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Alan Downs

Mervyns U to the rescue

Let me share something that might surprise you: Most organizations are getting performance management completely backward. They’re piling on more systems, frameworks, and “best practices,” yet 82 percent of HR leaders say their efforts aren’t working. Why? They tend to add more complexity when they should be removing interference—the stuff that gets in the way of people giving their best.Here’s my truth: Performance management isn’t about complex systems—it’s about conversations—simple, human conversations that clear the path between where someone is and where they want to go. In my work with organizations, they often tell me they need better tools, frameworks, and processes. There’s nothing wrong with that, but what they really need is to get better at having real conversations that matter.Whether we like it or not, every interaction between a leader and team member has an impact. Whether it’s a scheduled performance review or a quick hallway chat, these moments build trust and capability or create interference and resistance. What makes the difference? It’s all in how we navigate through each conversation.Let’s break this down into two scenarios we all recognize:The Formal Performance ConversationYou know these well—the structured reviews, the goal-setting sessions, the KPI discussions. Many organizations load these moments with so much process and paperwork that they create exactly what they’re trying to avoid: interference and resistance. The key isn’t adding more structure—it’s removing the barriers that prevent honest, productive dialogue.What if instead of focusing on forms and ratings, we approached these conversations with curiosity and partnership? When leaders adopt a coaching mindset, something remarkable happens:Goal-setting becomes a collaborative exploration rather than a top-down directive.Feedback transforms from a one-way broadcast into a two-way discovery.Development plans shift from prescribed paths to journeys of self-discovery.The Informal Performance ConversationThese are the golden moments—the “do you have a minute?” conversations that happen naturally throughout the day. They’re often where the real magic happens because there’s less interference from formal structures and expectations. These spontaneous interactions are always opportunities for:In the moment, course corrections that feel like support rather than criticismBuilding trust through showing up as caring, candid, and being constructiveBringing a growth mindset to everyday challengesHere’s what I’ve learned after decades of working with leaders: The most effective performance management isn’t about managing at all—it’s about creating space for people to access their own knowledge and capability. When leaders approach both formal and informal conversations with a coaching mindset, they remove the interference that blocks natural development and growth.Remember: Your team members already know more than they think they do. Your job isn’t to pile on more knowledge or create more complex systems. It’s to help clear away the noise, so they can access what they already know and connect it to what matters most—both for them and for the organization.The inclusion of a coaching approach into performance management is less about adding new tools to your toolkit and more about removing the barriers that make these conversations feel forced, formal, or threatening and more busy work. When we do that, performance management transforms from a dreaded institutional requirement into a natural, ongoing dialogue about growth and possibility.

Putting the Humanity Into Performance Management Conversations

You’ve made the commitment to pursue a degree in the talent development field at the undergraduate, graduate, or doctoral level. Your hard work will pay dividends down the road in terms of your job prospects, pay, and marketability. How can you best leverage your academic credentials to advance your career?
Join us for this exclusive students-only webcast to learn how to make the most of your degree when speaking with employers. Have your questions answered by career coaches who are intimately familiar with the field. Have specific questions for the career coaches? Bring them to the Ask-a-Coach portion of this webcast, or listen in to hear what your peers are asking. This Ask-a-Coach session with Alan De Back and Barbara Seifert is designed for students focusing on careers in the talent development field.

Leveraging Your Degree in Talent Development

More Than Half of Large, Downsized U.S. Businesses Plan to Rebuild Their Workforces to Pre-Recession Levels by 2012

(From CareerBuilder) -- When a high level leader leaves a company, there's a lot of pressure associated with the selection of his or her successor. Even with so much weight placed on future leaders, many companies reveal they don't have a formal plan of action to replace their higher ups. According to a new CareerBuilder survey, nearly one-third (31 percent) of companies with more than 1,000 employees said they don't currently have a succession planning program at their organization. In addition, 50 percent of senior management (CEO, CFO, Senior VP, etc.) and 52 percent of those in a vice president position said they do not have a successor for their current role. The survey was conducted online by Harris Interactive on behalf of CareerBuilder from February 21 through March 10, 2011 among more than 1000 employers with 1,001 or more employees.A lack of succession planning can adversely affect an organization in a variety of ways, from the absence of strategic direction to decreased productivity to weakened financial performance. More than one-quarter (27 percent) of companies said they've been adversely affected financially by poor succession planning or a lack thereof.Employers cited the recession as an obstacle to effective succession planning. More than one-quarter (28 percent) of companies said that the recession has left gaps in their succession plans due to downsizing or workers leaving voluntarily."As the economy gradually improves, it's important for organizations to proactively plan for the future of their businesses," said Jamie Womack, vice president of corporate marketing and sales training at CareerBuilder. "Having a blueprint on who will succeed management at all levels is a critical facet to your overall strategy, as it ensures that your organization will be able to tackle future challenges and compete in your industry."When asked what is lacking in their current succession planning program, companies said the following:Not enough opportunities for employees to learn beyond their own roles - 39 percentProcess isn't formalized - 38 percentNot enough investment in training and development - 33 percentNot actively involving employees or seeking their input - 31 percentIt only focuses on top executives - 29 percentManagers also reported that workers' awareness of and input on their own succession planning is important. Forty-nine percent of employers said employees don't set up career paths with their managers with timelines and milestones.Read more.

Nearly One-Third of Companies Don’t Have Succession Planning

DOWS PLAN PERSONAL LEARNING AS NEEDED

During the 60 years that the Kirkpatrick Model has existed, people around the world have done their best to faithfully implement it. Unfortunately, what often occurs is little more than smile sheets, pre- and post-tests, and hope for the best.
It does not need to be that way. In this webcast, you will learn practical techniques to connect training and evaluation to improved on-the-job performance and subsequent business results. You will also come away with a sample evaluation form and tips to better see how well your participants are reacting to your training and learning what they need to do back on the job. You’ll learn to:

Begin all programs with a focus on having an impact on Kirkpatrick Level 4 results.
Create a strong Level 3 on-the-job application plan.
Streamline methods for evaluating Levels 1 and 2 to free up resources for a Level 3 plan.
 

Please download the handout here:  Training Evaluation Demystified

Training Evaluation Demystified: A Practical Approach to Showing the Value of Your Training

Helping our organizations deliver outstanding business results, while contributing to the skill development and career management of others, is our biggest thrill as training and development professionals. This session will describe how to connect four popular T&D industry tools to create the ultimate development toolbox. Using these tools together creates an airtight organizational commitment to development. You will build better leaders and increase your organization’s talent bench by retaining your best, most engaged teammates.
While development of others and their teams is our noble cause and solemn obligation, we also need to manage our own career development and grow our T&D groups into high-performance teams. Understanding high-performance principles, and knowing how to market yourself using the same tools as Nike, Apple, and Coca Cola, will help you advance your own career—and your team’s reputation—faster than you ever imagined.

Learn how easy it is to:
1. Create an airtight organizational commitment to development programs.
2. Develop your career to market and sell your own authentic “accomplishment brand.”
3. Create a high-performance team using eight time-tested, research-validated skills that unleash the power embedded in the universal human desire to achieve.

Learning Transfer Will Be Enhanced when you:
1. Conduct a “What? So What? Now What?” content quick-review during the program.
2. Design a customized “One Thing” development plan.  This guides you through the creation of a comprehensive self-development plan for your career.
 
Download Handout here:  http://webcasts.astd.org/documents/4470
 

Creating a High-Performance Organization Using the Ultimate Development Toolbox

Employee engagement is the new buzzword in organization development. Everyone seems to be talking about employee engagement and telling you why it is important. But no one tells you that it is not easy and that there are inherent organizational barriers that, if unaddressed, might derail your engagement efforts.
This webinar offers you practical advice for overcoming the barriers to building an engagement culture. After attending this presentation, participants will be able to describe the barriers to engagement and implement a plan to overcome these organizational barriers.
Download Worksheet for Today's Event Here:  Overcoming Barriers to Building an Engagement Culture

 

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