3 minutes
It’s no surprise that forced rankings impose unrealistic limitations. Like the infamous bell curve, standards for assessment can become shaky at best, neutralizing both your high and middle-of-the-road achievers.
Some HR experts prefer the “long-tail” curve, which infers there are many more talented employees than a bell curve would imply. “Forced rankings can also make people feel frustrated, angry and even helpless,” says Gary Markle, founder and CEO of Energage, Ellijay, Ga., and author of Catalytic Coaching: The End of the Performance Review.
After spending 20 years in corporate HR, Markle became disenchanted with the review process and his inability to make meaningful change. “For years, companies have gone through the review process under this illusion of objectivity, with the fallacy that an annual evaluation is better than nothing at all,” says Markle.
“In truth, something bad is worse than nothing. When you evaluate employees at the lowest common denominator or judge only according to the attributes of someone else, it can be demoralizing. It does nothing to identify an individual’s strengths or real areas for improvement.” To fight the one-size-fits-all strategy, Markle developed Catalytic Coaching, where staff are engaged with the process and coached for performance.
How Catalytic Coaching Works
Training starts with a three-hour session where all employees learn how to be coachable. Managers go on to learn more about Catalytic Coaching from a leadership perspective and concentrate on the whole of the person, rather than static performance criteria. “They see how fostering meaningful discussion deepens the relationship,” explains Markle. “The door also opens for a give-and-take relationship between manager and employee, which is the foundation for effective communication.”
Next is what Markle calls “in-flight training,” where leaders from all levels of the organization hone their skills. Here, an Energage consultant watches live coaching sessions between manager and employee ensuring best practices are used. Managers also learn how to handle the unwieldy part of managing people – dealing with emotions, desires and, finally, employees’ motivations.
“Likewise, your HR leader will want to set the example by being an excellent coach, and, counter to tradition, put the ‘human’ emphasis back into human resources,” says Markle. “Only when you can understand what motivates your people can you get them to engage fully in the workplace.”
Direct Communication Wins
Communication is vital to any coaching model. In Catalytic Coaching, the employee meets with a coach for 15 minutes quarterly to discuss goals and progress, augmented by an ongoing reporting system. “The focus is on quality of time, not quantity. However, if there are problems, meetings are held more frequently until the desired behavior is attained,” says Markle.
While other models recommend frequent meetings, Markle believes coaching should enhance productivity and not interrupt it. Instead, each session is focused and meaningful. “CEOs can also cascade strategic goals down through the organization via coaching. When an employee can engage or connect to a business goal, the better chance it will be successful.”
Talk About the Past Only if it Matters in the Future.
For decades, managers have evaluated performance on events that may be months old. Markle shares his favorite sports analogy to show why this is not the way to go. “A good coach will speak to his or her team immediately after the game. Highlights are noted: what was done well, what could have been better. But what matters most is the game’s outcome. Notice that coaches don’t focus on a game from a year ago. It’s all about the here and now, and planning for the next game.”
When you hash out the past, that’s where you stay. You also tend to dwell on the negative rather than focusing on the positive, Markle suggests.
With 25 years of marketing and communications experience, Stephanie Schwenn Sebring established and managed the marketing departments for three CUs. As owner of Fab Prose & Professional Writing, her focus is on assisting CUs and industry suppliers with their communications needs.
