performance
Read time: 1.5 mins
Your team members are a critical part of your success.
They may even be the most important assets you have.
So how do you get the most out of these critical assets?
You have conversations that drive performance.
It can be tricky to get these conversations right, so today we're sharing a 4-point checklist we use with our clients.
Use it to plan and have great performance conversations, so your team members become and stay your most important assets.
Let's get into it!
THE GREAT PERFORMANCE CONVERSATION CHECKLIST
1. Have a Structure:
First things first.
You need to get organised.
Here are some helpful prompts to plan your conversations:
- When & how often are you having these conversations?
- What topics are you discussing?
- In what order are you discussing them?
- How are you going to share your feedback?
We like this simple framework:
- Goals (e.g. what they need to achieve)
- Action (e.g. how will they do it)
- Metrics (e.g. how will you measure that the actions and goals are completed)
- Timeframes (e.g. when does it need to be done by)
There are many ways to cut it.
Either way, get your structure right and your foundation will be set.
2. Document it:
A performance discussion is not just a casual chat.
If you don’t write it down, people will forget it or argue that it wasn’t exactly what was agreed.
Remember, it’s hard to hold people accountable for actions that aren't documented!
Steve’s favorite saying is perfect here: "If it’s not on paper, it doesn’t exist”.
3. Keep it simple:
Don't make your performance conversation a 2 page long run-on sentence.
Good luck holding someone’s attention - let alone having them understand exactly what needs to be done.
Our general rule is to say it in 20 words or less.
This applies in particular when it's for actions or goals you'll be holding someone accountable for.
If you can’t narrow it down to under 20 words, you aren't clear yourself.
Simplicity is your best friend!
4. Most to least important:
Start your conversations with the most critical goals and action items.
Otherwise, there is a chance they get lost in the noise.
If someone only remembers 2-3 things, let them be the most important ones!
What now?
This checklist will get you going in the right direction.
If you need support or specific advice (or someone to vent to!), we're always just a message away.
Now, time to go ensure your team - your most valuable asset - is producing at a high level.
Have a great week!
Speak soon,
Lynne and Steve
TLDR:
- Performance conversations are hard but critical to your business.
- Clear, concise performance conversations = motivated team + business growth!
- Use the checklist and message us for any questions or support - we always love chatting with the community!
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