Checks and Balances For Your Performers

Statistics aren't always easy to follow, but stay with me. According to the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners, 86% of the people found to be perpetuating fraud in businesses (cooking the books, embezzling funds, etc) had never been charged with a prior offense. Based on their research, they concluded, conducting background checks have "limited value in screening out potential wrongdoers."

In other words, people don't have an internal desire to cheat a company and then go from organization to organization trying to take something that doesn't belong to them. What happens, in many cases, is that there were not the procedures in place to prevent or minimize attitudes or actions that could lead to such behaviors.

While the study focused on money, could we not draw similar conclusions about how people use their time at work? They are certainly having a negative impact on the company if they are not engaged on the right tasks-if they are engaged at all. If you manage others, what systems have you put in place to keep people focused and productive? Most people didn't intend to come to work and waste their time and energy, but if the work environment encourages such behavior because of poor focus or lack of clarity about priorities, well.... you might just have someone stealing from you. Some suggestions to start increasing engagement in your employees include:

• Don't be afraid to ask people what their top priorities are for the day or week. Be prepared to share yours as well.
• The old management principle of "MBWA" (management by walking around) still has value. As you move around, watch how people are working. Think about what obstacles you see or hear that could be removed or minimized to help improve their focus.
• As a department, consider having people keep a time log for a day or week. They don't have to give them to you, but simply ask them questions like, "What did you see that you spent your time on that was surprising?" "Are there items occupying more of your time than you think they should?" "How could I contribute to improving the situation?"

Working Effectively with Others

I recently read the book, Leadership and Self Deception, Getting Out of the Box, by The Arbinger Institute as a result of a recommendation from a good friend of mine. I am "passing on" the recommendation because I found it to be a excellent book.

It is written in a story format like Juggling Elephants. The overall concept of the book deals with, as we say in Juggling Elephants, that the "relationship between the ringmaster and the performers affects the success of the circus." Leadership and Self Deception gives great insights on how to improve both your personal and professional relationships. Check it out, you will be glad that you did.

The Focus Of The Performers In Your Circus

Where is the focus of the performers in your circus right now? For example, we are seeing report after report stating that the marketplace is full of disgruntled workers (some reports say as high as 50% of workers are not happy with their current employment). Employees that are saying to themselves, "When the economy turns around, I'm out of here! I'm going to get a better job and quit." With unemployment numbers remaining high and recovery looking like it is going to take awhile, maybe this is not such an immediate concern. Or is it? What is an unhappy employee's energy level like day in and day out while they are waiting for that new job? What is the commitment level? How is the quality of work?

Having "unhappy performers" in your circus is an immediate problem. How about the non-work related performers in your circus? Are there others that are saying, "When something better comes along, I am out of here!"Here is a quick and helpful exercise that might help you. Grab a blank sheet of paper and create a "Performers Review." Make three columns on the paper. In the first column list all of the relationships that are important to you-both at work and in your personal life. In the second column, rate the level of focus and commitment to your relationship with a scale of high, medium and low. In the third column consider what you can do to either recommit or address a "low" rating or, reinforce and reward a "high" rating of someone that is really making a difference in your relationship with them.

Once you have completed your review, take the actions that you have listed in the third column and incorporate them into your daily "line up." Remember, Every member is important and has to be fully engaged on the rights acts to make the team successful. – Juggling Elephants, page 76.

Giving Thanks

As Thanksgiving approaches, it's a perfect time to reflect on those individuals in your circus who have helped you get your most important tasks done at work and in other areas of your life. To help you identify those most critical performers, we will use the four acts of the circus discussed in Juggling Elephants:

• Trapeze Act. Who are those teams that often work in the background taking care of things for you? Co-workers, vendors, family or friends. Whose "small act" has made a major impact on the success of your circus this past year? Who as an individual has worked effectively as a member of your team?
• Animal Trainer. Who are those individuals who have improved their performance this year and need to be rewarded and/or acknowledged in some way? Are there people you have coached/trained/led this year who need the feedback that you have noticed their improvement? Remember that the only way to insure that positive behaviors continue is to continue to provide positive reinforcement for those behaviors.
• General Manager. Who have you noticed being in tune with meeting the needs of others so they could get their work accomplished? What managers need to be thanked for their ability to bring out the best in their team members?
• Clown. Are there people around you who just seem to know how to get people to laugh, relax and enjoy a less than serious moment? In these uncertain times it is truly a benefit to have such people in your circus. Thank them for their presence in your lineup.

Gratitude can be shown in so many ways. A handshake with a smile and two words: “Thank You.” A handwritten card is a powerful yet simple way to convey your message in this electronic world. How about a three-five minute one-on-one conversation. And yes, a well-thought out gift that is personalized can show your appreciation in a sincere way.

We at Juggling Elephants want to thank those who support us in our endeavors. We appreciate those who have carried the message to their organizations and to you the individual who continually strives to “get it all done." Thank you from all of us!

Annual Personal Review

I was at the gym exercising and talking with the person next to me on the elliptical machine. She was talking about her 65 hour work week and how stressful her life is right now. As I was wrapping up my workout I wished her a nice day and said that I hoped that she would be able to have a "normal" eight hour day at work. She smiled and said that she was just about finished with her annual employee reviews. She only had two reviews left and thought that she would be about to "cut out early." Two thoughts struck me from this conversation.

Isn't it interesting that we consider ourselves "cutting out early" if we just put in the required number of hours for our job? I find myself regularly putting in 10+ hours each day right now and sometimes do work on the weekends. What is the cost? What are the benefits? The answer is different for everyone. My point in today's blog is to ask you those two questions. What cost are you paying for working overtime? What are the benefits that you are receiving for putting in the extra hours? How are the other two rings (self and relationships) being impacted? If the costs outweigh the benefits, maybe you need to make some adjustments. If you are reaping big benefits from the extra work, make sure you are regularly asking yourself (and others) the benefit/cost questions. The answers can change very quickly and when they do, don't wait very long to make the adjustment.

The second thought I had was about annual employee reviews. Employee reviews, when done correctly, can be a very effective tool. It is a time to review progress, look at strengths, consider weaknesses, show appreciation, and make goals for the next year. What about doing an Annual Personal Review of yourself, by yourself? Cut out a block of time specifically for your personal review. Evaluate your progress. Look at your strengths-list them. Consider your weaknesses and how you can improve-make a specific plan. Show yourself some appreciation-indulge yourself in some kind of celebration. Then make some goals for next year. Just like employee reviews, you should do this at a minimum of once a year-formally! Even better are quarterly reviews with less formal monthly evaluations. Don’t make me call Human Resources!!