9. PERFORMANCE TRAINING ABSTRACTS
 CORE POSITIVE IMMERSION MIND-SET
Performance Mindmapping Note Form

Blank Mindmapping Note Form
[1] THE ULTIMATE BUSINESS RESOURCE ---
IN THE CONTEXT OF EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE

    Performance Appraisals --- making it happen right--- Six steps to successful performance appraisal management:

      [1] Make sure that everybody understands the need for appraisal, its importance, its objectives, and its mutual benefits!

      [2] Prepare throughout the year, keeping clear records and notes to assist the appraisal process.

      [3] Keep primarily to performance factors, getting the appraisee (subordinate) to do most of the talking ---- while you listen hard.

      [4] Concentrate the appraisal process on future performance, and do not confuse it with discussion of remuneration.

      [5] Link appraisal deliberately with training and development, and with consultation, counseling, mentoring, and motivation!

      [6] Follow up appraisals promptly, sending all necessary written material to the appraisee (subordinate) and flagging any opportunity for further discussion.

Book Source: Business --- The Ultimate Resource


[2] IMPROVING PERFORMANCE IN THE WORKPLACE

    You can spot forms of resistance and respond effectively with proven techniques for changing human behavior. An employee's behavior can radically change from one situation to another. In essence, an individual's behavior is completely malleable. It CHANGES when the CONSEQUENCES in the present situation change!

    The approach of this book differs radically from the pessimistic traditonal psychological practices. It assumes that each person, rather than being locked into some stereotyped pattern, is RICHLY COMPLEX --- AND CAPABLE OF A WIDE REPERTOIRE OF ACTIONS!

    You can tap into the capacity for change without sending the employee or team member to therapy or traumatizing him/her with excessive discipline. You can spot forms of resistance and respond effectively with proven techniques for changing human behavior.

    Managers in either large or small organizations can TRANSFORM COUNTERPRODUCTIVE CONFRONTATIONS into satisfying results by identifying the roots of employee resistance and restating requests in a new, irresistible form.

    You can recognize the many forms of resistance, including arguing, name calling, changing the subject, ambiguous language, catatonia, getting emotional, excuses and promises.

    The "Bamboo Technique" is described as the best way to escape the trap of irrelevant, time-wasting arguments and also to change any ambiguous reaction into a definite, action-oriented agreement!

    1) TOOLS FOR CHANGE

      Breaking through the boundaries of tradition --- Fundamental Assumption #1:

        It's the REWARD SYSTEM in the workplace that dictates the level of performance, NOT an employee's personality or his or her past!

        People can switch from top output to mediocrity according to the consequences of their actions. If someone resists your request for change, DON'T BLAME it on their attitude, their need for control, or their lack of confidence. Ask yourself HOW it might benefit this person to object to your request, and you will see that the PEOPLE RESIST CHANGE WHEN IT PRODUCES MORE NEGATIVE CONSEQUENCES --- SUCH AS MORE WORK --- which means either MORE supervision, LESS advancement opportunity, etc., than POSITIVE consequences!

        But, when there are MORE PERCEIVED BENEFITS THAN COSTS, PEOPLE WELCOME CHANGE!

    2) When dealing with people who have resisted change over and over again, the FIRST CRITICAL SKILL is to help them DEVELOP THE THE ABILITY to precisely state the EXACT ACTIONS you want performed. There are many leadership techniques and tools and they depend upon your using specific basic agreed upon ("ground-level") definitions!
      Define your terms:

        DON'T ASK WHY an employee is not working up to expectations! That question puts you at the psychological level, talking in terms of his/her thoughts and feelings. ASKING WHY usually only yields psychological dead-end answers such as he or she is selfish or narcissistic or a perfectionist!

        This kind of questioning puts in at the level of personalities, thoughts and egos --- and does NOTHING to help you solve the work-related problem. Stay out of his/her past, and head. FOCUS ONLY ON THE PRESENT TIME PERIOD AND ON WHAT YOU WANT THE PERSON TO DO OR STOP DOING!

        Break free of a familiar pattern of generality or negativity by ASKING A NEW QUESTION such as HOW WOULD A TOP-PERFORMING EMPLOYEE ACT IN THIS SITUATION?

        Use the "specific" approach of thinking about specific parts of the employee's job, or specific times and situations when his/her behavior CAUSES the most trouble. Now you might imagine that the bad work behavior is most counterproductive in a certain context. By focusing only on this context, you can rephrase your basic question in terms of HOW you want him/her to act in these specific circumstances!

    3) Write down exactly what you mean and want a subordinate or team member to do.

      Six basic questions to help you create effective "ground-level" definitions:

        1. What do I want him/her to do?

        2. How would he/she act if he/she were a top performer?

        3. In what situations is this problem most troubling to me?

        4. Exactly what actions do I want him/her to perform?

        5. How, when, where, and with whom do I want him/her to do it?

        6. How much, or how many times, do I want him/her to do it and by what time deadline?

    4) "REALITY" = What actions the employee is expected to perform described in concrete actions!

    5) Resistance to change

    Supervisors or team members should STATE THEIR REQUESTS IN TERMS OF SPECIFIC BEHAVIORS --- rather than ambiguous generalities --- in order to BLOCK RESISTERS from using some of their favorite escape routes!

    When you talk in generalities, a "resister" can play dumb and act as though he/she does not know what you mean. Another option is for the resister to "misinterpret" what you meant, very likely in a way that he/she does not have to change. Or, the resister may publicly promise to go along with your request, but that is all he/she will do. Resisters know that YOUR FAILURE TO BE SPECIFIC means you cannot legitimately blame him/her for failing to do exactly what you wanted!

    Using "ground-level" language is the SINGLE BEST THING that you can do to improve your communications with others!

      WHEN PEOPLE KNOW EXACTLY WHAT YOU MEAN, THEY ARE MORE LIKELY TO DO IT!

    6) SIX SIMPLE STEPS FOR GETTING RESULTS

      [1] STEP 1 --- SETTING THE CONTEXT

        (1) Express sincere praise

        (2) Reaffirm the relationship

        (3) Keep your requests small

        (4) Express confidence in agreement

        (5) Be brief

      [2] STEP 2 --- STATING YOUR REQUEST

        (1) Don't give explanations

        (2) Don't delve into the past

        (3) Don't ask why

      [3] STEP 3 --- EVALUATING THEIR RESPONSE

        Sometimes an employee or team member who always has an excuse comes up with a legitimate reason for why he/she cannot do as you ask. You need to carefully evaluate the plausibility of such statements, because sometimes they are reasonable. Only you, with your detailed knowledge of the situation, can make the judgment about the appropriateness of your request. In the same way, "arguments" also require careful analysis. When an employee or team member openly criticizes or disagrees with your request, you may be tempted to reject it as mere resistance. DON'T! LISTEN CAREFULLY AND SEE IF there is any validity to the points he/she is making.

        If you determine that the subordinate or team member's statements about extenuating circumstance, or his arguments, are reasonable, then obviously you do not want to insist upon his/her compliance with your request. You would be making an exchange that is not in your self-interest You could be cutting yourself off from valuable feedback or new information. Instead of pursuing the change, Acknowledge the legitimacy of the employee's point, thank him/her for stating it, and either withdraw or modify your request.

      [4] STEP 4 --- CIRCUMVENTING RESISTANCE TO CHANGE

        (1) The "Bamboo" technique --- The resilient bamboo plant provides a great model of HOW to react when confronted with resistance. when hit with the strong winds of a storm, it simply bends. Once the storm is over, the bamboo plant snaps back to its original position.

          FIRST, BEND! Bend by acknowledging your subordinant's or team member's response to your request for a change. Then, "snap back!" Snap back by restating your request. It is that simple --- "BEND and then SNAP BACK!" (163-171)

          This two-step technique is dramatically effective because it lets the resistance blow by, leaving your "change contingency" in place and unaltered!

          Also, watch how the "Bamboo tactic" counters "name-calling" and many other labeling or "resistance tactics."

          This deliberate process helps you CREATE CHANGE CALMLY!

            1. Name-calling

              Use the "IF . . . , THEN . . . " technique

            2. Emotional displays

            3. Old dogs

            4. Criticizing the method

            5. Trivialization

            6. Wordfare

            7. Implementing the "Bamboo Technique"

          (2) Postpone extended discussion

          (3) Agree to disagree

          (4) Reinterpret their reaction

          (5) Get a guarantee

          (6) An ounce of prevention

        The GOAL is to GET AGREEMENT by the resister within the five-minute deadline announced at the beginning of negotiation!

      [5] STEP 5 --- THE RESISTANCE CONTINGENCY

        1. Using the right language

        2. Carrots and sticks

        3. Maintain a calm, positive manner

        4. Planning for the "resistence contingency"

        5. What if they are still resisting?

        6. Enforcing the resistance contingency

      [6] STEP 6 --- CLOSURE

        1. Restate the agreement

        2. Getting verbal acceptance

        3, Build for the future

        4. Living up to your promises

      7) The world's most persuasive communication --- The basic tool for producing change is the "IF-THEN" Contingency

        IF-THEN CONTINGENCY --- By specifying the action a supervisor or team member wants AND by being specific about the "rewarding consequences" in the "THEN" part of the contingency, an employee's behavior will change quickly!

        8) Rewarding yourself!

      Book Source: (Overcoming Resistance to Change)


[3] ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR

Book Source: Organizational Behavior


[4] EFFECTIVE PERFORMANCE APPRAISALS

Book Source: Effective Performance Appraisals


[5] IMPROVING HUMAN PERFORMANCE USING MASLOW'S MOTIVATION THEORY

CHART OF MASLOW'S HIERARCHY
OF HUMAN NEEDS MOTIVATION THEORY

Chart of Maslow's Motivation Theory

 Click on Motivation Chart or link to see a summary explanation
of Maslow's Hierarchy of Human Needs Theory of Motivation

Go to: Chart of Maslow's MotivationTheory

    A = ANTECEDENT

    [1] Does the employee know what is expected of him or her?

    Are the performance standards clear?

    Have they been communicated well?

    Are they realistic?

B = BEHAVIOR

    [2] Can the work behavior be performed within the time constraints?

    Could the employee do the work if his or her life depended upon it?

    Does something prevent the work behavior's occurrence?

C = CONSEQUENCE

    [3] Are the consequences weighted in favor of "good" performance?

    [4] Is there feedback about the consequences in relation to job performance?

    If "yes," is the feedback immediate, specific, and positive?

    [5] Are improvements being reinforced?

    Do we note improvements even though the improvement
    may still leave the employee below organization standards?

    Is reinforcement specific?

Book Source: (How To Improve Human Performance)


[6] THE STRATEGIC HEART --- USING THE NEW
SCIENCE TO LEAD GROWING ORGANIZATIONS

    Unleashing the power of high performance:

      [1] Flow --- from work to peak performance

      [2] Engage

      [3] Responsibility --- not "jobs"

      [4] Envision

      [5] Aspire

Book Source: (The Strategic Heart)


[7] MEASURING WORK PERFORMANCE

WHAT we measure we do,
What we MEASURE we do,
What we measure we DO!

Book Source: (The Achiever's Profile)


[8] WHAT IS A SUPERIOR PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL?

Book Source: (How to do a Superior Performance Evaluation)


[9] TIPS FOR GIVING EFFECTIVE EMPLOYEE EVALUATIONS

Website Source: (More tips for giving effective employee evaluations)


[10] THE ONE MINUTE MANAGER'S
WORK PERFORMANCE PRINCIPLES


    The "One Minute Manager" always makes it clear what an employee's responsibilities are and for what he or she is being held accountable.

    Once the One Minute Manager has decided what needs to be done and the subordinate librarian agrees with what needs to be done, they collaborate on creating a "Duty Statement" that includes specific measureable duties and related tasks. Each duty or major goal is recorded on a single page or less!

    The "Work Standards" for work duties and related tasks (the work goals and the plans for achieving them) must list specific QUANTITATIVE MEASURES that will be used to rate each subordinate librarian.

    Each "Rating Standard" or criterion that describes each "Duty" and related "Task" should take less than 250 words to express.

    Also, the second essential component of the One Minute Manager philosophy of management is that a subordinate employee must be able to read and comprehend the explanation within one minute.

Book Source: (The One Minute Manager)


[11] WORK PERFORMANCE "ALIGNMENT MODEL"

    1) ALIGNMENT MODEL --- The cornerstone of this approach to Performance Management is the "Performance Alignment Model." It consists of seven seperate but interrelated major components or steps required to improve employee and organizational performance:

      [1] Step 1: Conducting stakeholder valuation

      [2] Step 2: Improving job design

      [3] Step 3: Establishing synergistic relationships

      [4] Step 4: Applying performance coaching

      [5] Step 5: Conducting developmental evaluations

      [6] Step 6: Creating performance growth and development plans

      [7] Step 7: Linking compensation and rewards
      to performance growth and development

      Steps 1 and 2 are the responsibility of the organization, while steps 3 through 7 are the responsibility of managers and employees!

    2) PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT --- Many employees fail to perform adequately or are "INCOMPETENT" because of THREE PRINCIPLES of performance improvement:

      [1] "Performance/Reward Disconnect" --- when there is a "disconnect"
      between the work performance of employees and the organization's OVERALL performance

      [2] "Performance Whitewashing" --- when managers treat ALL performance "results" the SAME and fail to communicate which results are the most important!

      [3] "Inspection Failure" --- when managers fail to inspect their work, subordinate employees are left on their own to produce results that they perceive are important to the organization. Since failure to prioritize or inspect "performance outputs" BOTH incompetences lead to the same conclusion which is inadequate or disappointing performance and results by BOTH managers and subordinate employees

    3) EXPECTATIONS --- In order to overcome disappointing performance, managers must link their subordinates "expectations" with their own "inspection" (see Chapter 5, Performance Coaching,
    and Chapter 6, Developmental Evaluation)


    Employees must know what is important to produce and they must understand that their managers will be inspecting their "performance outputs!"

    4) COMPETENCIES --- Seven COMPETENCIES of work performance
    "COACHING" by good managers

      [1] Synergistic Relationships

      [2] Training Employees

      [3] Career Counseling

      [4] Confronting Performance

      [5] Mentoring Employees

      [6] Enhancing Employees' Self-Esteem

      [7] Rewarding Performance

Book Source: (Performance Challenge)


[12] CAUSES OF FAILURE IN PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL AND SUPERVISION

    If we want to really TRANSFORM our structure and leadership, we have to CHANGE the thinking behind our thinking!

    Review of chapter assumptions:

    The real goal = Improving the performance of the organization!

    Appraisal as a rating tool --- Fair or Foul?

    - What to do instead = FIVE FUNCTIONS of annual appraisal examinations:

      FUNCTION 1 --- Coaching employees in the new workplace

      FUNCTION 2 --- Feedback that makes a difference)

      FUNCTION 3 --- How do we pay people without appraisals?

      FUNCTION 4 --- Promote and provide interesting work

        (1) Give employees freedom and choices in their work!

        (2) Offer employees challenges!

      FUNCTION 5 --- Create a climate of people working together

    CONCLUSION = The dynamics of people, money and motivation are too complex to fully understand. However, if your organization takes time to clarify what it is trying to achieve and builds from healthy underlying assumptions, it can create more effective compensation practices and a positive work environment!

Book Source: (Causes of Failure in Performance Appraisal and Supervision)


[13] EVALUATING THE EVALUATORS

Journal Source: Human Resources Magazine


[14] GETTING PROMOTED
--- REAL STRATEGIES FOR ADVANCING YOUR CAREER

Book Source: (Getting Promoted)


[15] COUNTY LIBRARY SUPERVISION AND WORK PERFORMANCE
MANAGEMENT "WORKSHOP RULES"

    1 --- PERFORMANCE EXPECTATIONS 9 --- PROBLEM P. E. RATINGS
    2 --- DELEGATION PROCESS 10 --- MEETING --- PAST WORK
    3 --- KEY TOPICS 11 --- MEETING --- FUTURE PLANS
    4 --- PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT 12 --- P. E. vs A. P.
    5 --- COMMON CONTROLS 13 --- COUNSELING
    6 --- THE CONTROL PROCESS 14 --- DISCIPLINARY PROCESS
    7 --- PERFORMANCE EVALUATION 15 --- WHAT TO DO AND CONSIDER
    8 --- P. E. --- ONGOING ASSESSMENT 16 --- KEY LAWS AND POLICIES

Book Source: (County Library Performance Evaluation "Workshop Rules")


[16] ABOLISHING PERFORMANCE APPRAISALS ---
WHY THEY BACKFIRE AND WHAT TO DO INSTEAD

Book Source: (Abolishing Performance Appraisals)


[17] LIFETIME LEGAL GUIDE

    Right to equal protection!

      Each citizen has the same rights and obligations as any other, and federal, state, and local governments may not favor one group of people or an individual over another on the basis of age, color, race, national origin, or sex.

      State and local government agencies, and employment agencies are prohibited from:

        Denying promotions, transfers, or assignments on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, or age --- is! FORBIDDEN!

      If you are protesting illegal activity but have not been fired, no one can stop you from filing a complaint! The law forbids employers from threatening reprisals or retaliation.

      To increase the chances of winning a case:

        (1) If you receive an unfavorable performance evaluation or warning that is subjectively tainted, submit a written response that documents why the appraisal or warning is incorrect.

        (2) This will document the protest and may prove that you did not acquiesce through silence or inaction to the employer's version of the facts!

Book Source: (Lifetime Legal Guide)

Go to: Performance Category List
Go to: Keyword Self-Leadership Matrix
Go to: Interactive Index of Ideas