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From NetSpeed Leader Volume 22, April 2005
From among our 23 hands-on, fast-paced training and development modules, here are a baker's dozen tips and techniques. The modules themselves feature experiential exercises, self-assessments, discussion, models, and practice, accompanied by online reinforcement.
A Practical Step from "Hiring the Best Talent"
When interviewing to hire top performers, find out how top performers in your organization would answer your interview questions. The simplest way to do this is to develop the questions and interview your current top performers to see how they respond. Use their answers as a guide for evaluating new talent.
A Speed Bump (a place to slow down) from "Getting the Right Start"
When training new employees on the job, take time to tell why a job is important -- not just what needs to be done. If you skip straight to the task without providing the framework, the employee may focus on the wrong priorities, fail to see valuable connections, and make poor decisions because of operating in a vacuum.
Good Advice from "Running Effective Meetings"
To plan an effective meeting, decide on and communicate "non-objectives" as well as objectives. For example, if the meeting objective is to agree on staffing needs -- not to write job descriptions -- then "Not to write job descriptions" is a non-objective. When the discussion moves to non-objectives, remind participants of the real meeting objective. Create a "parking lot" in which to park the idea for future discussion.
Principles of Leadership from "Leading at Net Speed"
To cultivate trust in fast-paced organizations, assume that people have good intentions, follow through on your own promises and commitments, and admit not having all the answers. Do the right thing even when it's difficult.
Crisis Avoidance from "Delegating Smartly"
When delegating a task or project, establish check-in points during the initial delegation, and ask to be told about problems before they mushroom. Then track progress, but respect the employee's methods. Don't solve problems yourself, and don't let the employee delegate work back to you.
A New Take on Listening from "Building Open Communication"
To listen effectively, "click on conversational hypertext." Just as you would click on a term on a web page to get more information, prompt the speaker for more information when something is not completely clear. Do this easily by nodding encouragement, asking a brief question, or saying, "I'd like to hear a little more about that."
A Helpful Reminder from "Setting and Achieving Goals"
To set and achieve goals, measure results—not activities. In training and development, for example, measure the number of employees who are able to perform a skill to a certain standard -- not how many attended a class. Measure input (for example, costs and time) as well as output (quantity and quality).
Good Preparation from "Appraising Performance"
To appraise employee performance, help the employee prepare for the discussion. Provide a performance appraisal form and job description. Ask the employee to write notes on his or her strengths, challenges, and accomplishments and to prioritize responsibilities. By being prepared, the employee can participate fully in the discussion.
A Speed Bump Caution from "Coaching to Redirect"
To coach to redirect an employee’s performance, take time to give detailed positive feedback. Too often, we give only negative feedback in detail. But it's just as important -- even more so -- to focus on positive aspects of performance.
Insights from "Turning Performance Problems Around"
When helping employees improve performance problems, be aware of the three main reasons for poor performance: (1) lack of training, skill, or experience; (2) an obstacle -- something or someone that prevents the performance; and (3) motivation -- they don't know why the performance is important, or they think something else is more important.
A Lesson from the Experts from "Communicating to Influence"
When people express resistance to your ideas, you may be tempted to explain yourself in more elaborate detail, bombarding them with additional information. A more useful response is to stop talking and start listening.
A Quick Tip from "Writing for High-Speed Readers"
When writing for today's business readers, use short, crisp sentences averaging about 20 words each. Long, complex sentences slow down your readers and lead to miscommunication.
Strategic Thinking from "Making Strategic Decisions"
To make strategic decisions, use divergent and convergent thinking at the right times. Divergent, generative thinking expands the range of alternatives. Convergent, analytical thinking evaluates, narrows, and combines alternatives. Avoid convergent thinking during brainstorming; steer clear of divergent thinking when confirming details.
Watch for tips for creating an inspiring work culture, building the total team, thinking to break the box, and other key leadership and skills development subjects in our next newsletter.
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