"It's my job to ensure results"

If you didn't see this op-ed piece in the March 2 New York Times - "Why Your Boss Is Wrong About You" - it's worth a look:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/02/opinion/02culbert.html?emc=eta1

Regardless of your perspective on the questions raised by recent events in Wisconsin, the column makes some excellent points about the power of ensuring employees are focused on results in a clear, fair and systematic manner.

The author makes a point that's very familiar to us: without clear expectations established around results for customers and agreed upon measures for performance, employee performance reviews can stifle, not support, a focus on results and on innovation.

Under such a system, in which one’s livelihood can be destroyed by a self-serving boss trying to meet a budget or please the higher-ups, what employee would ever speak his mind? What employee would ever say that the boss is wrong, and offer an idea on how something might get done better?

Only an employee looking for trouble.

We call this the "whack-a-mole" culture. What happens when an employee sticks up their head to point out an issue or to make a suggestion? If they get "whacked" for it, how many times are

they going to do that? Or are they going to (correctly) conclude that, if they want to work in an organization where they can contribute, they need to go elsewhere?

Managers and leaders at all levels have the power to create a work culture that helps employees succeed and that clearly defines success in terms of results delivered for the customer. As the column notes, in such a system:

Instead of the bosses merely handing out A’s and C’s, they work to make sure everyone can earn an A. And the word goes out: “No more after-the-fact disappointments. Tell me your problems as they happen; we’re in it together and it’s my job to ensure results.”

Sounds about right to us.

We've been sharing rich resources recently to help governments create Employee Performance Management systems that accelerate performance. Check out our previous posts on aligning employees to the organization's priorities and why managing employee performance matters to your customers. Look for links to our EPM webinar series here as well -- coming very soon!