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Performance Talk Setting and Improving Performance Standards As I mentioned in our previous issue, I believe your leadership team is employed to ‘add value’ to your business. The four key areas in the context of leadership I suggest you focus on are;
• Setting performance standards As you know, your leadership team not only sets the pace and expectations but also the attitudes and behaviors (in essence the standards) your company adopts and therefore the results your company is capable of achieving. Your workforce will not ‘out-perform’ your leadership team. For this reason, it is imperative the standards your leadership team set (demonstrate) are high enough to drive the growth and improvements you aspire to achieve. To explore this issue further, we must accept the fact that setting standards is all about what your company and leaders, individually and collectively, ‘stand for’. It is unwise to expect rhetoric to have any meaningful impact on the way a company operates therefore the ‘standards’ we set must be regarded as a genuine commitment to operate and behave in a particular way. I am often intrigued by the approach many companies adopt when it comes to performance standards. Companies will often say, we are …., or we believe …, but when you cut to the chase there is often very little substance to such remarks because it simply isn’t backed up with action. Consider the following; World champions don’t become world champions unless the standards they set for themselves are consistent with their intentions. World champions, or those at the forefront of their field, tend to work harder and more professionally than the rest - which is one of the reasons why they become champions in the first place. It is after all the quality of their effort that determines the difference. It is important your managers recognise the standards they set, consciously or unconsciously, will have a significant impact on the success they and your organisation achieve.
• Improving performance standards
Do you believe your workforce is the key to your success, or do you believe they are simply a resource you have to have? This is a question I encourage managers to consider very carefully in order to challenge the depth of their commitment regarding performance standards. Raising this question will provide a useful insight into your managers ability and willingness to improve standards. If you are serious about improving performance, whether that be sales, customer service, productivity, business development or the like, you must improve the ‘standards’ people operate to. In other words, people must perform to a higher standard if they are to improve their effectiveness and contribution. To achieve this, it is important there is a clear and justifiable reason as to why you consider this necessary. It may be that your competitors are improving therefore to stay ahead you need to improve. You may have come to the realisation your current standards are no longer sufficient to maintain current business, or you may be about to reposition/re-brand your products or services and as such, recognize the need to offer improved service delivery. What ever the reason, it is essential your team understands the need to step up and are given sufficient information and support to enable them to do this. It is also important you follow through on your message so people don’t think it is just another attempt to ‘fix’ what may be perceived as a minor problem. To achieve this, you need to consider three words; time, education and tolerance. Whilst it is realistic for most companies to improve most issues within a one to three month period, many companies find the improvements they make don’t stick long term. They may enjoy a few gains for a period but then find people slacken off and before they know it, they are back to where they started. To ensure this doesn’t happen (it is extremely important it doesn’t happen as it tells an obvious story) you need to introduce the plan and then make sure your managers 1. provide a time line as to when the new standard (system, approach) needs to be complete 2. educate everyone regarding the intention/reason for the initiative and 3. reduce the level of tolerance over time starting with a high degree of tolerance (to indifference) at the start but then deliberately and consistently reducing it until you get to a point (agreed time) where the level of tolerance for doing the particular task or approach differently from what is intended is zero. Driving performance improvements (standards) this way will ensure everyone takes the initiative seriously whilst allowing a reasonable period of time to allow people to adjust without becoming resentful.
Next month we will focus on Building Performance Capability. 
Congratulations also to our elite swimmers who have all now qualified for the Beijing Olympics. Moss Burmester broke the New Zealand and Commonwealth record again in the 200m butterfly on day four of the Absolute Insurance Olympic Trials in Henderson going under the Olympic Qualifying mark by over 3 seconds. He also broke the NZ record for the 100m on the final night of heats on Saturday 29th March, qualifying him for both events. Helen Norfolk also swam well to qualify in both the 200m and 400m individual medley events. Helen had a great swim in the 400m smashing Liz van Welie’s 2002 record by over 5 seconds making it a true world-class swim. Twenty-two year old Melissa Ingram was also in impressive form in the 200m backstroke breaking Anna Simcic’s 17 year record and becoming the first New Zealander to go under the 2 min 10 sec barrier. Melissa easily qualified for both the 100m and 200m backstroke demonstrating she has the ability to become a formidable competitor within the next few years.
If you would like to improve your team's performance, call us for a no-obligation discussion on how we can help you achieve it.
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March, 2008 In this Issue Setting and Improving Performance Standards Other News Our swimmers continue to excel at the Olympic Trials. To find out more see the article below. Pass it on Know anyone who might be interested in our news? Click here to forward this email to up to 5 friends at once. Subscribe If you would like to receive our monthly newsletter, please register on line. |
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www.craigsteel.co.nz ph 09 528 9263
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