By Lorraine Grubbs
This article is the second in a series of steps designed to give small businesses the roadmap to developing effective leaders.
In last month’s SBT article, I discussed how, regardless of size, every company needs strong, competent leaders to help operate and grow the business. Yet many leaders working for small companies are poorly prepared for those roles. This results in low morale, high turnover, and poor customer service. The investment a company makes in developing their leaders is critical in today’s competitive market. Some companies don’t think they have the time, tools, or budget to develop their leaders. They think, “What if I develop them and they leave?” Think of it another way: “What if I don’t develop them and they stay?” The first step in developing leaders was covered in last month’s article. We discussed the topic of assessing the leader’s effectiveness through a 360-degree survey. The 360-degree survey is an assessment given to a leader’s team, coworkers, and boss asking them for feedback on the leader’s performance.
There are typically two reasons to do an assessment of this type: The first is that the leader is not doing well and they need to improve. If they don’t improve, you will ultimately be firing or demoting them. If they do improve, they get to keep their job. The second reason to do this type of assessment is to help the leader develop their potential. They are doing a good job and you want to take them to the next level. Make sure the leader undergoing the assessment process is clear on which of the two situations they are in and, having their own teammates assess them (anonymously) makes the information more objective. They know it’s not just your or one person’s opinion and it’s hard for them to argue with the feedback given by their own team and coworkers.
“And the survey says” – Once you have the information back from the survey, figure out what it’s telling you and then decide what to do about it. The eight areas measured in the assessment (introduced last month) are: Administrative, Leadership, Communication, Interpersonal, Decision Making, Technical, Personal Motivation, and Customer Orientation. Within each of those eight areas there are three different items to rate. For example, under the Communication Area you will be rating how well a leader communicates overall, how well they listen, and how well they keep their direct reports in the loop. Make sure to leave room for comments. After the results are tabulated, it should give a clear view of the leader’s strengths and weaknesses.
So, with results in hand, it’s time to review them. Sit down with the leader and go over each area, one by one. Allow time for them to ask questions for clarification (since this is the first time they are seeing the results). Oftentimes, people are so busy looking at the “negative”, they don’t really take the time to process the positive results. They may need to schedule another appointment so they can digest the information. Be very clear that, as their leader, you are giving them this opportunity because you want them to succeed.
Once you’ve reviewed the results and all their questions have been addressed, put together a six-month learning and development plan. To get their buy in, have them write their own plan (which you will approve prior to implementing it). Make sure the plan incorporates the SMART approach (Specific, Measureable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time Bound). Then help the leader identify resources to help them achieve their goals. Resources fall into the category of books, classes, mentors within, or coaches outside of the company. Don’t try to tackle all areas of improvement at once. Start with the most critical and then add one per month.
For example, if one of their goals is to get to know their direct reports better, the plan would include:
Goal: Get to know my team better.
Action: Meet with each team member to discuss how I can best support him or her.
Develop a system where I remember their special days such as anniversary with the company and birthday; then bring them a special gift or card on that day.
Result: Touch base with them often to ensure that I am being effective
Date: (each item will have a separate date attached).
The Personal Development Plan is the key to improvement. It will become your primary measurement tool to ensure the leader is moving forward. Ensure you have regular meetings with the leader to review progress. Have them give you a monthly report giving a short description of what they have done that month to improve using the Personal Development Plan Goals as their guide.
Congratulations! You’ve taken the critical first steps towards a stronger leadership team. Next month, I will go over several effective tools that you can easily make available to your leaders.
Lorraine Grubbs is the President of Lessons in Loyalty. You can contact Lorraine at 281-813-0305, by email at lorrainegrubbs@gmail.com , or visit her on the Web at www.lessonsinloyalty.com.
