Conducting Regular One-On-One Meetings Will Save Time

Posted September 11, 2015 by The Metiss Group
Categories: Leadership, one-on-ones, Performance Acceleration

Regularly scheduled one-on-one meetings between a leader and direct report are by far the most effective way to accelerate performance.  So, why is this effective performance acceleration technique ignored?

The biggest reason leaders give for not conducting regular one-on-one meetings is they don’t have enough time.  Leaders should conduct weekly 30-minute meetings with each of their direct reports.  A leader with six direct reports would need to allocate three hours per week.

How does investing in regularly scheduled one-on-one meetings save time for leaders?

  • Both the direct report and leader save minor discussion topics for this meeting rather than interrupting each other continuously throughout the week.
  • Minor issues are addressed before they become full-fledged, time-consuming problems.
  • Leader’s tasks can be delegated in a venue allowing much easier follow-up.

Skeptical leaders should try conducting one-on-ones with one of their direct reports for six weeks; they’ll find they have more time, a better relationship, and a very disappointed direct report should they stop the meetings.

Leaders who use one-on-one meetings to empower direct reports experience more success and have more time.

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Three Positive Interactions For Every One Negative

Posted August 28, 2015 by The Metiss Group
Categories: Leadership, Performance Acceleration

2.9013 to 1 — that’s the ratio of positive comments/experiences/expressions for every one negative exposure to make a team successful.  Psychologist Marcial Losada bases this data on an extensive mathematical model.  A 3 to 1 ratio or more is needed to create a positive atmosphere, and according to other research, a 6 to 1 ratio for teams to produce their best work.

Leaders need to ask what their positive to negative interaction ratio is for each of their direct reports.  The positive interactions can be quite simple.  A “great job” comment, a quick “thank you” email, a smile when passing by, or a “good morning” welcome all add to the positive interaction tally.

Leaders spend countless dollars on performance training and incentives but simple, genuine positive interactions will do more to increase success than any other influence.

Empowered leaders deliver at least three positive interactions for every one negative, and increase their leadership effectiveness for success.

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Prepare For A Productive Phone Screen

Posted August 21, 2015 by The Metiss Group
Categories: Selection

One of the first steps in any effective selection process is the candidate phone screen.  To get the most out of this crucial activity, hiring managers should keep the following tips in mind:

  • Schedule phone screen – don’t just call out of the blue; setting a time to talk to the candidate helps them prepare and allows them to give their full attention; schedule 20 to 30 minutes.
  • Set expectations – let the candidate know early in the conversation this is just the first step and additional information will be gathered and the plan is to talk to other candidates; this gives the hiring manager the opportunity to end the call quickly if they realize it is not a good match and prepares the candidate for the selection process.
  • Review salary requirements – get the money piece on the table early; if the candidate’s salary requirements fall outside the hiring range, move on, no sense wasting time.
  • Confirm resume accuracy – cover the highlights of the resume; confirm the accuracy and probe for consistencies.
  • Ask the same questions for all candidates – consistently asking the same questions helps to compare candidates.
  • Ask two to three job-related behavior based questions – most of the job related questioning comes in the first interview, but asking some basic “deal breaker” questions upfront can save time with a first interview; drive for specifics and make there are good reasons for moving forward.

Phone screening doesn’t need to be time consuming and complicated and should be a productive step in the selection process.

Empowered hiring managers prepare before the screening and have more successful candidate interviews.

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Direct Reports Can Be Treated Differently

Posted August 12, 2015 by The Metiss Group
Categories: Leadership, Performance Acceleration

Any parent with more then one child knows how different they are (pet owners know this, too).  In sports, most of the great coaches are successful because they know each of their players require a different type of leadership.  Unfortunately, many leaders have one leadership style they apply to each of their direct reports and expect their direct reports to excel.

Everyone has different behavior styles and workplace motivations.  Some direct reports respond best with a firm message, others with a gentle nudging, and others with lengthy conversations.  Some people are motivated by recognition, others by money, and others by altruism.  The best leaders take time to understand their direct reports’ differences and tailor their leadership approaches to each person.

Empowered leaders understand their direct reports’ behavioral styles and motivations, apply unique leadership approaches, and are more successful leaders.

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When Communicating With Others, Consider Their Communication Style

Posted August 9, 2015 by The Metiss Group
Categories: Communication

Whether a leader is providing feedback to a direct report or a sales person addressing a prospect or client, think about the style and communication needs of the receiver when communicating.  People have very different needs and preferences in the way they process communication, and in their natural style of delivering it.

As an example, a gregarious extrovert wanting to spend time bonding by talking about the big game or last weeks’ current events may frustrate a strong-willed task-focused individual who just wants to get down to business.

Too often leaders get caught up in the message they want to deliver and fail to recognize the needs of the receiver. As a result, they communicate in a way they would want to have someone speak to them when so often those very attributes can turn off a listener with a different style.

Leaders should help direct reports explore their own behavior style and recognize the behavior style of others; that will allow them to experience much greater success in their interpersonal communication and relationships.

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Use One-On-One Documentation For Performance Reviews

Posted July 31, 2015 by The Metiss Group
Categories: Leadership, one-on-ones, Performance Acceleration

Regular one-on-one meetings with their direct reports is the most effective leadership tool available to leaders.  We recommend having these sessions at least bi-weekly and every week if possible.

 The leader should take careful notes during and after each session, including:

  • Did the direct report accomplish what they said they were going to?
  • What are they planning to accomplish by next meeting?
  • How did the direct report handle obstacles?
  • How are their development plans coming along?

If leaders have their one-on-one sessions documented, conducting performance reviews requires little preparation as most of the work is already done.  Simply review all the notes and discuss the outcomes with the direct report.  There should be no surprises and you’ll both benefit from a focus for the whole time period, not just the last few weeks each remembers.  Nothing new should be discussed.  It doesn’t have to be elaborate or formal; just a simple review of performance over a period of time.  We suggest leaders conduct these sessions quarterly and even annually in lieu of formal performance appraisals.

Leaders who empower their direct reports to meet with them regularly in one-on-one meetings, document the conversations, and use the documentation for performance reviews experience more success.

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Administer Critical Thinking Assessments For All Positions

Posted July 24, 2015 by The Metiss Group
Categories: Performance Acceleration, Selection

We’ve all experienced the frustrating food server who just doesn’t seem to get it.  No matter how they try, they have a hard time working through complex orders.  Conversely, hopefully you’ve had the pleasure of being waited on by the sharp, quick thinking server who finds creative solutions for the unexpected curve balls.

Critical thinking aptitude is important in all positions.  Unfortunately, many hiring managers do not bother assessing for critical thinking skills for lower level jobs.

A strong critical thinking aptitude may not be necessary to complete job functions and may not be a hiring criteria but that doesn’t mean hiring managers shouldn’t test candidates for it. Knowing the mental horsepower of every team member allows leaders to develop appropriate successions plans, assign workloads appropriately, and understand who may need extra challenges to remain engaged.

Empowered hiring managers assess the critical thinking skills for all roles and build stronger organizations.

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Take A Chance To Let Direct Reports Grow

Posted July 17, 2015 by The Metiss Group
Categories: Leadership

Most successful leaders can recall the specific point in their career when one of their bosses took a chance on them. The leader will typically credit this boss/mentor for having launched their career and greatly appreciated the chance to demonstrate their abilities.

It’s flabbergasting how many of these same leaders today are reluctant to take similar risks with their direct reports.  In all likelihood the boss who took a chance on them had some trepidations but realized they and the organization would be more successful by giving them a chance to grow. Sure some of these risks don’t pay off, but the learning experience still pays dividends.

Leaders don’t have to blindly empower their direct reports and hope they deliver. Establish borders and boundaries for the empowering task. Be clear about what success looks like and specify the available resources, restrictions, and timeframes.

Successful leaders might not be where they are today had their boss not taken a risk on them.

Leaders who empower direct reports will see more success for both themselves and their direct report (and someday the direct report will credit the leader for launching their career).

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First Who, Then What

Posted July 10, 2015 by The Metiss Group
Categories: Selection

We have all known a leader who’s struggled trying to fill an open position because they wanted the perfect combination of hard skills and really weren’t persuaded by exceptional soft skills.  These leaders are holding out for a candidate’s work experience that includes a particular previous employer, or an unusual technical skill, or a certain project experience.

Surprisingly, when these same hiring managers are asked whether or not they would have been better off hiring a smart, energetic person to whom they could teach the hard skills, they answered “yes”  — especially when they’ve been waiting for those elusive hard skills for months.

To make matters worse, in almost every case in which a hiring manager was seduced by some particular hard skill for which they’ve hired, they fired for misaligned soft skills.  Rarely do we hear of someone being fired for not having a hard skill they professed to have.  Yet, how often have we heard someone fired for poor work ethic, no initiative, poor people skills, or they just don’t fit?

So why are hiring managers still so hung up on searching for candidates with ideal hard skills when they know most (not all) critical hard skills can be learned?  One reason is these leaders aren’t sure how to screen for those soft skills.  Another reason may be the IBM syndrome: the leader stands a better chance of being criticized for taking a risk on an unknown than for going with someone who has a “proven” track record.  The flaw in that reasoning is we don’t know if the candidate’s perceived success is due to their own skill, others on their team, the environment, or just a perception created by this candidate.

When hiring managers review candidates, they should challenge their bias towards hard skills and ask themselves what someone with good soft skills can learn.  One of Jim Collins’ most important leadership principles is “first who, then what.”

Empowered hiring managers focus on “who” and the successful “what” then comes.

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Critical Thinking Involves Many Different Thinking Skills

Posted June 26, 2015 by The Metiss Group
Categories: Leadership, Performance Acceleration, Selection

Critical thinking is more than using logic or problem solving.  The critical thinking tests many hiring managers use for selection and development measure how well an individual recognizes assumptions, evaluates arguments, and draws conclusions.

Recognizing assumptions includes reading between the lines, defining/redefining issues and exploring different points of view.  Evaluate arguments is the ability to evaluate arguments based on the strength of the evidence supporting them, as well as the ability to analyze them without allowing personal bias or emotions to influence the analysis.  Drawing conclusions is gathering, weighing, and assimilating information to form a sound conclusion.

Logic tells us an individual’s ability to draw the right conclusions may well depend on their ability to recognize assumptions and evaluate arguments well.  Both of those components rely on the ability for an individual to step away from their own train of thought or to develop the ability to look at things from other perspectives.

Improving their critical thinking skills allows direct reports to perform individually or as a team better.  Leaders should empower the success of their direct reports by encouraging development of critical thinking skills.

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