business unit goals, and also
• Their own personal goals.

Here are a few pointers for managers to think about when carrying out an appraisal -

1. Prepare.
2. Make time.
3. Shut out distractions and interruptions.
4. Listen, listen, listen.
5. Have some open questions ready preapared.
6. Make the time constructive.
7. Criticism can be hard to swallow - so be careful how you present it.