Assessing performance and potential

A typical tool for organizations to assess talent is the 9-box grid. One axis is performance, and the other axis is potential, choices being low-medium-high. It allows for a simple framework for categorizing talent so that differentiated actions and investment is possible. What is more difficult is to have a balanced and objective discussion to truly slot the existing talent into the right categories.

The performance axis is often based on the organization’s annual performance management process, and the low-medium-high categories align with the performance rating scale. To make investments in talent more meaningful, the expectation is that managers are challenged to use consistent performance standards, so that not every employee falls into one category. Another consideration is to make sure that performance is not only evaluated based on pure results, but also on behaviors: How the results were achieved. Otherwise the organization runs the risk that people who leave behind dead bodies to reach their goals are viewed as top performers – a recipe for becoming a morgue.

The Corporate Leadership Council has developed a simple model for assessing potential. It has three elements that need to be evaluated: Ability, engagement and aspiration.

Ability encompasses the inherent talent and the skills acquired in the employee. When assessing leaders, these often include business acumen, technical and functional expertise, and leadership skills. When assessing potential as part of ability it means looking at the learning agility of the employee: How fast can they grasp new and complex concepts? Are they able to take on stretch assignments and unfamiliar responsibilities? How far can they reach?

Engagement is another component of potential. Does this employee LOVE this organization? How dedicated are they? How high is the emotional attachment? We are looking for passion. Lukewarm employees will not go as far as champions.

The last element is aspiration. You cannot push a rope. The employee’s drive and ambition is a key determinant of where their career will take them. They will be asked for personal sacrifices from time to time. Relocation is often part of the career path. High potentials actively manage their own careers.

Based on trusted dialogues with employees and objective discussions among the leadership team, the 9-box exercise can give a good snapshot of the talent pool of the organization. The next step is to act on that information.

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Working with slackers

Pretty much everyone has experienced working with coworkers who are not carrying their weight on the team. It creates feelings of unfairness and even helplessness or hostility when the situation drags on. High performing team members must cover for their coworker, usually for little or no reward. They look to the manager to do something about the situation and don’t understand when insufficient attempts are done to correct the performance of the one who is slowing down the whole operation. There is no way around it, low performance does not go away by itself; it has to be addressed proactively. This responsibility falls on the managers and the company.

The reasons for low performance are many and not all are even the fault of the employee. Sometimes the employee just doesn’t have the skills for the job, or the orientation for the new job is ‘sink or swim’. I was at Waffle House a few weeks ago, and the bacon cook was getting the evil eye from the rest of the staff as he was falling behind on the orders. He was doing his darndest to catch up, but it was not looking good for him. The key to high performing teams is a solid selection process. Companies who know what creates high performance go looking for it, using assessments and structured interviews. They don’t settle for warm bodies.

Personal issues can be a significant distraction. Good managers know how to help their employees navigate through tough times, creating flexibility where needed, while expecting solid performance on an on-going basis. The solution should not be just piling it on the team to cover someone else’s last minute emergencies.

Many performance problems originate from insufficient organizational support. It would be wise of the manager to analyze the work process and systems, as well as the tools and resources available before jumping to conclusions about the employee’s work ethics. Obviously, if the whole team is working with the same support and only one is lagging, something else is going on.

Work relationships are their own Pandora’s box. At some highly political workplaces, who-knows-who may determine the results more than the effort put into the projects. One person told me about a work group where the low performer was the business owner’s friend, so all the team could do was to wring their hands and pick up the slack. If two coworkers can’t resolve their inflamed work relationship, the manager must step in. (Career advice: If you need your manager to referee, it is not a good pattern for your career; get coaching help now.)

In addition to work relationships, other work behaviors lead to performance problems. Whether it is communication style, forgetfulness or the lack of eye contact with customers, these behavior issues tend to escalate over time. The proactive manager nips them in the bud by using informal feedback. Informal coaching supports feedback. If all else fails, formal coaching and performance improvement plans are tools to use to make sure that it is the manager who takes care of the performance issues and not the team.

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If you enjoyed this post, please consider subscribing to Forte Consulting RSS Feed. Copyright 2010 Liisa Pursiheimo-Marcks, all rights reserved. SVPGMGDX8TEC