If your business is like most I know, there are so many things that need to improve. You’d probably like to see your managers be more effective at leading their teams. You’d probably like to see those teams be more engaged in their jobs. You’d probably like to have EVERYONE more focused on the priority issues related to their jobs.
All of this probably isn’t that far away; all you need is clarity and 10 minutes each week.
First, the clarity
Before you can reasonably expect each team member to stay focused on the priority issues, you must make sure they understand their priority issues (stating the obvious here).
Define the Critical Results
For each team member, define the Critical Results you need them to deliver. I don’t mean all of the results they CAN deliver, but the one or two that, when delivered, addresses a majority of the contributions needed from that role.
Define the Driving Behaviors
For each of the Critical Results, define the Driving Behaviors. Again, not ALL of the behaviors that contribute to the results, but the one or two actions that when performed consistently will ensure the results are delivered.
Establish the KPI (Key Performance Indicator) Measurements
Make it easy for everyone to know when the behavior is being performed effectively/efficiently. For each Driving Behavior, identify how it can be objectively measured; that becomes your KPI. Of course, not all behaviors lend themselves to objective measurement. Sometimes you simply have to agree that certain behaviors will be discussed.
Self-track | Self-report
Nobody should be more vested or invested in the success of a position than the individual filling that role. With all of these role definitions in place, give each employee the responsibility to self-track and self-report their results to their direct supervisor. You’ll likely have no more than four KPI/behaviors to be tracked/discussed (two Critical Results with two Driving Behaviors for each).
10 Minute Check-ins
Anyone on your team with direct reports has the responsibility to give each direct report 10 minutes of their focused, one-on-one attention each week. That doesn’t sound like much, but it can be results-altering. They key is what is discussed during those 10 minutes.
The 10-minute agenda for leader and direct report:
- What was your biggest success of the week?
- What was your biggest challenge of the week?
- What were the results of your KPIs this week? (Depending on KPIs, you may want to only include this question once a month)
- If you can only accomplish one thing over the next seven days, what does it need to be?
- Did you accomplish your one thing over the past seven days?
That may sound like a lot to get through in 10 minutes, but, if you direct each team member to come with the answers already identified, they can definitely address all of them in 10 minutes. Of course, there will be issues identified that require more than a 10-minute conversation, but you can then schedule that as a separate meeting to get more in-depth with the topic. If the 10-minute check-ins become half hour debates, someone will start making excuses as to why they can’t happen. Keep it to the 10 minutes and everyone will be willing to participate regularly.
It’s amazing what happens when we consistently spend a little bit of time discussing the priority issues of our business.
Photo by Sebastian Leesch
