The real work of getting performance evaluations starts long before you reach the time to write and discuss them. Nonetheless, you're at the 11th hour. Here are some tips you can use at this late date to help you do your best for your team members.
There are some painful and painfully obvious leadership and management lessons from the recent Southwest Airlines debacle. Deming is spinning in his grave over this one.
Fear in our professional lives robs us of our hopes and dreams. It keeps us from realizing our potential. Externally imposed fear from boss bullies is toxic as well. Both are capable of being neutralized.
In my opinion, Deming has never been irrelevant as a management philosopher, teacher and advisor, but our fast-moving, idol-for-a-minute, fad-crazed modern culture, we’re quick to write off those thinkers and doers from prior eras as yesterday’s relics…interesting perhaps, but irrelevant.
Dr. Deming indicated that he hoped one of his life’s accomplishments was to keep American companies from committing suicide. The public spectacle of Detroit and Wall Street committing suicide in the same quarter would indicate that he failed in his mission. Deming’s Theory of Profound Knowledge and 14 points offered (and still do) keys to many of the answers. They are not prescriptive, but rather they combine to create a philosophical approach to running a business, that if adhered to, will stand a chance of succeeding for customers, workers and partners on a global stage.
Spend some time to determine whether “fear” is a factor in your organization. If people are in fear for their jobs or living in fear of falling under the wrath of a bully boss, they will not create, innovate or even execute their basic job functions in a quality manner. While today’s corporate bully is not shaking down the other kids for lunch money, he or she is shaking them down and stripping away their self-esteem, their drive and their desire to help the organization succeed. It’s time to hit back.
