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.

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

Julio’s Value System

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“And what if he is just not interested in the work?” I asked.

“At this point, I don’t really care if he is interested in the work,” Nelson protested.

“I understand, but if he is not interested in the work, then the best you will ever get is compliance. You will never get commitment.”

“So, what do you mean interested? It’s work. It’s not supposed to be interesting,” Nelson pressed.

“What are those things we are interested in? What things do we have passion for?” I stopped. “We are interested in those things in which we place a high value. And it doesn’t have to be the task, it just has to be connected to the task. A bricklayer may be stacking brick with mortar, not very interesting, but he may also be building a school for his children.”

“I get it,” said Nelson, “but we don’t build schools. How am I supposed to know what Julio is interested in? How am I supposed to know about Julio’s value system?”

“You are his manager. That’s the work of a manager.”

Blue in the Face

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“But I have told him a dozen times how to get the job done,” Nelson explained. “So, it can’t be a matter of skill.”

“You mean, you have explained the technical part to him?” I confirmed.

“Till I am blue in the face.”

“What about the other part?” I asked.

“What other part?”

“Look, Nelson, I can explain it to you, how to throw a ball. I can demonstrate a hundred times, but if you want to gain the skill, is that enough? What do you have to do?”

“Well, I would have to practice,” he replied.

“So, when you explain things to Isaac, it does not mean he has the skill. Isaac has to practice. If there is any degree of difficulty, he has to practice a lot. And what is your role while Isaac is practicing?”

Diagnosing Underperformance

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“I am pretty sure that Isaac is a Stratum I and that’s why he is having difficulty with his new responsibilities,” Nelson explained.

“Isaac’s not doing well?” I asked.

“No, I swear, I have explained things to him a dozen times. He always says that he understands, but when I look at the work, he is like a deer in the headlights. Definitely Stratum I.”

“And if you are wrong?”

“I might be wrong?” Nelson tilted.

“What if he is just not interested in the work he is assigned?”

“But that’s the work I gave him to do,” Nelson replied.

“Just because you gave it to him, doesn’t mean he places value on that work. And just because he underperforms, doesn’t mean he is a Stratum I. Your assumption may lead you down the wrong road. Here are some better questions that are more helpful.

  1. Does Isaac have the right skills for the assigned task? Is there some technical knowledge that he needs to know and has he practiced enough to gain the required skill?
  2. Is Isaac interested in the work? Does he place a high value on its completion?
  3. Has Isaac been effective in completing tasks with a similar Time Span?

Measuring Capability

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From Time Span 101 (in final beta test).

Question:
Can a person move from one Stratum to another Stratum?

Response:
Instead of defining all the words necessary to understand the answer to this question, let me rephrase the question. Takes some of the mystery out of all this.

Can people, as they grow and mature through their lifetime, also grow to handle tasks of increasing complexity?

The re-stated question is easier to answer. Yes, as people grow and mature through their lifetime, they also grow in their capability to handle tasks of increasing complexity.

The Time Span of a task can be used to measure its complexity. In the workplace, the Time Span of a task can last from brief minutes to several years. Stratum is used to describe a range of Time Spans.

  • Stratum I – ranges from 1 day to 3 months
  • Stratum II – ranges from 3 months to 12 months
  • Stratum III – ranges from 12 months to 24 months

Stratum is a way to measure. So, let’s restate the question again.

Can we measure the growth of a person’s capability to handle increasingly complex tasks through their lifetime?

Yes, we can measure that growth using Time Span as a measuring stick.

Isn’t Big Enough (Yet)

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From Time Span 101 (scheduled for release in about a week).

Question:
I’m not all the way through the sessions yet, but I’m wondering how small businesses (less than 30) fill the roles of Stratum III and Stratum IV managers? I can see they have Stratum I and Stratum II but can the role of Stratum III and IV be filled by the same person? Can a person have two different time span roles depending on the “hat” they need to wear?

Response:
Sometimes, through necessity, one person can “fill in” by playing a role with shorter Time Span goals. Even in longer Time Span roles, we have many short Time Span goals, so the shift is not difficult, in terms of capability.

Beware, however, the shift may prove difficult in terms of interest. If all I ever get is short Time Span goals, with no challenge, you may find my interest begin to lag.

In small business, it is likely the entrepreneur will fill the role at Stratum III. And in a small business with less than 30 people, it is unlikely there is a need for the Stratum IV Integrator role. There isn’t anything to integrate. The business isn’t big enough to have those problems (yet).

There are many successful Stratum II companies (with less than 30 people). In their competitive environment, all they have to do is follow consistent processes. This would be typical of a fleet based service company (like plumbing or carpet cleaning).