Page 13 - Twenty Four Lessons for Mastering Your New Role

Stettner24.qxd 11/6/2002 3:45 PM Page 3
Discuss the high standards you set for yourself and your crew—and
find out what the worker thinks of these standards. That’s better
than coming right out and saying, “Here’s something you’re doing
wrong that you need to work on...”
Remember that almost all workers thirst for input. One of the
employees’ biggest complaints is “I don’t get enough feedback from
my boss.” Remove the mystery. Freely share your ideas, suggestions
and reservations. Make individuals aware of their performance and
guide them to improve.
Use this three-step method to deliver feedback that sinks in:
Invite employees to evaluate their performance: Let them rate a
specific aspect of their work based on, say, a 1-to-10 scale or an A-to-
F letter grade. Many people judge themselves more harshly than you
would. Even if they inflate their rating, it gives you a baseline to
respond with your input.
Ask follow-up questions: Dig for more information. Get employees
to share details or examples that justify their self-rating. Notice what
criteria they use to evaluate themselves and how they track their per-
formance.
Align your analysis with their comments: Now that you’ve given
employees a chance to chime in, it’s your turn. Begin by thanking
them for explaining how they view their performance. Then add,
“I’d like to piggyback on what you’ve said.” Start by giving feedback
that they missed. Then endorse positive input that you heard earlier
(as long as you agree) and add some fresh praise so you end on a
high note.

“The good ones among managers ... do not talk to their
subordinates about their problems, but they know how to
make the subordinates talk about theirs.

—Peter Drucker

2