Transforming Performance and Behaviour

Transforming Performance and BehaviourHow to have conversations...

1PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENTVSMANAGING PERFORMANCE

Often we use the term Performance Management

This term has negative connotations it sounds like to me... Disciplinary action

When in fact, what managers do every day is manage performance

2PERFORMANCE CONVERSATIONSFor those who are underperforming or to increase performance Create a culture where it is done every day

Not just when things go wrong...

This presentation is about having performance conversations

Mainly for those employees who are not performing to standard or where you need to increase performance

You want to create a culture where having performance conversations is something that is done all the time, every day even not just when things go wrong.

I want to make the point up front, that this presentation is about the day to day conversations that you have with your staff. It is not about taking formal disciplinary action or even about micromanaging your staff but about the day to day stuff that may not be working or not to standard.

I would also like the make the point that having conversations with staff can be challenging. But you need to tone you use and the body language you display is very important. If these are not in alignment with your conversation then this technique will not be successful.3TopicsGetting clear on the issueCreating self awarenessCounselling and disciplinary processesCreating responsibilityEstablishing a Team Charter & ExpectationsAccountability

Getting clear on the issue Creating self awarenessCounselling and Disciplinary ProcessesCreating Responsibility and AccountabilityEstablishing a Team Charter & ExpectationsAccountability

4Performance = Results + BehaviourWork performance not to standardNon compliance of policiesUnacceptable/negative behaviour

Good performance can be described as a person who meets the results or targets in their role AND their behaviour is also meeting the required standard.

However you dont always see this.

Sometimes, an employee maybe performing well in their role meeting their targets etc however their behaviour is not to standard. If this was the case then they are not meeting their performance standard

On the other hand you may have an employee who is great fun and really has great behaviour in the workplace however they dont meet their targets etc, then you would say this person is again not meeting their performance standard

There are three main areas where there may be issues in relation to an employees performance

Work performance not to standard examples could be that the person is not following the basics of CARE ie. greeting customers within 30/30, or getting their assigned tasks done within a reasonable timeframe; not completing tasks leaving them for someone else to doNon compliance of policies i.e. regularly doesnt wear the correct uniform (maybe they wear excessive jewellery or short shorts etc, or they dont follow the till procedures correctly, or they regularly arrive to work 1-2 mins past their shift start timeUnacceptable/negative behaviour i.e. snapping at colleagues, throwing little tantrums.... Or generally not working as part of the team etc

So consider - when thinking about behaviour you need to think about what good behaviour means to you what does it look like? Again, when thinking about standards you need to be clear in your own mind as to what the standards are, what do you expect?Certainly the skills and responsibility tools will provide a good start for you here.

But if you cant articulate this to yourself, then you probably cant articulate this to others.Hopefully you as a manager are also role modelling your Performance Standards at all times!5THE BUS

On Off

Some of you may have heard the term being on the bus or off the bus.

The idea comes from a book called From Good to Great by Jim Collins and the term does tend to get over used

Before saying that someone is not on the bus (meaning they are off the bus) you need to consider if you as a manager have done everything you can to keep or get the person on the bus.

So what does this mean... Have you given the person clear expectations re performance (have you articulated them correctly), Have you given them the correct training to develop their skills, Have you given them access to the resources they need to be successful?Have you had conversations to correct any misdirection?

If YES, and the person is still not on the bus then you need to do what you can to remove the person off the bus

6Most people are Reasonable8020

Most people are reasonable People dont come to work to do the wrong thingThis applies to both managers and staff it is easy to focus on staff However, if a manager is not managing performance then they are not meeting the standards for their own role if you are this persons manager, are you doing the right thing by not managing their performanceThe point here is managing performance escalates to all levels it is not just about managing staff performance as managers, we also need to ensure our own performance by managing performance of others

The 80/20 rule says that 80% of your staff will be performing well but there will be 20% that may not be performing as well or worse, not to standard or not meeting expectations

However, this 80/20 rule can flip very easily though if you do not manage the performance of that 20%, because soon the 80 percenters will get tired of doing all the work and having to carry the 20 percenters

It is sometimes surprising how things can change very quickly and turn around. You certainly dont want a situation where the 80 percenters are those who are not performing well or not to standard and 20% being your best performers. Unfortunately there are some workplaces where this does happen although I can honestly say that I havent seen this situation at all in any of our pharmacies

There are more statistics around that basically say that most people within that 20% range can be turned around however about 2% wont change and they need to be exited (or released to the world).

7The quality of our communication will determine the result we get

The quality of our communication will determine the result we get

Think about this statement ... The quality of our communication will determine the result we get

If you are not getting the result you want then perhaps the problem is you...

Think about how you have communicated what you want. Have you been clear?

What tone have you used? Think about your own body language...

The quality of our communication will determine the result we get....How true is this statement!8Unwritten RulesEXPECTATIONOUTCOMEDDISAPPOINTMENTIm disappointed you have not met my expectation of you

We all have unwritten rules in our own mind it is our own expectations that we have of ourselves and others it comes from the way we have grown up, our own influences etc

When I heard this point it really resonated with me...

When we notice someone not meeting our own unwritten rules or expectations whether that be at home or in our work life we become disappointed

We say to ourselves there they go again they are late again, they are doing that again, that havent produced that report ... again. Or we say, I was hoping that, I was expecting that...

We then get disappointed that our expectations are not met.

This may be totally different however if we have set the expectations, talked about them to the person, and been crystal clear as to what we want.

People generally want to do the right thing and when they know what this is, then they usually do it. If you dont tell them, then they will operate under the guise of no news is good news as they will perceive that they are doing a good job of course, wouldnt you!9Value our Values

So how do we break this pattern of having unwritten rules how do we express them

Our Values is a good place to start.............Value our Values!

We all know our values asLaugh and enjoy the dayInspire othersFully engageEnrich their day

We also have examples that underpin these statements

Laugh and enjoy the day we say be happy, enthusiastic and share a laugh with customers and the team, acknowledge actions of others that make you bristle dont react or express negative body language

Inspire others offer others a helping hand, lead by example

Fully Engage give people your full attention, complete the interaction

Enrich their day be thoughtful, be caring, make people feel good

Having these statements makes it easier to be clear on your expectations re performance and for employees to live the values.

10Delivering Results & Living Values1243ValuesResults

Good employees have an alignment where they deliver on results and live the values

This slide shows a framework which is useful in indentifying your employees and how they may need to be managed

There are 4 different types of employees

Delivering on results and living the values we need to congratulate them, acknowledge them, and do everything we can to keep them within the businessNot really meeting the results we would like but they are living and breathing the values we need to do everything we can to turn them around to get the results this could be additional training and or support using the bus analogy, we will do all we can to keep them on the bus however if they cant perform the results as we expect, then eventually we may need to take them off the busNot getting results or living the values of course we need to give them a chance, but we are not going to give them many chances these people need clear expectations so they understand where they stand and if they cannot be moved into quadrant 1, then they need to go as quickly as possible because of the affect they can have on others like poisonDelivering on the results but not living the values these people can be just as poisonous as those in quadrant 3 even though they are delivering on their results, if they are not living the values, then they can be quite destructive. In the short term, it can be very challenging to deal with but you need to remember that Performance is both results and behaviour (not just one or the other)

11Empathy

So how do we start ....

Like with our customers and CARE, we need to start with Empathy. We need to begin with thinking why would this person not want to do the right thing?

Sometimes we need to put ourselves in their shoes to understand where they may be coming from.

We dont all think the same as much as we would like this to happen it doesnt. We all have learned behaviours that we have developed over time. For example, it starts from birth and we continue to learn and condition our behaviours throughout our life

People come from different backgrounds and walks of life, most people have also worked in different companies and organisations throughout their lives and these individual experiences condition our beliefs and therefore our actions

Therefore, we dont all think the same and we certainly dont all act the same.

You will have also heard the term this is how we do things around here that is also a type of conditioning. If staff are allowed to act in a certain way without it being addressed, then they will continue to act in this way as they will believe that it is OK12Poor Performance

I will give you an example

In the first photo you can see a worker who is standing in front of the no smoking sign reading his messages. We will call this person James and apart from being extremely well dressed, James is a very good worker who is well liked he is what we would term high performer or someone that actually falls into quadrant 1. However he is clearly doing something here that he shouldnt. You have noticed this as you have come into work but you havent said anything.

By not addressing this situation with James and having a conversation with him about it, you are really setting up the situation where other workers may think, well if it is OK for James to smoke beside the no smoking sign then it must be OK for us to do this. Now you have a situation which has become way bigger than it needed, mainly because you didnt address the issue with James in the first instance. 13CONVERSATION

Not a confrontation

So this situation could have been easily addressed with James by having a conversation about the issue, not a confrontation about the issue

Often why these situations tend to become a confrontation is because we often go into these type of situations with all guns blaring ready for a bit of a fight or push back from the employee. We are tense and uncomfortable and this comes across as such.

But how do we do this, how do we have a conversation to make them aware of their behaviour and what we expect from them14Finding the Why?how? where? who?

QUESTIONS

when?what?(Active Listening...)

We begin with finding out the why

Why would someone stand under a sign which is clearly marked dont smoke and smoke?

Although we want to find out the why, we need to be careful using the word Why, when we approach the subject as it may come across as an accusation.... Why have you do that! Obviously your tone of voice and body language also comes into it..So we can use other words such as what, where, when, how etc

Remember our Active listening skills we have learnt in CARE.15Before the Why...Are you OK?I want to talk with you about ...

So when starting your conversation with your employer and before finding the why, you should commence with a check in

Ask them, are you OK or ask them how their day has been before launching in.

You can then lead in with I want to talk with you about ...

So with the example re James, you could say Hi James, how has your morning been. After waiting for his response (which could be anything from great to hearing about all the ills of the world which is OK). You can then lead in with , well I would like to have a chat about this morning when I saw you outside smoking in the non smoking area

Straight away, James would be very clear on what you want to have a conversation about smoking in the non-smoking area

16Feed Back=Future Behaviour

This conversation is about providing feedback.- it is not discipline or counselling at this stage, just feedback

So lets also get clear about what Feedback is about

Feedback in this context is about future behaviour

By providing feedback you are being clear about what needs to happen the future. It is not about focussing on the past, it is about being clear so that future behaviour is where it needs to be.

Think about feedback as being future focussed17FeedbackActionImpact

Desired Outcome

This is a model to help think about feedback

We tend to focus on the first two - Action what the action was, and Impact what impact did that action have

We may talk about not doing the correct procedure or not meeting budget etc and the impact that may be having so we tend to focus on the above the line bits

However we often forget to focus on the below the line bit of the desired outcome which is the future behaviour and the important bit18Creating Self AwarenessASKDont Tell

To achieve the focus on future behaviour, we need to create self awareness

We need to ASK questions not simply tell

So for example we could say to James

Can I ask why were you smoking in the non- smoking areaAre you aware that this is a non-smoking areaDo you know where you can go to have a cigarette?

We are not at the counselling of feedback stage here all we are trying to do is to create self-awareness of the issue19Listen... then RespondI didnt think it mattered that muchI hate having to go so far for a cigarette?I was only there for 5 minsI tried to hide that I was smoking, I didnt think anyone saw me...

In order to ask great questions we need to be able to listen very well. This is often harder than we think

When you really listen to what someone is saying, you get a true sense of what to ask next. If you dont listen then this of course wont happen for you.

You may be surprised by some responses that you may get, when you ask questions, for example

I didnt think it mattered that muchI hate having to go so far for a cigarette?I was only there for 5 minsI tried to hide that I was smoking, I didnt think anyone saw me...

20Empathy, Empathy, QuestionWhen listening to the response we need to stop and think before we respond...

Think back to SMART and use the EEQ technique

I dont know what you are like, but I know that sometimes I am very guilty at just jumping in feet and all before I have truly listened to someones response.

So, we really need to stop and think before we respond no matter what has been said.

For those of you who have done SMART training think about using the EEQ technique by responding with an 2 empathy statements and then your question 21

So lets a similar scenario

This time, you see Jenny returning from having a cigarette and you decide to speak with her straight away.

This is an example of how this conversation may go

Jenny, how are you? Is everything OK with you today? Jenny may respond yes, fine or he may say something completely differentlyOnce you have listened to her response you can then move on to statingI would like to speak with you about smoking in the non-smoking areaAre you are that this area is not designated for smoking? Jenny may respond with well yes, but I just wanted to have a quick cigarette has I have been working hard on this reportYou could respond with, OK, I can appreciate you wanting a quick cigarette. Its great to have a small break to clear your head. What do you think the impact of having a cigarette in the no-smoking area could have on the business or with other staff.

If we work from the basis that most people are reasonable, then Jenny would probably say what the impact/s will be i.e doesnt look not good etc

You can then respond with great so next time where will you go to have a cigarette?Hopefully, Jenny will say well to the designated areaYou can then end the conversation with thats great, thanks Jenny, Id really appreciate that

With this example you can see I have just used the EEQ technique with questions to help build self awareness.Remember this is just the first conversation it is not a formal discussion, it is not a confrontation, it is just a conversation. This is what feedback is it is about future behaviour

22Counselling & DisciplineCounselling = CollaborativeClarify the IssueDiscuss ExpectationsBenefit of the DoubtBrainstorm StrategiesPIP

Purpose: Get back on trackDiscipline = DirectiveFormal ProcessSet ExpectationsTroubleshootGet Curious

Purpose: Rehabilitation

The next step is

What if we need to have deeper conversations this is where we have had a couple of short quick feedback chats but they for whatever reason havent worked. We then would move into more of a counselling session

Counselling comes after Feedback Conversations more involved conversation thats all counselling is notice its purpose is to get them back on track

You need to think about if they know what those tracks are? So you really need to clarify the issue and discuss expectations so the employee is very clear and can get back on track

You should still give the person the benefit of the doubt and collaboratively brainstorm strategies on how to resolve the issue. If you involve the person and ASK them how they can resolve the issue, you will get far better buy in than just simply telling them. Think of it this way, sometimes it is way easier if the person comes up with the solution themselves then you having to think of it.

You could at this stage introduce a PIP to assist with this as well.

If this doesnt still work, then we move into more of a discipline approach where it is more directive. The purpose here is rehabilitation

This is a more formal process which involves formal write ups and procedural fairness etc offering a support person. It may lead into a formal warning or possibly termination of employment

You still need to give the person an opportunity to respond as you want to find out what is going on, but you will be formally set expectations, and troubleshooting any issues

I am not going to concentrate on the discipline process though that is for another presentation

23CounsellingDeeper discussion on the issueImpact of the underperformanceExpectations for future behaviourConsequences of no change*FOLLOW UP

If you need to get into more of a counselling session, then there are 5 steps to consider

Firstly, its a deeper discussion on the issue than just the simple feedback chatIt focuses on the impact of the underperformanceYou are setting expectations for future behaviour

Here is the main difference between counselling and feedback is that you are now outlining the consequences of no change i.e. That if there is no improvement then you may need to take more formal action (i.e. Discipline)

AndFOLLOW UP very important. If you dont follow up, and the person doesnt change their behaviour or performance, then they will simply think that they are doing the right thing wouldnt you??So Follow up is very important.

If you do introduce a PIP, then follow up is part of this process. In this case it is also clear as you are marking off whether the person is either meeting or not meeting expectations when you follow up.24Questions to considerDoes the employee understand their role and responsibilities?Are they aware of the discrepancy?Do they have the skills and knowledge?Do they have the resources?Are their any obstructions?Do they enjoy their job?Are they recognised and or rewarded?

Questions to consider before going into a counselling session.

Does the employee understand their role and responsibilities?Are they aware of the discrepancy?Do they have the skills and knowledge?Do they have the resources?Are their any obstructions?Do they enjoy their job?Are they recognised and or rewarded?

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EXPECTATIONS

So the point of providing Feedback and conducting a Counselling session is to have employees stay on the bus and on track

26EXPECTATIONS

So this slide is to demonstrate that we by setting expectations we create boundaries. In this example we can see that have four staff who are performing meeting expectations working within the boundaries.

However to the left we have the person in red who is outside the tracks our boundaries and this person is therefore not meeting expectations

So what do we do, ...... we clearly need to have a chat with them

What happens if we decide to let it slide and not have a conversation?27EXPECTATIONS

If we dont have a discussion and just let the behaviour or performance go, then suddenly what we start seeing is that others start to wandering close to or over the line

Sort of a snowball effect occurs

28TEAM CHARTEROur goalsOur responsibilitiesOur ground rules

We need to think about the team charter our goals, responsibilities, ground rules

Ask yourself, has this been clearly articulated to everyone

When have you last done this?

Do you cover this off during induction or at your staff dinners?

How do you know everyone knows your team charter

When you are clear about your expectations (the boundaries or the tracks), generally people want to do the right thingIf everyone knows what they are and people stray outside of them, then it is easier to deal with to bring them back on trackIf they dont know what they are, then the issue may not be them, it may be that you have not set clear expectations in the first place

29Team Meeting

1.The Issue2.Impact of the underperformance3.Expectations for future behaviour4.Consequences of no change*5.FOLLOW UP

Example you have noticed that in team meetings John can at times be rude and obnoxious When I say rude and obnoxious, you will have your own connotation of this so you need to be very clear In this case you mean that John often interrupts people when they are talking, if he doesnt like someones idea he starts rolling his eyes or perhaps gives a little smirk which is picked up, or he says things like, thats a stupid idea, no one will do that etc. So in this meeting that you have just had, he has done this again - but this time, you decide it is time to give John some feedback

So you start off with the model and you could say

Point 1. Hi John, I would just like to catch up re the meeting, how did you find the meeting? Everything Ok in there? Great so, I just want to have a chat about how you spoke to one of the staff members during the meeting.

Point 2. When you said X, how do you think that may have come across? By approaching it this way, you are giving John a chance to gain insight into the issue and how it may have been perceived John may not have realised that he came across this way. If we can achieve this then we are working towards changing future behaviour because we have helped the person realise something about themselves. Again, working from the premise that most people are reasonable and will take this on board - John may respond with, yeah I didnt mean to come across that way, I just get passionate when I speak about X...

Point 3. So you can then respond with , well I can appreciate you are very passionate about X next time, and that you want to get your point across. However when you dont agree with something, how might you respond in a better way? By doing it this way, you are showing empathy and giving John the opportunity to work it out for himself rather than you confronting him or telling him how to do it. If John comes up with a solution, then you can simply say Great, I would really appreciate if you could do that. If he doesnt then you can say something like OK, its great to be passionate, but we also need to give others a chance to share their opinion openly dont you agree? I would like everyone to have the opportunity to speak openly to share their opinions also, but if you speak over them, then you are not giving them the opportunity to do this would you agree? So how do you think you may let them do this?

Point 4. OK so hopefully we can get back on track to ensure our meetings go really smoothly, but if not, then we may need to have a more formal discussion regarding this. What do you think this may be?

By having this conversation, you are letting John know that he needs to check his behaviour in the meetings and you have done this in a positive and proactive way.

Point 5. Then of course if at the next meeting John implements the agreed approach, you would follow up and say, great job John, I noticed that you really took on board our last conversation in that meeting etc. However, if not, then of course you would have another conversation that would go deeper.

30ACCOUNTABLECOUNTABLE

The term accountability is often thrown around but to make someone accountable, you have to make it count

Its not just words, if we really want to make things work, then we have to make people accountable to it so you have to make this stuff count

But in order to do this, you have to ensure people are able to do it that they know what is expected of them. This is especially relevant if when you have had lots of conversations yet the person is still not able to do what ever it is you are discussing. If they are not able even after support and training etc, then you are going to have to have a more challenging conversation

If you do not hold people accountable, then you cant expect their performance to be up to scratch

So, I have come to the end of the presentation but I would like to leave you with a final thought

31The only thing worse than losing a good employee...

...is keeping a bad one!

The only thing worse than losing a good employee.... Is keeping a bad one!

Thank you!

32Further Assistance: (07) 5474 2166Fiona Munro HR ManagerKristie McCaul HR AdministrationLiveLife Intranet: Printable version available to download from www.livelifepharmacy.com

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