THE SKILLFUL HOW

I’ve worked with several managers who have come to me with issues around team members being resistant to hearing any sort of critique of their work performance. This is especially true if the team member has been meeting their performance expectations. They’ve met their deadlines and delivered excellent work product. What could there be to critique?

The answer is in the how. With so much importance placed on the result, is it any wonder why some employees don’t understand why they are being taken to task for their methods? Meeting a deadline at any cost can create the sort of unskillful behavior that can create animosity across teams, departments, and sometimes the entire organization.

To avoid this, managers, when setting the agenda for the project need to stress the importance of behavioral expectations as well as performance expectations. A team member who steamrolls others and ignores their scope in order to increase their visibility needs to know that the process is as important as the result.

The “how” matters.

Once the expectations for each team member have been established, a discussion needs to be had with each as to how the team member expects to meet the expectations. This includes the manager’s expectations for the team member as well as the team member’s expectations for themselves. This creates a reference point for both parties, should there be any issues during the work of the project.

What is within the team member’s scope and how can it be done skillfully? The answer often comes back as “I’ll work 14 hours a day and do anything it takes.” This is not skillful or sustainable. The manager needs to step in and advise as to how results can be achieved reasonably, encouraging the team member to respect themselves and others in the process.

How can this person work smarter, lean into the process instead of being blinded by the goal?

Scheduling regular one on one and team meetings is key. Not to over manage, mind, but to ensure that the work is being done in a consensus-based environment. Managers have told me that team members will sometimes “go rouge” and not adhere to the behavioral expectations that were laid out. This can include increasing their scope without approval, throwing lower performing tm’s under the bus, or telling other’s what to do. These issues can be subverted to a large degree if the manager stays current with the evolution of the project. This need not tip over into micromanaging, a worry among many managers. These meeting are simply a way to track each member, and the team as a whole, as to how they are meeting the expectations that were laid out at the start of the project. This is also a time to make suggestions that are helpful and that keep the team performing with skill and respect throughout the project.

And in between these meetings, keep an open door. If, between meetings someone is having an issue with meeting behavioral expectations or is anxious about an upcoming deadline or wants to share a new idea, they know that you are there for them. Let the team know that coming to you is not a show of weakness, but a demonstration of their awareness and intelligence in problem solving.

Guiding team members on improving their communication is a key component to ensuring a “skillful how.” Problems that arise between co-workers are very often the product of poor communication as opposed to actual conflict. Words matter.

In order to provide psychological safety for everyone it is essential that all employees learn how to communicate with respect, empathy and clarity. When they don’t have to constantly decipher the speech of others, team members can often take care of situations that arise on their own, freeing up the manager to do the bigger picture job of moving the entire project forward.

Good managers want their team members to succeed and move up in the organization. Projects that come in on time and on budget will play a big role in their success. These results tell the organization leaders much about the diligence and commitment of the worker. But how they achieved these results will tell them what kind of a person they are and it’s the person who achieves the results with both behavioral and performance skill that will ultimately be seen as the whole package – ready to lead with empathy, skill, and perseverance.