Put me in Coach!

Well, it has been a minute or two since I have written a post, and I can honestly say I have missed writing.  Writing is my outlet to clear my mind in so many ways.  With that said, I will say, I have had lots of time to do a lot of thinking and reflecting.  

One of the things that I have been thinking about is how people, when provided with the right opportunity, have an ability to capitalize on those opportunities.  Unfortunately, many ideas and too many people sit on the sidelines patiently awaiting the right opportunity.  In 1985, John Fogerty, formerly of Creedence Clearwater Revival, released the song, "Centerfield".  The chorus of the song says, "Put me in coach, I'm ready to play".  All the player wanted was a chance to show he could play "centerfield".

In the workplace, there is a myriad of "players" just sitting on the bench, wondering when it will be their turn to "get in the game" and make a difference for the team.  Unfortunately, those players can't always recognize that they are already in the game and making a difference.  Leaders take the time to recognize the contributions that each team member makes to the game. From a morale and retention perspective, recognition of the smallest contributions can sometimes yield the biggest performance results.

In my current role, I have had two members of my team that have recently stepped up when asked.  Their contributions have forced us to raise our collective expectations of where the department should be performing. Had they not "accepted the challenge" job dissatisfaction may have increased resulting in them pursuing other lesser opportunities in order to feel more appreciated.  As a leader, I am very proud of the recognition that they are receiving from our external customers.

I have been privileged to work with a great team of professionals ranging from front line team members through senior leadership who have supported different initiatives.  Many of these initiatives have been kick started from the front lines.  It is a great feeling as a leader in my organization to encourage innovative thinking and then see those thoughts progress from a concept to production, with credit all going to the front lines where the idea was generated from. 

Take a look around your team and see what is being cultivated in your workplace. Is it a disease as a result of letting things just exist, or is it the right cure or solution that just has been fully cultivated?  As a leader, it is up to you to decide.  Are you going to listen to those saying, "Put ME in Coach", or are you going to let your bench just erode?

Have a great week!

H.A.T.'s off to you!

Around the office, October is annual review time.  It seems that every manager in the organization is scrambling to come up with information about their direct reports that should be included in an annual performance appraisal.  The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly.  I have a general thought, that most leaders truly share, and that performance feedback should be a process, not a form.

As leaders, our direct and indirect reports should have an understanding of how they are performing throughout a review period.  Rather than looking at appraisals as a "have to do", look at this period as a "get to do". 

We all know when we are on our "A" game and when we are performing at a C+ level (at best).  We understand that we all have good days, and bad days.  When it comes to annual performance appraisals, they should not look at singular events, but a body of work in its entirety.  Much like the saying, "You can't judge a book by it's cover", a leader conducting annual appraisals should look at a persons work in context.

I love this time of year for the following reasons, but in all honesty these are conversations that really need to be occurring throughout the year:

• I get to celebrate successes of my direct reports
• I get to another opportunity to provide formal feedback on how they have progressed throughout the year
• I get to speak one on one and discuss an important topic, them
• I get to learn a little more about what their expectations are of me as a leader
• I get to provide my direct report focused feedback as to how they are developing and the direction that we mutually agree they want to go
• I get to recognize the little things that they do that may be "just in a days work" for them, but make a big difference

Appraisals should never be a surprise for the recipient.  Throughout the year, it is important for leaders to provide consistent developmental feedback.  Development needs not be a negative, but rather a way to capitalize on individual accomplishments and continually setting more aggressive goals and challenging where the bar is set.

As a leader, I have been fortunate to be mentored and developed by true leaders who were interested in the development of others.  As a result, I make every attempt to instill this into the cultures I am a part of, and definitely with the teams I am associated with.  Working in a silo stifles vision and innovation.  Create a forward working culture through consistent and appreciative feedback.  When you do, it makes the annual appraisal a much easier process.

H.A.T.'s (Happy Appraisal Time) off to you if you have culture, environment, a style as described above!

Have a great week!!