CARLOS FOXBETTER LEADERS - BETTER LIVES

To truly succeed as an effective leader, you must have the right team doing the right things at the right time. Easier said than done. Next time you get on your blackberry ask yourself, “whose job am I really doing right now? Mine, the one only I should/can do or doing someone else’s job because they are not doing it well enough?

How effective are your direct reports? Let’s take a very simplistic, however insightful look. Take a piece of paper, list your direct reports. next to each of their names place either a 6 or a 9. Before you do, let me explain the rules:

On a scale of 1-10 where 10 is reserved for a most effective direct report, you can only give someone either a score of 9 or 6 (not 7.5s etc). This is about how effective are they at getting the expected results in their current roles. If you think you have someone which is below a 6, then you must own up to considering whether you might be the problem, some tough love. 

Got your list done? OK, now think about the 6′s, they are either 6s who could become 9s over time and TERMINAL 6s who will not likely ever become 9′s in your opinion. Place a T next to their 6.

For the 6′s that can become 9′s, what is YOUR plan to help them get there as soon as possible? If you dont have a concious plan, what is that costing you and what would you need to do  to put the plan in place? 

For the terminal 6s, why are you tolerating their sub par performance? What is that costing you (I dont just mean financially, the costs could be in your own reputation for tolerating sub performance, time that you are spending “doing their job” etc). As the saying goes “we GET what we TOLERATE”.

Consider this, great employees usually quit their bosses, not their companies. If you have any 9′s working for terminal 6s, they may not stay much longer. Also, when you finally take action on your terminal 6s, most people in the organization will say..”what took you so long?”

I know some of you will react by saying this is over simplistic, they are some direct reports who you may say are 9s in most of their role and 3s in some aspects of the role. These are more complex and require a deeper look. As a start, consider what their 3 performance is costing you (again, not just financially) and your believes about whether additional knowledge, coaching or feedback may result in making these areas effective enough.

For the 9s, don’t get complacent. Help them understand what they need to learn to get ready for their next level. Help them ensure they only have 9s on their teams.

As we say in my TEC groups…”Hire Slow…Fire Fast” which is normally the opposite of what most of us do most of the time.

Your thoughts?

Share: