More Change

Dryer Lint, Math, Passion, and Change

Not often that taking the lint out of the dryer filter stops you in your tracks and starts a thought process that ends up connecting successful change to a passion for something--but last laundry day it did.

It started when I realized that I had paused and was intently examining the lint I had just removed for the purity and consistency of its color. (A nice rosy red if you must know.) It took me a minute to realize what I was doing, ask myself why I was doing it, and remember an unusual story on CBS Sunday Morning several months ago about a woman who created works of art using dryer lint as her medium. At the time I saw the segment, I was amused at her passion for creating and blending lint in order to get the perfect effect for her pictures. (Would they be called Lintings?) Yet, here I was, stopping in the middle of a busy day, grading the quality of my lint. Trust me, I had no intention of joining her in this offbeat endeavor, the lint ended in the garbage, and as I walked back to my desk, I thought of how her passion for her brand of art had captured a small part of my mind. Reminded me of Mr. Turban’s math classes in high school.

I got straight As in my high school math classes and considered majoring in math in college until, that is, I ran smack dab into college level Calculus. It didn’t take a genius to figure out that my passion for math was a subset of Mr. Turban’s passion for math. Take him out of the equation and my interest and to a great extent, my ability failed. Unless a passion for math, or lint for that matter, is YOUR passion, your willingness to persevere doesn’t stick around for long.

Successful change requires a feeling of passion to get you though the tough parts. Often the person who initiates the change has the passion; the people who are expected to carry out the change only have passion on loan or by association. To make your change successful, each participant needs to find their own passionate connection to the change. I haven’t seen many Change Initiative Planning Sessions with this topic on the agenda.

So, if you’re leading change, you need to help all the participants find a reason to feel passionate about the change. It could be the eventual outcome, the on-going process, or the opportunity for learning. Doesn’t matter what so much as it matters that it is identified and nurtured.

Blog Re-Launch!

No More Excuses as Sam Silverstein would say--just a commitment. Within 48 hours from right now (8:27 am CST) I will have re-started this blog.

Come on Chris, the clock is ticking...

Performance Review Myths

Continuing to answer the excellent questions submitted by the participants in my session Managing Resistance to Change at the ASAE Great Ideas Conference. These Association leaders really know how to get to the heart of an issue with a question!

 

 If you are not a part of the Association Management world, substitute employees for the word member. You're facing these issues, too and the answers will apply.

 

Be sure to use the comments section to continue the dialogue.

 

1.    When mandating change with reviews – do you (and how) reach back out to staff and members for continued feedback on the change?

Let me start with a line to memorize: The purpose of all feedback is action. Say it again for emphasis.

 

Unfortunately, today’s Performance Appraisal usually falls far short of its purpose and intent. An annual Performance Appraisal isn’t feedback – it’s much bigger than that.

Its purpose is to convey a summary of the on-going feedback messages an employee has received regarding what they do well, where they have opportunities for improvement, and ways their leader and organization will support their sustaining and improving efforts. Its intent is to create a benchmark that notes and measures key behaviors. Key words: summary and benchmarks. Underlying implication: employees have on-going conversations with their leaders about their actual performance. How it meets, exceeds, or misses expectations. I am not naive; I realize this isn’t the way things work in most organizations. But it should.

 

Embedded in this question is the realization that reviews as a singular event don't result in much change. Allow me to repeat myself: the purpose of all feedback is action. Whether you, as a leader, are providing a formal Performance Review or having a regular, informal coaching conversation, that conversation should conclude with a complete discussion (followed by a written confirmation) of the following four questions and one statement.

1.    As a result of this feedback, what are you going to do more of? Less of? Continue? (Agreed upon goals)

2.    What will your first steps be? (Well thought-out commitments)

3.    What can I do to support you as you make these changes? (Continued care and support)

4.    When will we re-convene to discuss your progress or difficulties? (Specific follow-up)

5.    In addition to our scheduled conversations about these issues, you can expect me to act on informal opportunities to continue our dialogue and I expect you to reach out to me with any questions you might have. (Clear expectations and accountability)

 

If you call yourself a leader, what I have just described is your job – in a nutshell. Leaders develop people. Development in the workplace isn’t a do-it-yourself project.   We all need leaders who will suggest, guide, watch, and report our new behaviors. And all of that can’t happen just because of a Performance Review. Like all new behaviors, this will take a while for both parties to get used to. The only solution to the discomfort is persistence. It will get easier. I promise.