June 2010 Newsletter

Emotional Anchors

My wife and I said goodbye to an old family friend a few weeks ago who passed away after a brief bout with cancer. His last days were not the quality of life he once enjoyed but his condition clearly sapped his strength and he became more and more lethargic in what was to be his final days. Fortunately he lingered long enough for my daughters and close friends to say their final farewells. I know he appreciated that.

The night he passed away we toasted his memory and celebrated his life. We pulled out the photo album and through moments of laughter and tears reminisced about his presence at holiday and family events. Even thought he wasn’t a blood relative he was as much a member of our family as anyone. He served a role much like an emotional anchor for us, never really offering opinion or advice, but always there to provide comfort and support when needed.

It made me think about the emotional anchors I have had in my career and how each one of them shaped and influenced me in their own unique way. I could never have predicted that these individuals would impact me in such a positive manner and in truth, there were some who I didn’t really care for at first. But as time passed and I moved on from their tutelage, I appreciated and respected their knowledge even more. We often take these key contributors for granted in looking at our management and leadership teams for many times, they are the folks that fly under the radar. They rarely complain, are advocates and cheerleaders for the organization and its mission and are often the “go to” people in the company. They enjoy mentoring the new employee and teaching someone new skills while continuing to contribute to the company’s success at a high level. These folks are truly the high value employees and they deserve to be recognized and acknowledged. I hope this article helps you realize who they might be in your organization so you can say thanks.

Unlike the people who are the emotional anchors in your company, ours was not a human being but rather our faithful dog Tucker. His loyalty, companionship, affection and love over the last 14 years were unconditional and we will likely never find another like him. So here’s to you Tuck! You will surely be missed.

Have a safe and happy summer.

Phil

Why We Hate Performance Reviews

Many of my clients use the first quarter of the calendar year to conduct performance reviews. The levels of sophistication in the performance management process differ dramatically from company to company. Some use the employee’s self appraisal as an informal discussion document with minimal emphasis on reviewing the previous year’s objectives while others have a robust program with measured objectives, monthly or quarterly updates and a multi faceted review form that covers employee competencies, performance objectives and career pathing. One thing however, is certain, few if any managers and employees actually LIKE the performance review process. The “hate factor” is based on the following facts;

 Second only to firing an employee, survey data reveals that managers cite performance appraisal as the task they dislike most
 The review process has the attributes of an old fashioned, autocratic mode of management.
 Many managers are uncomfortable in the role of “judge” knowing that he/she may have to justify comments and ratings with specific examples
 With salary increases frequently tied to the performance ratings, managers know that they are limiting someone’s increase if they rate their employee anything other than outstanding

So why do we put ourselves through the pain? In the words of George Bernard Shaw “The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place”
Despite our dislike for the process, employee engagement surveys unanimously reveal that employees want to know how they are doing in their job. Without a formal “push” many managers would not provide their employees with performance feedback on a regular and consistent basis. As a result, we grit our teeth and maliciously comply with a performance review program because our boss says we have to.

If your performance management program could use a “makeover” please call us for a free consultation. We won’t guarantee that your managers will love it when we’re done but they will find it valuable!