Author Archives: Tom Foster

About Tom Foster

Tom Foster spends most of his time talking with managers and business owners. The conversations are about business lives and personal lives, goals, objectives and measuring performance. In short, transforming groups of people into teams working together. Sometimes we make great strides understanding this management stuff, other times it’s measured in very short inches. But in all of this conversation, there are things that we learn. This blog is that part of the conversation I can share. Often, the names are changed to protect the guilty, but this is real life inside of real companies.

The System is Being Ignored

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“So, you think when I have this conversation about their mistakes, they are ignoring me because I lecture them?” Daniele asked.

“No, they are not ignoring you. They are ignoring your entire control system. Your control system is finding the mistakes, but the mistakes are continuing. Is the purpose of your control system to find mistakes or to find the causes for the mistakes and repair the cause?”

“I know. But I have to find the mistakes. And I have a great audit team. They are very thorough. I don’t know what I would do without them. They keep us in compliance,” Daniele stated flatly.

“How does your production team feel about your audit team?”

Daniele visibly changed, sat back and pulled away from her desk. “Well, they are not supposed to like the audit team. I don’t run a popularity contest around here. There is some friction, but I think it is good friction. My production team knows if they make a mistake, my audit team will find it. I think there is respect in that way.”

“Daniele, here are some things I know based on what you describe.

  • There are mistakes in your files that your audit team is NOT finding, that will put you out of compliance with the Feds.
  • Your production team has no respect for your audit team and is ignoring the results of your audits.
  • Some mistakes are being found, but the causes of the mistakes are not being identified.
  • Your situation is getting worse.

Why Are You Being Ignored?

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“You have a control system. Let me list the elements.

  • Your team works on a file.
  • Someone from another team audits the file and finds a mistake.
  • You, as the manager, get the results of the audit.
  • You, as the manager yell at the team member for making a mistake on the file.

Did I get that right?” I asked.

“Yes, well, I don’t really yell at them,” Daniele replied. “I mean, I talk calmly, I don’t raise my voice.”

“You don’t have to raise your voice to be yelling,” I chuckled.

“Okay, but let’s call it a lecture, not yelling,” she insisted.

“Why do you think they are ignoring you, when you have this little talk with them? I know they are nodding their heads, but trust me, the results from the audit team and you, as the manager, are being ignored in this control system. Why do you think that happens?”

What’s Next

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A couple of days ago, for the first time, we published the schedule for our Working Leadership Online program. A number of people have asked about it.

Working Leadership Online covers 15 subject areas over the space of one year, but we set it up so you can try out one subject, sign up for three in a row, or subscribe for the year. We also have an audit track for companies with two or more people in the program. (If you are in HR, ask me about this).

Our next subject area starts Monday, Control Systems and Feedback Loops. Accountability is the focus. Most managers drop the ball on follow-up.

We have had several inquiries from HR departments, so, here is the calendar for the next 12 months.

2009
Apr 27 – Accountability – Control Systems and Feedback Loops
May 18 – Managing Time – Managing Yourself
Jun 8 – Team Problem Solving – Power of Team
Jun 29 – Summer Break
Jul 6 – Coaching – Two Powerful Models
Jul 27 – Coaching – Underperformance and Misbehavior
Aug 17 – Coaching – People to Their Maximum Level
Sep 7 – Fall Break
Sep 14 – Managerial Authorities – Managerial Accountability
Oct 5 – Employee Entitlement – Yes, there is one.
Oct 26 – Performance Effectiveness Appraisal
Nov 23 – Break (Thanksgiving – USA)
Nov 30 – Bringing Out the Best in People
Dec 21 – Jan 10, 2010 – Winter Break

2010
Jan 11 – Planning – Your 2010 Business Plan
Feb 1 – Goal Setting – The Essence of Time Span
Feb 22 – Decision Making – Facts and Intuition
Mar 15 – Managing Time – Managing Yourself
Apr 5 – Spring Break
Apr 12 – Communication – Mineral Rights Conversation
May 3 – Delegation – Ultimate Leverage

Sign up here.

Little Rain Clouds

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“We are subject to both state and federal compliance. There are important standards that we have to observe. No getting around them. So, I don’t see what all the fuss is about from my team when I try to enforce those standards,” Daniele explained.

“What happens?” I asked.

“We have to maintain files. They have to be up-to-date and complete. Each person is responsible for the files on the clients assigned to them. Once a week, I go and pull five files, at random, give them to someone on my audit staff. They go through the file and find all the mistakes.”

“What happens, then?”

“I bring in the person responsible for the file and we have a very serious discussion. During the discussion, I seem to get my point across. Everyone always agrees with me. But then, they go back and make the same mistakes, again.” Daniele sat back.

“They make the same mistakes, again?” I prompted.

“Yes, and then they get all huffy about it. They walk around the office all day with a rain cloud over their head. I can look over the cubicle farm and see all the little rain clouds. I am just trying to do my job and keep us in compliance with the feds.”

Who Should Do the Spanking?

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From last week:
Is it appropriate for a Manager-Once-Removed to conduct performance appraisals, or should the direct Manager do this review?

We had this insightful comment posted by Gary Markle, author of Catalytic Coaching.

Tom…
This is a trick question. The real answer is that it is not appropriate for either manager to give the once-removed employee a performance evaluation because the ritual is tired and ineffective performed by anyone. It’s like asking who should spank the child, the parent or grandparent? How about neither? They should substitute coaching, more specifically Catalytic Coaching.
Cheers, Gary

Indeed, my response was “if the conversation is about Performance (shorter Time Span goals), it should be conducted by the direct Manager.”

I have never been a fan of traditional performance reviews. In some cases they are a waste of time, in most cases they can be destructive. That said, conversations about performance are important for a number of reasons.

  • Quality standards (product or service)
  • Safety standards
  • Efficiency, consistency and predictability of performance
  • Competence
  • New skills, growth and direction

These conversations are so important that they should be held on a daily, weekly and monthly basis. Catalytic coaching describes an effective process to do just that.

For those of you tracking our Working Leadership program, you will note on the schedule below, we have three sessions on coaching (a critical managerial role) beginning July 6, 2009. You can now register for a single session, a group of three sessions or an annual subscription.

Apr 27 – Control Systems and Feedback Loops
May 18 – Managing Time – Managing Yourself
Jun 8 – Team Problem Solving – Power of Team
Jun 29 – Summer Break
Jul 6 – Coaching – Two Powerful Models
Jul 27 – Coaching – Underperformance and Misbehavior
Aug 17 – Coaching – People to Their Maximum Level
Sep 7 – Fall Break
Sep 14 – Managerial Authorities – Managerial Accountability
Oct 5 – Employee Entitlement – Yes, there is one.
Oct 26 – Performance Effectiveness Appraisal
Nov 23 – Break (Thanksgiving – USA)
Nov 30 – Bringing Out the Best in People
Dec 21 – Jan 10, 2010 – Winter Break

Conversation About Performance

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From Time Span 101 Online:

Question:
Is it appropriate for a Manager-Once-Removed to conduct performance appraisals, or should the direct Manager do this review?

Response:
To clarify for everyone else, the Manager-Once-Removed is the direct Manager’s manager. The Manager-Once-Removed is two strata away from the team member.

Let’s first describe the relationship between the team member and the direct Manager. The nature of this relationship is Accountability. Accountability for performance.

The relationship between the team member and the Manager-Once-Removed is not one of Accountability, but one of mentoring, centered around career goals (longer Time Span goals).

Given these two relationships, if the conversation is about Performance (shorter Time Span goals), it should be conducted by the direct Manager.

Both relationships are absolutely appropriate, yet different. -TF

Stop Keeping a To Do List

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Erica smiled again. “I always think I will get around to the follow-up. That’s why I don’t think about scheduling it on my calendar.”

“That’s exactly why to do lists don’t work for me. I stay so fully scheduled that I do not get around to things that are not on my calendar. To do lists work for some people, but not for me,” I explained.

“So, you are suggesting that when I delegate, I should put the follow-up steps on my calendar?”

I nodded, “Yes. Because if you don’t put them on your calendar, when are you going to do the follow-up?”

Erica almost laughed, “Never. In fact, I wonder if I should stop keeping a to do list. Maybe I should put everything on a calendar.”

“Let me know how that works out for you.” -TF

It’s Not On the Calendar

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“You are right about the visibility part,” Erica explained. “When I delegate a project, I always write down things to follow-up on. I just never seem to get around to do the follow-up. I think I have too many things to do.”

“Visibility is the key. I am great at writing things down, making lists, but it’s so easy to let things slide when you are not the person actually doing the work on the project. So, how can we keep the follow-up steps in sight so we don’t forget them?” I asked.

Erica did not respond, just shook her head.

“How did you remember our meeting today?” I continued.

“Well, that was easy. I know this meeting is important and I had it on my calendar,” Erica smiled.

“You mean this meeting was not part of a to do list?”

“No, remember, we set a time to get together. You put it on your Palm and I put it in Outlook.”

“So, what was different about our setting this meeting and remembering to follow-up on your delegation?” I pressed.

“I don’t put delegations on my calendar. I put them on my to do list. That’s why I never get around to the follow-up.”

“What could you do differently?” -TF

Losing Focus

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“Once it gets off my plate, though, it’s really hard to get back to it. When I delegate something, I would like to forget about it,” Erica complained.

“That’s because you are only thinking about yourself, and even at that, you are still missing something,” I replied.

“But, if I’m not the one responsible for the task, anymore, I just lose focus on it.”

I nodded in agreement. “Just because you lose focus, doesn’t make it right. And you can change your focus.”

“I don’t know. It’s easy to say, hard to do.”

“So, even though the task is gone, how are you going to maintain visibility, so you don’t lose focus?” -TF

What Do You Look For?

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“I understand that it would be helpful to know about Julio’s value system,” Nelson pushed back. “But what am I supposed to ask him. Are you honest?”

“My guess is that he would say, yes. Yes and no questions seldom give us much information that’s really useful. And remember, this would be most helpful if it’s about the work he is doing.”

Nelson was still puzzled. “I am supposed to ask him how he values the work?”

“He won’t understand the question if you ask it that way. Try these questions.

  • Before we ship this product to the customer, what is the most important thing we have to remember?
  • When the customer receives this product, what is the most important thing they look for?
  • When we show up at the customer’s location, what do you think the customer expects from us?
  • Before we leave a customer location, what is the most important thing we have to remember?
  • When you look around at your team mates, thinking about their work, what do you find most helpful to you?
  • What do you look for in a new person joining the team?

“All these questions will give you insight into Julio’s value system related to the work.” -TF