Tag: feedback

Polling employees

FabrizioLeave a comment

Making decisions using employee polls is about one of two things.

One – Management and leadership think the decision is not important enough to deserve their time.

Two – Management and leadership don’t want to have that specific responsibility.

One way or the other, it’s a bad idea. Instead, find somebody who is competent and talented, and put them in charge of figuring that particular thing out. Help them collect the opinion of those who have something to contribute, and make it clear that it’s eventually up to them to decide on the course of action. Support the final decision, measure success, and help them improve.

Polls don’t motivate, but this approach might do just that.

Communication tools

FabrizioLeave a comment

It’s all great that companies have so many ways to communicate, share information, ask and answer questions nowadays. But as it’s often the case, new tools don’t fix old issues.

Like assuming that communication happened just because you have communicated something.

Like expecting an immediate answer to trivial or unimportant questions to placate your anxiety.

Like spreading information left and right with the hope that those who need it will get it and absorb it, while others will forget about it.

Communication is a skill and it needs old-fashioned training, not new tools.

Edge

FabrizioLeave a comment

Out of an audience of 100 people, seeking advice on how to get started with a project, when the speaker – who has extensive experience with that project – invites the audience to connect, this will happen.

90 people will do nothing.

7 people will send an invitation to connect.

2 people will send an invitation to connect and a personal message.

1 person will send an invitation to connect, a personal message, and ask a question that will help them get started with the project.

The points being:

  1. If you are one of the 90, remember that time is an extremely valuable asset, and your time in particular.
  2. Getting an edge on the other 99 is so easy.

Too detailed

FabrizioLeave a comment

Check the specifics and stress over the big picture.

Too often we instead stress over the specifics and don’t even pay attention to the big picture.

One example: check business metrics weekly, even daily, and do it in a way that informs the steps to take next week, next month, not today. Report business metrics quarterly, and do it in a way that links them to a clear, overarching business strategy. Stress only if the quarterly numbers consistently miss the mark, and do it in a way that informs a new strategy.

Risk and reward

FabrizioLeave a comment

Some people do good work. Some people do poor work. Most people do average work.

And the reasons for that are two: risk aversion and reward seeking.

To do good work, you need to be able to deviate from the norm, find new ways, expand the possibilities. In most organizations, this is a risk, and most people prefer not to take it.

To do good work, you also need to be rewarded and recognized for both the success and the failure. In most organizations, average gets rewarded, and most people adapt.

If you are designing how your team will work, keep in mind risk aversion and reward seeking. And remember that if you do what everybody else is used to do, you (and your team) will probably fall in the middle.