Page 170 - Managing the Mobile Workforce

the mobile performance management process � 149

me to make the MBOs meaningful in that I never grant 100
percent achievement because, if I do, I lose an opportunity
for coaching. Even someone who is hitting their goals may
hit 90 percent, but I will give them some constructive feed-
back for how they could improve or how they could have in-
vested more. I believe you have to have a qualitative element
to make it meaningful and to make it specific to the individual
and their current place on the learning curve or place in their
own personal professional development. Quantitative mea-
sures tend to lump everyone into a common bucket of capa-
bility. I’m obviously managing a very diverse team.”
He hires only what he calls “A players,” in a highly com-
petitive market for talent. His workers execute their jobs
without much direct oversight, and that gives John the abil-
ity to provide leadership and direction for overcoming chal-
lenges, inspiring them to look for unique or creative ways to
solve problems.
He talks about leading in the spirit of the upside-down
paradigm: “I tell my people I work for them. They don’t work
for me. My job is to get what they need from corporate to
be successful and to protect them and be their advocate in
facing the company. Between those two you hope that you
create a very healthy work environment that people will
choose to be a part of. I think we’ve been quite successful
with that.” He sets the goals high to stretch his employees
and then provides the support they need to achieve them.
He is on the road three of four weeks—meeting with each
of his employees at least once or twice a quarter, including
Europe, because, he says, nothing takes the place of meeting
face to face. He meets with his employees to coach them, le-
veraging the opportunity to get into markets to demonstrate
expertise, approach, presentation style, and the value cap-
tures he wants from each employee. John gave us a specific
example: