Team Member Experience Path
Stage 6: Coaching & Performance Management
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Team Member Experience Path Overview.
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2021 finds us on the Team Member Experience Path and what an energizing journey it has turned out to be this year. As we’ve walked through the 7 stages/steps on the path, we have taken a close look at how to set each Team Member up for success from the Recruiting to Immersion Stages. If Stages 1 through 5 set Team Members up for success, Stage 6 is the critical practice of Coaching and Developing others to help create the strongest link in your Team Member Chain possible.
Most companies focus their performance management systems on the annual performance evaluation process where a team member is provided with feedback once a year through an in-person meeting with their direct leader manager to review 12 months of behavior, goal achievement, performance gaps, and to be given a score or grade, usually connected with a 2-5% salary increase based on said score. Feedback in these settings can be skewed by recent events, frustrations, or situational challenges.
The way of wisdom, Ken Blanchard said is both and not either or. Leading and Managing is both lead and develop people and manage and measure performance for maximum engagement and effectiveness. The goal is engaged Team Members who feel valued. It is neither healthy, helpful, or appropriate to discuss which is more important, it is a both and proposition!
Managing performance long term focuses on activity, action, results, and execution – keys that are tremendously vital and necessary in every organization. We have found daily activity huddles and weekly performance management meetings aligned with quarterly performance goals are a highly effective and efficient strategy to ‘get things done.’
Coaching and developing people through monthly 1-1 meetings institutionalizes an organizational discipline and compels all leaders and managers to focus on growing people as well as growing the organization. Development meetings are designed to create a culture of giving and receiving feedback, developing self-awareness, building an environment of trust and caring, and establishing a consistent opportunity to validate, recognize, encourage, and challenge your colleague.
We recommend a monthly 1-1 Coaching and Development Process is created and implemented in all organizations with the same fervor and discipline as the Annual Performance Assessment process and believe that the 1-1 Coaching and Development Process can take the place of the annual performance assessment process. This consistent and on-going coaching process provides a mechanism to align team member’s behavior with Values, Vision, and Mission and coach in alignment with characteristics as a platform for development where the goal is to bring out the best in each team member as you work together to strengthen each link on your chain.
Monthly 1-1s also provide a forum that may serve as a stress relief valve, creates an environment that builds trust by demonstrating caring, and compels all leader managers to engage in transparent dialogue with their co-workers.
As you begin to hold 1-1s with team members, we cannot emphasize enough the importance of implementing and integrating the following three critical tools and resources as you lead and develop others:
Team Member Profile: the 1-1 Coaching process focuses on the characteristics, skills, and experience aspect of the Team Member Profile. Managing performance focuses on the role, responsibilities, and expectations aspect of the Team Member Profile.
Development Plan: Consider creating a written development plan based on the life, vocational, and educational experiences that may help them develop a characteristic and/or acquire a skill. Whether a reading assignment, a field trip, a certificate or educational activity, learning to present at a conference or with a peer group, taking on a challenging project that provides a learning or growth experience will most likely result in a stronger link on your team.
Communication Profiles & Tools: Profiles such as the DiSC, Change Ready Profile and CliftonStrengths profiles are just a few examples of self-awareness tools to help leaders, managers, and team members be and become more effective in their roles, teams, and organization.
Next month we’ll draw a close to the Team Member Experience Path as we share the final and seventh stage, Separation and in October we’ll start the 4th quarter of 2021 with a focus on a Leadership Mindset.
We trust and hope these resources, tools and concepts will continue to support, encourage, and empower you as you lead and manage others each day!
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Join us this fall for Managing From The Inside Out!
Classes begin Wednesday, October 6, 2021
Seven 3-Hour Sessions on Wednesdays
Morning Class: 8:30-11:30
Afternoon Class: 1:30-4:30 P.M.
October 6, 13, 20, 27
November 3, 10, 17
Register today to engage in professional growth and development as a Leader Manager and join us for Managing From The Inside Out! Simply email Katie Williamson at katie@lauraschanz.com to reserve a seat for yourself or a Team Member.