The Cruel, Bitter and Crushing Taste of Dump-Truck Feedback

April 17, 2012 By 7 Comments

Manure Delivery

Right after avoiding it, the most commonly employed managerial strategy for dealing with feedback is, delaying it. The first approach is poor form… the latter approach is cruel.

Have You Seen this Movie?

Place yourself in a setting where you are sitting down for your annual performance evaluation. In your mind, the year has been filled with smiles and pats on the back from the boss and co-workers. Your frame of reference is, All is Good,  and you are genuinely excited for the opportunity to talk to the boss about how you can contribute more.

This good feeling lasts for about 5 seconds into the conversation.

As quickly as the smile on the boss’s face fades, you’re being fed the first piece of the “But” sandwich, slathered in “To Be Honest With You” sauce. It sounds like this: “You’ve done great this year, But, to be completely honest with you, we have some concerns.”

The first bite tastes stale and rotten at the same time. And who the heck is “We” and why didn’t they tell you they had concerns? Never mind that the boss just confessed he was lying to you all along and is only now being truthful. (Note to everyone: use of the “to be honest with you phrase is a guaranteed credibility killer. Strike it from your vocabulary.)

As the reality sinks in that this conversation isn’t about what you’ve done right or what you can do to contribute more, you swear you can hear the beeping of the dump-truck as it backs up and prepares to unload a year’s worth of everything you did wrong, all at one time.

The above conversation takes place somewhere in a corporate office daily. I’ve heard this countless times, and most recently from a good friend.   Perhaps you’ve been on the receiving end of this stale, rotten sandwich and dump-truck criticism.  Feels good, doesn’t it?  Not.

While I would love to wave the proverbial magic wand and see all who abuse this most important of developmental tools, placed into feedback jail and rehabilitated, reality tells us that our primary focus must be on our own behaviors.

4 Steps You Can Take to Stomp Out Dump-Truck Feedback:

1. Frequently ask the boss for feedback. If “How am I doing” elicits a grunt and a snarl with no input, try variations, including, “What do you need me to do more of?” or, “What can I do to help improve performance?” or, “How can I better help you?”  Creating an opportunity for the conversation might just open a dialogue and keep the dump-truck in the parking lot.

2. Get this right when it’s your day. If you supervise or manage others, get this right from the start.

3. Teach good feedback practices. If you supervise or manage those who supervise or manage, teach the right behaviors and hold people accountable for getting this right with their people.

4. Give some feedback on the feedback. If you are victimized by  a “Dump Truck” approach while being force fed a “But” sandwich slathered in “to be honest with you” sauce, give some frank and professional feedback on the feedback process. And yes, I mean, good, behavioral and professional feedback…slightly different than the thoughts running through your mind. And then ask the questions in #1 above.

The Bottom-Line for Now:

Everyone loses…the firm, the manager and the employee, when the manager delays giving feedback. Some managers may be beyond rehabilitation, but you control your own actions.Tips for strengthening your command of the feedback process are never more than a web search away. And, “to be honest with you,” (see, it doesn’t feel good, does it?), most professionals want and appreciate regular feedback…positive and constructive. As it becomes your turn to carry the management torch, make certain that the Feedback Dump Truck ends up on the scrap heap, along with the “But” sandwich and jar of “To Be Honest With ¥ou” sauce.

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Don’t miss the next Leadership Caffeine-Newsletter! Register here.

Art Petty is a Chicago-based management consultant focusing on strategy and leadership development. Art regularly speaks on innovation in management and leadership, and his work is reflected in two books, including the recent, Leadership Caffeine-Ideas to Energize Your Professional Development. (download a free excerpt at Art’s facebook page.)

Art publishes regularly at The Management Excellence blog at http://artpetty.com/blog/

Prior to his solo career, Art spent 20+ years leading marketing sales and business units in systems and software organizations around the globe. You can follow Art on twitter: @artpetty and he can be reached via e-mail at art.petty@artpetty.com

Filed Under: "To Do" List, Leadership, Professional Growth, Surviving Lousy Leaders Tagged With: , , ,

Leadership Caffeine-Why You Might Want to Pause Before Voicing that Decision

April 2, 2012 By 2 Comments

image of a coffee cupThe next time an employee or a group is looking to you to make a tough decision, you might want to screw up your courage, boldly look at them and…say nothing.

Teaching others to employ effective decision-making processes is one of the most important and often ignored responsibilities of those in leadership roles. Unfortunately, training your team to look to you for the calls on how to fix problems and move forward is much easier than teaching your team members to stand on their own for most issues.

You are fighting inertia when you pause and look to someone else or to a group to process on a decision. More than likely, you’re in a leadership role specifically because those above you developed trust in your decision-making abilities. It’s part of what got you this far, and now, you’re being asked to pause and to teach. Not voicing your decision is likely much harder than making it.

Too many managers incorrectly wield their decision-making authority, either because they are particularly comfortable in this role, or, because they view it as a symbol of strength or even power. Some use decision-making authority to control others.

Almost counter-intuitively, it takes more strength to not make a decision for someone else, especially when the answer is clear. And as for power, the old adage of you have to give it to get it is particularly relevant here.

7 Reasons Why You Should Back Off and Let Others Make Decisions:

1. Placing the responsibility for decisions on others is a sign of confidence and respect.

2. Showing others you are comfortable delegating decision-making enhances your leadership credibility.

3. Nobody learns anything when you make the decision.

4. You’re not always the smartest one in the room, even if you’re in charge.

5. The point in time when someone asks you what to do is one of those powerful teaching and developmental moments. Don’t squander it.

6.  You are able to assess where people and teams are at based on how they approach and make decisions.

7. Your skillful use of questions in lieu of immediate answers, helps people understand what’s important and how decisions potentially impact goal achievement.

The Bottom-Line for Now:

While I suggest pausing (in non-emergency situations) instead of offering up your quick solution, you still own the responsibility for the decisions of your team and team members. There’s no shirking responsibility for outcomes, particularly for the tough calls. However, you are also on the hook for developing others, stimulating innovation and promoting high performance and all of these are better supported and more often realized when you teach others how to make decisions. We know that you know the answer. Your real test is whether you can teach others to reach an answer as good as or better than yours.

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Don’t miss the next Leadership Caffeine-Newsletter! Register here.

Art Petty is a Chicago-based management consultant focusing on strategy and leadership development. Art regularly speaks on innovation in management and leadership, and his work is reflected in two books, including the recent, Leadership Caffeine-Ideas to Energize Your Professional Development.  Art publishes regularly at The Management Excellence blog at http://artpetty.com

Prior to his solo career, Art spent 20+ years leading marketing sales and business units in systems and software organizations around the globe. You can follow Art on twitter: @artpetty and he can be reached via e-mail at art.petty@artpetty.com

 

 

 

Filed Under: Decision-Making, Leadership, Leadership Caffeine, Performance, Professional Growth Tagged With: , ,

Leadership Caffeine-6 Reasons Why You Should Pass on the Happy Hour Invite

March 26, 2012 By 32 Comments

image of a coffee cupJust say “No” to the post-work invite from the team to join them for a beer. While you’ll feel torn because you enjoy social time as much as the next person, pay attention to that little voice in your mind trying to get your attention with, “You shouldn’t, you’re the boss.”

No moralizing here. I’ve simply known too many who shut this voice out and paid with their credibility and on a few occasions, their jobs.

I understand  that this philosophy is likely to result in my winning “Curmudgeon of the Year,” in the leadership blogger category, however, I’ll wear that label with honor if it helps keep a few more of you from showing your team what you’re really like when you let your hair down.

Six Reasons Why You Should Skip the Post-Work Happy Hour:

1. No one really wants you there. Harsh, I know, but the truth hurts. Some dumb a@@ do-gooder suck up employee thought it would be OK to invite you, against the entire team’s better judgment. They want downtime and your presence changes the situation.

2. People get stupid when they drink. You don’t need to see and hear that. The images WILL impact your perception of people and that’s not fair to you or your employees.

3. You’re not one of the gang anymore. Yeah, you were one of the gang a few months ago, but that relationship changed when you took the promotion. There’s no going back.

4. You’ll pay if you cross the wrong line. I’ve lost track of the number of times I’ve seen a manager cross the line of “one too many” and proceed to cross some line that offended one or more.  Do that just once in front of the troops and your talk of accountability and values will fall on deaf ears forever.

5. Your legacy requires that no one see you drunk. Get drunk in front of the team just once and the primary image the team will retain is one that involves you spilling drinks all over yourself while slurring your words and hitting on one of your employees. Whether you make CEO (unlikely if you frequent too many Happy Hours), or go on to win the Nobel Peace Prize, there’s no flossing this view of you out of their minds.

6. You’re always on the clock. In spite of the common sentiment that what you do on your own time is your business, if you’re doing it around direct reports, you’re never off the clock.

The Bottom-Line for Now:

Bonding with your team is critical. The best way to do this is by fighting ferociously every day to help them succeed as individuals and as a group.  Create workplace social opportunities…bring in lunch, sponsor some creative field trips and do everything you can to be accessible and approachable. However, when it comes to the spontaneous post-work gatherings at a local watering hole, thank them for the invite and make certain you have something else to do.

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Don’t miss the next Leadership Caffeine-Newsletter! Register here.

Art Petty is a Chicago-based management consultant focusing on strategy and leadership development. Art regularly speaks on innovation in management and leadership, and his work is reflected in two books, including the recent, Leadership Caffeine-Ideas to Energize Your Professional Development.  Art publishes regularly at The Management Excellence blog at http://artpetty.com

Prior to his solo career, Art spent 20+ years leading marketing sales and business units in systems and software organizations around the globe. You can follow Art on twitter: @artpetty and he can be reached via e-mail at art.petty@artpetty.com

 

Filed Under: Career, Leadership, Leadership Caffeine, Professional Growth Tagged With: , , ,

7 Reasons to Be Excited About the Potential of Your Youngest Workers

March 8, 2012 By Leave a Comment

It’s easy for those of us who count our career in decades to discount how well attuned our youngest workers are to what defines good leadership and good business practices. To do so, is a mistake.

Long-time readers know that I maintain a regimen of consulting/training by day and occasional teaching by night. I’ve discovered that the best way for me to keep learning is to put myself in front of smart people with fresh perspectives as often as possible. The insights I gain from working with younger professionals are both fascinating and encouraging.

Business owners, hiring managers and senior leaders will be will served to tap into the energy, ideas and insights of this next class of employees in the workforce.

7 Reasons to Be Excited About the Potential of Your Youngest Workers:

1. Values and Character. The need for character-based, values-driven leadership is crystal clear and nicely articulated by many early career professionals. My observation is that these students/young professionals come to their studies with a well-established perspective on the importance of character and values in developing and serving is a leader. I suspect this view is in part an outcome of growing up in an era where executive misdeeds and leaders in handcuffs have been recurring themes.

2. Cultural Intelligence. Perhaps it’s the urban-setting and wonderfully diverse classroom at this particular institution, but working and communicating and engaging across cultures is already part of their everyday lives.  I’ll give this early career group a higher score on Cultural Intelligence than I would the more experienced groups I see in many corporate settings.

3. Global interconnectedness. Let’s face it, if you’re older than 50, you still remember a different world of business…one that was less global. The pace, scale, opportunities and risks are still exciting to us. For those soon to enter the workforce, this is the norm and just part of the fabric of society. It’s not change, it just is.

4. Team orientation. This newest to the workforce group has grown up participating on teams since they could walk. Coming together with strangers to pursue an objective is second nature. They are well-suited to project work in a world where projects are how we get stuff done.

5. Work ethic. Whether it’s the undergraduates working one or more jobs while completing their studies or the graduate students managing full-time work and insane schedules while balancing school, I’ve yet to be anything other than impressed with the work and dedication of these early career students/professionals.

6. Personal Accountability. While sadly few know who Peter Drucker was (until my class), they seem to naturally grasp his message of self-development and personal accountability from the classic article, “Managing Oneself.”

7. Hunger and Dreams. Perhaps the most exciting undercurrent that I catch from working with these young professionals is a fierce desire to do something that makes a different. I sense a desire to make meaning and fix and improve more than a pure focus on making money. This alone is enough to earn my vote.

The Bottom-Line for Now:

Values, character, a keen sense of strategy, globally and culturally aware, a good work ethic, a team orientation and personally hungry to make a difference. Sounds like rocket fuel for business performance. What’s your strategy for tapping into the potential of your youngest workers?

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Don’t miss the next Leadership Caffeine-Newsletter! Register here.

Art Petty is a Chicago-based management consultant focusing on strategy and leadership development. Art regularly speaks on innovation in management and leadership, and his work is reflected in two books, including the recent, Leadership Caffeine-Ideas to Energize Your Professional Development.  Art publishes regularly at The Management Excellence blog at http://artpetty.com

Prior to his solo career, Art spent 20+ years leading marketing sales and business units in systems and software organizations around the globe. You can follow Art on twitter: @artpetty and he can be reached via e-mail at art.petty@artpetty.com

 

Filed Under: Career, Leadership, Values Tagged With: , ,

Friday Leadership and Management Sound-Bites

February 17, 2012 By 1 Comment

Though-provoking quotes from my current management and leadership reading stack:

On Greatness:

“Indeed, if there’s one overarching message arising from more than six thousand year of corporate history…it would be this: greatness is not primarily a matter of circumstance; greatness is first and foremost a matter of conscious choice and discipline.”

-Jim Collins and Morten T. Hansen, writing in Great By Choice.

Here’s Hoping They are Wrong!

“Managerial contempt can improve performance even as it prompts aggression,” according to a study reported in the Research Watch section of the March, 2012 issue of Harvard Business Review.

Understatement, Exclamation Point! 

“Leadership is enduring, dynamic and simple in theory but complex in execution.”

-John Hamm, writing in Unusually Excellent: The Necessary Nine Skills Required for Great Leadership.

On Bad Strategy and Leaders

“Bad strategy is not simply the absence of good strategy. It grows out of specific misconceptions and leadership dysfunctions.”

“To detect a bad strategy, look for one or more of its four major hallmarks: fluff, failure to face the challenge and mistaking goals for strategy.

-Richard Rumelt, writing in Good Strategy Bad Strategy: The Difference and Why it Matters.

On the Power of Passion and the Challenge to Change

“In business as in life, the difference between insipid and inspired is passion.”

“Problem is, deep change is almost always crisis-driven; it’s tardy, traumatic and expensive. In most organizations, there are too many things that perpetuate the past and too few that encourage proactive change.”

-Gary Hamel, writing in What Matters Now: How to Win in a World of Relentless Change

Filed Under: "To Do" List, Leadership Tagged With: , ,
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