The communication and training resource book is actually over 700 pages. I’d like to eventually make it all available online. The book preview is 106 pages and illustrates the use of web-based technology for engaging real-time measures, contribution, and delegated results. The book showcases EmployeeTalk Technology in the process, and examples dialogs and concepts in the application of methods, techniques, and tools. I focus on development in over forty core competencies that can help anyone wanting to grow with their organization. One of the main focuses is on follow-through actions, exercises, and other book readings to help performance growth.
1. 1
Targeted Communication
Using Web-Based Technology for Real-Time
Measures, Contribution, and Delegated Results
Examples Dialogs and Concepts in the Application of Methods, Techniques, and Tools.
Core Competencies are the focus with Follow-through Actions, Exercises, and Readings.
By Eric Bruggeman ETCS
2. 2
ACKNOWLEDGMENTFROM EMPLOYEETALK LLC
Enhance your communication team by engaging this measurement and development resource of over 700
pages. Technology can be used by leaders within their organization and with customers to build
contribution and collaboration. The book illustrates how an online technology is used with dialog to
measure the effectiveness of just about anything in business. The software platform we showcase for this
resolve and action is InnovateVirtual®. It empowers leaders to engage in a variety of methods,
techniques and tools for better communication. The root success in this technology is affording leaders
the capability to track and delegate detailed notes from survey feedback into immediate actions. The
greater accountability to results ensures desired outcomes and prevents failures in execution which can
become costly.
What if a focused dialog in technology with delegated actions to results could be used to prevent lawsuits
such as from poor quality? A good example of this outcome was GM and the deadly ignition-switch
defect. It was linked to 124 deaths and 275 injuries. A proactive dialog would have engaged and tracked
engineer concerns when they first noticed the defect. It would have made the engineer’s suggestion
actionable when they advised the company to redesign its key head. The impact of missing this
opportunity was a total estimate of vehicle compensation and repairs costing GM 3.8 billion. Another
opportunity to focus pulse dialog is in the prevention of medical malpractice claims. For example the
division of Risk Management of the Harvard Medical Institutions published a report on how specific
weaknesses in communication impact patient safety. Of the malpractice cases analyzed, roughly one-
third (or 7,149 cases) involved a breakdown in communication somewhere across the spectrum of
healthcare services and settings. The total incurred losses related to these cases were estimated to be
about $1.7 billion. These opportunities prove the communication improvement need in industry today.
InnovateVirtual is a single technology platform to empower leaders in the self-administration of
engagement and contribution methods. A small example of these applications are Surveys, 360°
feedback,Blogs, SWOT analysis, Managing Learning, Undercover Boss process, Virtual Meeting Place,
Value to Cost Assessment,and Scorecard,or Checklist. A leader’s flexibility and creativity can produce
thousands of unique approaches,too many for the book. Just some of the areas we did focus on were:
1. Measuring in a 360° Method of Communication:
2. Measuring Safety Proactively:
3. Assessing Retention and Reducing Risk:
4. How to Assess Communication effectiveness
5. Using Technology to Assist Change:
3. 3
6. Assist Sales Success with Technology: (Service)
7. Using Technology to Build a Committed and Skilled Workforce:
8. Assess Motivating Behaviors in Communication:
9. Assess Assertive Behaviors in Communication:
Healthcare examples
10. Proactively Measure HCAHPS Quality:
11. Proactively Measure PQRS Quality:
12. Target Patient’s Expectation of Care:
Leaders are empowered with technology to inspire those around them to be the best they can be. In
InnovateVirtual it includes the delegation of actions to results. The book is assistive to leaders helping
them in what to say at appropriate times— motivating excellence where ever they are. Have you ever
thought “No one can do something better than I can?” “The project needs me to make sure it gets done
right?” As leaders, we want to be everywhere we can,to ensure success by motivating and sharing our
experience and expertise. Technology allows us the freedom to expand reach without micromanaging.
Leaders need to caution themselves from becoming so dependent on technology that it does all their
communication for them. Technology does not replace the need for people to be face to face but rather
assist them in the opportunity to get there. We explore ways to engage critical core competencies
measuring both strength and opportunity in the book. It is important to note the book’s redundancies
because of the correlation in core competency.
Let’s explore a simple engagement scenario Example — a leader choses to engage their team more
personally. They have fifty employees. The effort includes an initiative to walk the floor and meet
everyone, one on one sometime during the week. Without a clear communication objective, this could
very well be a huge waste of productive time for both the leader and the fifty employees. However, in
this case, the leader supplemented their engagement, and pulse dialogs with them on something critical to
the organization. Contribution from the team yielded pertinent information, concerns, and solutions. The
leader meets with them on their input maximizing resources and ensures an excellent outcome.
Executives are smarter these days engaging communication to solve complex problems. To achieve this
many purchase technology to target proven methods, techniques and tools. The platform we showcase
supplements this by enabling leaders a real-time approach to measuring and driving high levels of
commitment and passion for accomplishing what is critical now. As a resource it will be important to use
the table of contents to find, read, and utilize what is critical to you personally and your organization.
4. 4
“As leaders— today we are expected to get more done with less,so it’s smart to avoid the expense of
purchasing a lot of technologies for a multitude of uses when we don’t have to.”
With InnovateVirtual, leaders can benefit in a better use of their resources. They can share their
experience and expertise across their organizations, expanding their reach to coach,inspire and make
better decisions from the inclusion of more contributing individuals. EmployeeTalk accomplishes this
because we are the only engagement company with a technology capability to assist leaders in putting
input and feedback into immediate actions. In follow through, leaders easily delegate detailed notes and
timelines for people to meet face to face improving the accountability to achieve desired outcomes.
Thousands of question examples are available in this book. Modify them to fit your organization’s
specific needs.
"Ask the right questions if you're going to find the right answers."
—Vanessa Redgrave
Register for the platform to use with this book:
Access – http://www.employeetalk.us/register
Enter correct contact information and the word “Book” under business type
for free limited access.
To enter an assessment – For a free engagement initiative assessment
http://assessment.employeetalk.us/
A technology
for doing more
with less!
7. 7
When we communicate expectation in questions, we inform on potential possibility— the maybe. With
the flexibility and simplicity of IV® to enable leaders to self–administer dialog any way they want,the
power at their control is daunting. It is because of this capability that leaders are able to expand their
reach,sharing expertise and experience vastly across their organization. Consider engagement as an
opportunity to educate,inform and collaborate with stakeholders on the challenges potentially blocking
the organization’s engagement and development success. This book ties behavior to role and function for
meeting objectives through competency. The follow through of any engagement process is key. Learn to
take immediate actions back to people for discussions face to face with suggested actions,recommended
exercises and readings. Identify these green and purple color schemes in the book for additional detailed
actions to help employees meet their potential and support theirs and the organization’s goals.
In IV® the first step in engagement is to understand what we want to accomplish. Secondly, there is a
call for contribution and finally, task action from input into desired results. It’s important to understand
the measures that exist and the extent of communication breakdowns because they highlight the issues
that need to be solved. Pulse check survey questions target and focus on where we can make the most
impact. It maximizes resources to meet outcomes and is specifically important in initiating a quick
follow-through.
Establish a starting baseline—“It’s not a good time,” is heard a lot when engagement is avoided. There
will be up and downs all the time in business. What’s important is that we are focusing teams on what is
critical. Effective communication begins by identifying a baseline from which to measure progress and
success. This comes from an initial assessment of potential or problem areas. IV® uses 11 questions for
example in an assessment to focus on areas of communication. (Page 145) This benchmark provides the
basis for comparing future data so you know what’s working well and where to adapt strategies going
forward.
Making decisions— regardless of the source,leaders require facts to back up communication
recommendations and decisions. Measurement of critical areas show the numbers behind the effort,
document progress and help leaders understand the how and why on the merit of the decision. It will
ultimately help leaders achieve their business and communications objectives. When considering the
reinforcement and making a case for resources— this is critical.
8. 8
Leverage communication resources—data,allows us to drill down to understand how communication
is working or not in various regions, divisions, functions and even with the individual employee. Use
your ET® system to leverage communication resources in creative and more efficient ways.
Followthrough— ensures the target audience needs are being met. Communication measurement can
identify if employees have received and understand key messages you have delivered, or if the channels
you’re using are effective at delivering those key messages i.e. policy and procedure with knowledge
checks for example. The results can help leaders modify and focus future communications, while also
reinforcing staff that we care enough to listen – and take action on their input which demonstrates this.
Commitment to change—This can be a laugher to some; be serious about improving communications,
the act of measuring in itself demonstrates a symbol of change and will be valued by employees.
However,beware of measuring without an authentic commitment to follow through— to be effective in
supporting change, we need to do something with the data to show progress and show we actually care. I
am a big component of pushback. Your platform will afford you this opportunity.
Drive accountability— the bottom line for IV users is being able to task and track actions to results.
What gets measured gets acted upon. The template is to inform on expectation. This is the maybe which
presents a potential possibility. If leaders and managers know they’re being evaluated on communication
efforts, they’ll start paying attention to how and when they engage employees.
Assessing communication is an excellent way to measure where communication works and doesn’t work
within an organization. Measurement can help us get on the right track to more effectively connect with
and engage employees or target audiences. Behavior is a part of that and is also tied to our function at
work. Each target and focus we outline in the coming pages will include, “what competency might
challenges you”. This will help readers identify the right skill opportunity for them. The suggested
actions can be shared providing leaders the right thing to say. The actions and exercises help develop
skills and build experience. Opportunity can help leaders identify the right person for a needed project.
Bottom line, when leaders are aware of their team’s strengths and opportunity they can address them.
17. 17
603) SUGGESTED READINGS
604) SUGGESTED ACTIONS
605) DIALOG PERFORMANCE MEASURE— 21 INITIATIVE
609. EMOTIONAL CONTROL—who are you?
610) EXERCISE 1 POINT—
611) DIALOG QUALITY MEASURE,
612) SUGGESTED READINGS
613) SUGGESTED ACTIONS
614) DIALOG PERFORMANCE MEASURE— 21 INITIATIVE
616. — Open to solutions and answers from others
617) EXERCISE 1 POINT—
618) DIALOG QUALITY MEASURE,
619) SUGGESTED READINGS
620) SUGGESTED ACTIONS
621) DIALOG PERFORMANCE MEASURE— 21 INITIATIVE
625. — Makes good decisions under pressure
626) EXERCISE 1 POINT—
627) DIALOG QUALITY MEASURE,
628) SUGGESTED READINGS
629) SUGGESTED ACTIONS
630) DIALOG PERFORMANCE MEASURE— 21 INITIATIVE
634. — Stays courteous and respectful as stress increases
635) EXERCISE 1 POINT—
636) DIALOG QUALITY MEASURE,
637) SUGGESTED READINGS
638) SUGGESTED ACTIONS
639) DIALOG PERFORMANCE MEASURE— 21 INITIATIVE
641. NURSE LEADERSHIP—How Nurse LeadersDecide Which Problem to Focus on First
641) EXERCISE 1 POINT—
642) DIALOG QUALITY MEASURE,
643) SUGGESTED READINGS
644) SUGGESTED ACTIONS
645) DIALOG PERFORMANCE MEASURE— 21 INITIATIVE
650. BUILDING TALENT— uses appropriate and objective criteria to build staff
650) EXERCISE 1 POINT—
651) DIALOG QUALITY MEASURE,
18. 18
652) SUGGESTED READINGS
653) SUGGESTED ACTIONS
654) DIALOG PERFORMANCE MEASURE— 21 INITIATIVE
656. — Selects people who add new perspectives and are high performers with relevant experience
656) EXERCISE 1 POINT—
657) DIALOG QUALITY MEASURE,
658) SUGGESTED READINGSSUGGESTED ACTIONS
659) DIALOG PERFORMANCE MEASURE— 21 INITIATIVE
670. — Actively seeks development opportunities to meet Staff’s needs
671) EXERCISE 1 POINT—
672) DIALOG QUALITY MEASURE,
673) SUGGESTED READINGS
674) SUGGESTED ACTIONS
675) DIALOG PERFORMANCE MEASURE— 21 INITIATIVE
676. EMPLOYEE RETENTION—Be proactive and measure for threats as soft issues
676) EXERCISE 1 POINT—
677) DIALOG QUALITY MEASURE,
678) SUGGESTED READINGS
679) SUGGESTED ACTIONS
680) DIALOG PERFORMANCE MEASURE— 21 INITIATIVE
685. — Electronically gather input to address opportunity
685) EXERCISE 1 POINT—
686) DIALOG QUALITY MEASURE,
687) SUGGESTED READINGS
688) SUGGESTED ACTIONS
689) DIALOG PERFORMANCE MEASURE— 21 INITIATIVE
690. Q&A—
700. INDEX
19. 19
DEFINING YOUR APPROACH
There are many concepts and philosophies out there to select from. Take them and make them your own
by modifying them to support what you want to accomplish. In using technology like the platform in IV
leaders can self-administer communication by combining many applications together to support
expectation and recognition. Technology enables leaders to innovate and collaborate with pulse checks
quantifying uncertain puzzles in business. With IV leaders are empowered to ensure a good:
1. Focus on what’s critical
2. Change collaboration
3. Quality measurement
4. Personal development
5. Training effectiveness
6. Communication alignment
What is it to pulse check? It is frequent dialog defined and focused in a target, reducing ambiguity in
the questions asked and subjectivity in the responses to the questions. It’s a proactive approach which
enables course corrections to be made from understanding the frontline employee concerns and
challenges in executing desired outcomes.
Although pulse check dialog can be both transparent and anonymous in IV, respondents are empowered
to recognize themselves for their response. Others can be acknowledged as great performers in the
specific space of the question too— this creates accountability and more actionable engagement.
Perception is altered at different times of our development. As we grow experience it changes.
Employees are the front line experts. Tapping into that expertise through pulse check engagement
empowers teams to come together to contribute and is fundamentally critical towards having them share
perception, such as in patient health and safety if you are in the healthcare industry for example. Once we
understand the variables around the outcomes we want, we can key in on the expectations and ask
questions to support goals.
20. 20
Defining my approach came in the evolution of Systems Thinking into what I like to call, System
Intelligence™. This is the output of people and the focus is on the critical role that they play.
Systems Intelligence™is initiated when leaders expose stakeholders to known measures and standards
in an attempt to meet the expectations and objectives designed to achieve desired outcomes and make
parts (blocks) fit. Many measures are often outlined through government regulation, organizational
standards, and safety boards etc. Setting up our own standards creates a competitive advantage which
through innovation enables organizations to exploit the competitive advantage their employee intelligence
provides. Once obstacles preventing execution are identified, such as skill, training, and processes;
solutions can be provided to overcome them. Technology like IV empowers a REPORTINGCULTURE
from detailed analysis and managing proactively within a particular question space. This approach can
not only identify threats and opportunities but document errors and near misses which can be offset in the
direct action capability of results saving an organization a lot of money in the process.
Set yourselfapart; be the standard. Ultimately employees are an organization’s most competitive
advantage, where together as a team, collaboration enables us to meet goals. Keep in mind that in the
engagement to meet certain outcomes when following through there are both short term and long term
wins. In order to achieve desired outcomes, many players need to be engaged in many diverse ways for
contribution. Having easy access with ET technology to launch a lot proven methods; techniques and
tools make this possible.
Systems Thinking— is visualizing an organization as a collection of interrelated parts; Divisions,
Departments,Employees, Leaders,etc. Identify your players as “Process Blocks.” In IV we may target
this group as titles. These blocks are units of role players, where in our focus on execution in above and
beyond expectations means we are working to succeed in the objectives that meet the goal; i.e. improving
or quantifying products, services, education or care for example.
21. 21
Direct Care (B3), Support Care (B2), and Financial
(B1) are examples of blocks in healthcare. The blocks
are bound together to achieve a purpose where the
relationships between these parts are as important as the
parts themselves, and where the whole of the
organization interrelates with its external environment
(the stakeholders; patients, and staff for example.)
Although organizational goals and their objectives are
shared from block to block, the personal expectations
differ from the individual roles that each staff member
plays. Aligning development needs of the employee to
the expectations in the objectives is key. This includes a
vision match one on one with staff where these
expectations are weighted to the individual’s
development needs. The weights, such as in yearly
performance reviews support not only personal goals but
in turn the goals of the market, the economy, the
government regulations; etc. Innovating accountability into culture towards them begins by establishing
individual ownership to specific skills needing improvement. “Performance of the whole is not the
addition of the performance of the parts,but rather is a consequence of the relationship between the parts
performance”. It is how performance relates,not how it occurs independently of other parts. That is what
“Systems Thinking” is about.
Systems Thinking toward Systems Intelligence:The engagement process begins by asking ourselves:
“What do I want to accomplish?”
“What is the desired outcome?”
Once an answer is identified,define the expectations in all objectives critical to support meeting it. This
is your question dialog.
Goal
Process B 1
Process B 2
Process B 3
22. 22
The expectations in your questions are defined from your policies, standards, and government regulations,
etc. We have identified multiple targets and focuses in this book for you to engage using this platform
towards supporting Systems Intelligence. It is critical to identify barriers and allow actions to be clearly
communicated so when dealing with stakeholders such as; patients, staff, students or customers, etc. there
is a consistent message being communicated throughout the organization. By having the unique
capability of tying measures to action in a Task Reporting System™ there is accountability to results.
In a solutions drive a pushback to employees can overcome obstacles and create a High Performing
culture.
Task Reporting System,See page 45
HOWDO WE TARGET?
A choice target is engaged using a specific method, technique or tool concept to deliver the dialog. To
keep a target actionable it’s important to also have a specific focus. Most targets and focuses will include
expectations; these expectations represent the core competencies. Here are some example targets and
focuses to accesswith ET and IV.
Do you need to
Target something
specific?
23. 23
“Employees need to take ownership to competencies and develop them. This is knowing ourselves well.”
— Anonymous
Exercise:
Focus in on your standards within these areas above and educate everyone on critical competencies. The
suggested readings listed under competencies in this book can be shared. To build on recommended
readings and continually update your knowledge base consider creating a Company Book Club in your
organization which can meet monthly. This can shape your Systems Intelligence™ and create brownbag
opportunities for training.
24. 24
EXAMPLE METHODS, TECHNIQUES, AND TOOLS
The IV platform— empowers an integrated and real-time approach for measuring and driving high levels
of employee commitment and passion. What a leader wants to accomplish determines what application
they will use to achieve it. Those needs are engaged in a focus, tapping expertise, sharing the leader’s
experience and affecting resources positively.
Simply begin your pulse by targeting what’s critical to the organization now, or what can make the most
impact— then focus the team on questions to meet those specific outcomes. By innovating virtually in IV
comparative results are captured over time ensuring that the investment of time and resources in
engagement are spent well. Some of the communication examples below offer ideas in using the
technology platform to communicate in a variety of ways in certain core competency we cover.
Surveys— can be initiated anonymously or transparently measuring and informing on expectation in
definitive “Yes” and “No”, and variable 1-10 questions. Dialogs are put into the system once. What sets
this platform apart is how it creates accountability to results with the capability to task and track detailed
and timed notes into resulting action from actual input captured in the reports for each question asked.
Tracking Learning Effectiveness—post access hyperlinks for employees. This captures results for
each team member logging into the discussion. It will capture staff measures on training effectiveness
and assure team understanding from knowledge check questions. Task and coach leaders to meet face to
face with the team on opportunity identified in reports. This builds confidence and uses consistent
communication in the organization when responding to questions that are answered incorrectly.
Policy Release— release new and updated policy and procedure. Save paper cost through sign off within
the platform. Add knowledge check/s questions to ensure understanding and execution. Task and coach
leaders face to face on opportunity to improve building confidence when question are answered wrong.
Employee Handbook—electronically share hyperlink to the employee for handbook Sign off. Add
knowledge check/s questions to ensure understanding and execution. Task and coach leaders face to face
on opportunity building confidence when question are answered wrong during onboarding.
25. 25
Checklist—for quality control one can carry a handheld tablet/phone and answer yes and no questions to
capture important data,saving on paper cost. Use platform shift to shift to share data critical in handoff.
Customer Relation— engage and report on four areas; location, department, title group, and region.
360° Feedback— the average industry setup cost for this method is $750 and $100 dollars per person. It
can be avoided in this technology. Use a 360° as a mid-year review or in place of yearly performance
reviews. A 360° ensures action to improving skills from the input; tasking actions, exercises and
readings for staff to use in their independent development planning.
Scorecard— for quality control, a leader can use this method and carry a handheld tablet or phone to
answer variable rating questions. Capture important data saving on paper cost. Use platform shift to shift
to share data critical in handoff.
Exit Interview— Instead of this method, strengthen retention by engaging 10 questions to address
turnover before it happens. (Page 647) Task and coach department leaders face to face on opportunity/s,
removing potentially costly threats of turnover.
Performance Review— save time and improve review accuracy using the platform to engage the
execution of expectation in core competencies. The platform ensures action to improved skills from
tasking actions, exercises, and readings for the team to use in their independent development planning.
26. 26
Patient Quality— Engage your team proactively on the perception of care to meet HCAHPS measures.
Correct quality outcomes needed development and address process breakdowns two to three months
ahead of the HCAHPS results turnaround. Also proactively address PQRS for physician quality in the
clinical environment.
Patient Centered Care— Engage proactively on the expectation of care to ensure proper execution is
taking place. Task and coach leaders face to face on the opportunity to offset a potentially costly penalty.
The Eight Dimensions of Patient-Centered Care grew out of research by the Picker Institute and Harvard
Medical School, thousands of interviews, and the experiences of caregivers and patients. Analysis of the
industry-changing research showed that there are certain things, certain behaviors that are instrumental to
patient’s healing, feeling cared for, and having a positive patient experience. From that research,we now
understand what matters most to patients.
There are literally hundreds of questions you could ask patients about their experiences. But with limited
time, resources,not to mention patient attention span, it is important to ask the most critical questions.
What ET did is take those dimensions and turn them into questions to be asked of direct care staff to
identify any obstacles to execution which could prevent the dimension from having a positive outcome.
Example Tool format, 1 out of 8 questions:
1 Please rate our organization in how we provide; respect for patients’ values,preferencesand
expressed needs.
Patients indicate a need to be recognized and treated as individuals by hospital staff; they are concerned
with their illnesses and conditions and want to be kept informed.
Do you have an idea, concern, solution, anxiety or motivation in how we…
Provide an atmosphere respectful of the individual patient should focus on the quality of life?
Involve the patient in medical decisions?
Provide the patient with dignity, and respect a patient’s autonomy?
Please share in the space provided what you perceive from your role.
27. 27
Communication— Engage threats to excellent communication within eleven categories. InnovateVirtual
enables leaders to create continuous improvement through ongoing pulse engagement. Since it’s self-
administered, the one and done set up and push out of dialog when you need it, saves a time and money.
Example Method— Single question communication Solution Drive Method:
1. How do you rate the hospital’s attempt to cultivate open communications between direct
management and staff?
o Electronic communication I.e. Access to emails and medical records
o Procedural communication I.e. Access to policies.
o Written (Organization perspective) I.e. Administrative HR fliers.
o Written (Employee perspective) I.e. Monthly newsletters.
o Collaborative communication I.e. Communication-board and books.
o Observational-Training I.e. Consistently guides and develops me.
o Verbal I. e. Department meetings face to face and shift handoff.
o Communicating under pressure I.e. Good planning structures to ensure successful
conclusions.
a) If not, what would you recommend to enhance these communication outlets to be
more redundant or efficient?
b) Please recognize someone who champions this open communication.
Change Management— engage before,during and after the change to ensure change success.
Virtual Meeting Link—Include everyone in different shift and time zones by sharing a hyperlink to
agenda meeting ON THEIR TIME. Increase participation; improve productivity and honest contribution
for greater discussions.
28. 28
A virtual meeting hyperlink creates the opportunity to include everyone in a discussion and focuses
collaboration. People in any task team; change,product, service,or just individuals can click a hyperlink
at any time to answer a set of agenda questions defined with expectations in this technique.
The online pulse dialogs can keep projects on track and up to date with a direct real-time reporting space
to compare data over time. Team Leaders capture candid feedback maximizing contribution virtually,
reducing meeting times and increase resources by being able to task different team members with actions
to results. Delegation saves productivity and ensures accountability to desired conclusions and outcomes.
Employee ofthe Month— Track great comradery by posting positives on public communication boards.
Blogging— use the platform in social media and generate hyperlinks to questions written to collaborate
with customers, patients, students, and employees. Many leaders in communications and public relations
post them on their private and public Facebook and Twitter accounts for example.
Suggested Action:
Leaders can post-positives from InnovateVirtual on their communication board. Share comments and
names of colleagues who have been recognized as great performers in the question.
29. 29
TECHNOLOGY USE CASE GROUPINGS IN IV®
Recognition Program Use:
o Employee of the Month Method
o Post-positives Technique
o Track recognition Tool
o Questionnaires and surveys Method
o Collaborations and calls for contribution
o Observations (360 Feedback Method
o Performance appraisals Method
o Interviews - Face to face talks delegated
from IV
o Archive data - Checklists and Scorecards with unobtrusive measure Method:
o Number of supervisors who complete online training unobtrusive measure Method:
Tracked Learning Management system in IV
Knowledge check actions delegated from input in IV
o Reading activity from newsletters using unobtrusive measure Method:
Tracking readers from links in blog to the newsletter
Did you read this ________? in IV Method
Pulse Check dialog for improved contributions Technique:
Leaders can’t get the good answers if they don’t ask the right questions. To know you are trending up by
the actions you take is very powerful. Pulse communication is a best practice and from InnovateVirtual it
is an engagement methodology that works well in meeting expectation.
360° peer reviewand self-development use Method:
o Yearly and Mid review Tool
o Leadership questions Tool
o Motivation questions Tool
o Character questions Tool
o Culture questions Tool
o Board Review Assessment Tool
Real-time input for course correction, use Technique:
o Scorecard Tool
o Patient or customer experience Tool
o Aligned questions to fit desired
outcomes of organization
Tablet or phone use Method:
30. 30
Taking Action when on the floor
Exercise Technique:
Your presence should be an inspiration rounding with the team if they are employees, staff, students,
customers or patients. When walking the floor have something valuable to share which holds people
accountable to the goals of the department or organization. Round and engage what is critical now. What
you say matters. This is how leaders inspire and motivate their team when face to face:
o Call staff by name, more than once if possible- Hi name.
o Something so simple creates purpose and belonging
o Ask if they know what’s working well with what is critical now?
o As leaders, we want to ensure top level messaging is being heard
o Verbally course-correct if needed
o Ask staff if they know why their role is important in what is critical now?
o Realign their function or role.
o Inspire by reiterating the value they play in their role.
o Ask if the staff has input to support better what is critical now?
o Nothing saysyou are valuable more than asking someone’s opinion.
Newpolicy and procedure sign offprogram use Method:
o Legally compliant, defensible
o Checks for knowledge ensures essential points are understood
o Verbatim (open comments section) adds a level of confidence in understanding specifically in the
employee's own words
o With ease and electronically a policy deployment assures alignment to desired
behaviors/outcomes.
Track exit interviews, more importantly, use a proactive Technique:
o Electronically gather input to address opportunity after turnover
31. 31
o Be proactive and measure for threats as soft issue before turnover happens (Page 647)
10 questions that identify your potential threat so you can take proactive action
Open portal suggestion box use Method:
o 1-3 questions asked online toward improvement
o One question asked to support critical dialog in culture
Training Use Method:
Can add questions under “Training”
Improve your teams using metrics to identify needs
Measure effectiveness of ANY training (example Technique)
1. Rate the training in being informative?
2. Rate the Training in resolving or preventing current issues?
3. Rate the level of my need for additional training on this topic?
4. Rate your overall satisfaction with the training?
5. Rate the level of competence in the instructor on this topic?
6. Rate your capability to communicate the steps of this training to another if asked?
7. Would I recommend this training to another? (Yes No)
Insert your training questions or quiz under policies
Newsletter Use Technique:
o Track who reads your articles internally and collaborate with readers for information
32. 32
EMPLOYEETALK DIALOG EXAMPLES
Many of these dialogs are detailed in the book to support various targets and focuses in core competency.
Target Outcome Focus Description in how to engage
Leadership To Improve leadership skills 23 self-assessment questions to engage peers in 360®
Manager character To address character change 16 self-assessment questions to engage peers in 360®
Employee Character To address character change 14 self-assessment questions to engage peers in 360®
Motivation To Improve a leadership skill 8 self-assessment questions to engage peers in 360®
Training Enhance training effectiveness 7 question to measure a specific training delivered
Quality Enhance quality 6 question to be specific on a topic or comment
Quality– service Enhance service quality 7 questions to target someone’s specific service skill
Customer-care Enhance quality of customer service 7 question to identify specific customer care objectives
Quality- care Enhance safety- in patient care
8 questions derived from a study done by the Picker
Institute and Harvard Medical schoolto understand the
expected outcome of patient-centered care
Perception of care Proactively ensuring quality
12 questions to measure obstacles preventing execution
of HCACPS measures, enabling improved lead time
and development
Time Improve specific time in a process
16 lean questions to measure the components of time in
process to improve on and affect cost savings
Performance Engage stakeholder’s desired behavior 4 questions for one on one vision match on skill need
Safety Identify threats to reduce risk in safety
9 pulse check questions on safety to better resource
time by focusing on a specific target as opposed to
globally
Benefits Proactively Reduce turnover
14 questions forcollaborating on improving benefits by
empowering team to engage with them
33. 33
Benefit Pulse Identify threats to retention 8 questions to measure satisfaction of benefits
Culture Improve resources by targeting threats
50 questions to self-assess organization and the many
components of culture that can affect a good working
environment
Communication Improve communication
11 pulse check questions to improve resources in the
focus of what communication component needs to
address most in a target
Engagement Improve communication
12 Pulse check questions to identify threats to
engagement by reviewing comment trends to 19
potential variables that may need additional focus
Solution Drive Engage solutions in engagement 3 questions as follow up to engagement survey
Retention Proactively reduce the risk of turnover
10 questions on potentialreasons why someone might
leave an organization improving resources in the focus
of what component is the biggest threat to retention
Analyze cost Reduced cost through collaboration
10 Zero Base budgeting questions to be applied to any
project or component to measure threats to cost
Open Portal Improve targeted challenges
3 questions asked to measure; obstacles and threats,
asking focused questions towards the desired outcome
There really is no limit ofpulse dialogs available to accomplish specific outcomes. Request more @—
info@employeeTalk.us Keyword your focus and outcome. Or— http://assessment.employeetalk.us/
36. 36
CORE MEASURES
What are measures?
Performance measures: Leader performance measures are often criticized because of how subjective
they can be due to the lack of clear expectation not being communicated. The measures align to business
results and are both important and urgent to improve, given the current strategic direction. The strategic
direction of the organization is like the Sun where gravity pulls the relevant measures from all levels of
space of the organization into alignment with the current goals. Core competencies executed to a clear
expected standard are one of these measures and driver of business results.
Industry measures: I identify these as political measures because of unknown quantities. They are
another subset within the universe of measures. As measures to business results go it is like Pluto— not
as important to the (universe of planets) externalstakeholders of the organization. Industry benchmark
measures are measures of business results that are shared across similar organizations. Being measured
against ourselves is much more accurate and can be justified and therefore is urgent for the organization
to produce.
More often than not, industry measures are different from performance measures,because of how they
influence the board and align more to the strategic comparison needs of the administration, and not so
much to the strategic needs of the organization’s stakeholders and culture. So for the organization itself,
they are not important. They are an information product provided for external use only and not something
you should need or want to ever buy.
Sometimes industry benchmark measures can be performance measures,but only when they align directly
with the strategic direction of the organization. Industry measures tend to intersect a lot with other
political measures. So again, they monitor business results that aren’t particularly important to improve,
from the perspective of the organization itself. But there can be an urgency to produce them for the sake
of the external stakeholders, they are important too. When measuring yourself against the industry or
similar organizations it is important to note that there are variables that cannot be confirmed therefore be
the standard. There is strength measuring against one’s self.
37. 37
Business measures in the status quo: Business,as usual are measures of business results that might be
important, but are not urgent to improve, in the context of the current business environment and strategic
direction. In the past, they might have been performance measures and in the future they might become
performance measures,but only if they correlate and are direct evidence of a strategically important
business results or current change. So at any given point in time, business as usual measures would not
overlap with the current performance measures.
Every other measure: The beauty of being proactive in pulse dialog, shooting for the
moon, and continually pulse engaging is that it offset measures that might not be as
important however since we are not reaching but confirming outputs, the performance
inputs can be like a piece of space junk. We know they are out there. When we are
not aware of it or reactionary to it we are not as productive. We are too busy
putting out the fires. This accentuates the importance of communicating
expectations and making the measure more actionable. None of us want to be
surprised by a piece of space junk crashing into our head and derailing our progress.
Measuring process with ET
38. 38
CORE COMPETENCIES— the book focuses on expectation and demonstrates a way to communicate
it. It is important to establish core competencies that align well with your goals and help achieve your
mission. Here is an Example Set:
Drive for Results—takes initiative?
o Takes action and ownership
o Displays a sense of urgency.
o Gets the job done.
o Persists when faced with obstacles.
Leading Diversity— staffing with ethics, and integrity?
o Sees from the perspectives of other people from multiple cultures.
o Treats everyone equally with the same courtesy and respect
o Works comfortably with people of all backgrounds.
o Accurately identifies and predicts situational trends
Communication—it is clear?
o Rounds face to face to reengage recognize and reinforce what’s critical now.
o Verbally presents ideas effectively to all audiences.
o Openly shares information with others.
o Writing is clear, well-organized and to the point.
Influencing— is assertive?
o Gains staff trust quickly
o Uses good body language
o Communicates authentically
o Relates to others in a confident and relaxed manner.
o Successfully persuades and influences others.
39. 39
Adaptive Performance— is innovative?
o Takes intelligent risks to improve performance
o Makes well thought out decisions
o Manages change, conflict, and pressure effectively, staying calm and in control
o Quickly learns new tasks and information
Problem Solving— has good vision?
o Correctly anticipates impact of actions on business outcomes
o Demonstrates a fearlessness in making decisions
o Solutions turn out to be correct when judged over time
o Comfortably handles uncertainty or ambiguity; can act without total picture
Customer/Patient Focus— is aware?
o Actively seeks customer/patients’ feedback on the quality of service provided.
o Uses positive approach to putting others at ease
o Knows his/her customer/patients' needs
Organizing and Executing—good task management?
o Breaks work into logical steps
o Manages time wisely
o Follows up to evaluate how well a job was done.
o Establishes and meets deadlines
What competency challenges you?
Poor performers don't always realize it! The root of all good performance is in the ability to deliver on
well-defined and clear expectation.
40. 40
Delivering bad news to people face to face is often recognized as potential conflict and many managers
hate to engage in this space because of it and don’t.
Maybe it’s a lack of confidence but more likely it’s a lack of skills in communication. Employees do not
always get the feedback they need to correct performance problems. Most people who are terminated or
forced to resign have had satisfactory or high-performance appraisals up to the point they were dismissed.
It's tough to be the bearer of bad news but as a manager, it’s our responsibility to follow through.
Emotions may fume and defensiveness may rage in the engagement but we have to maintain control in
the conversation and stick to the facts.
Do I focus on the problem? — remember it should never be personal? It's cruel and unethical to avoid
delivering fair but directly constructive feedback to someone who is new, struggling or failing. If we
don’t; share, they can't work on their development or problems and make course corrections to their
career. The key to overcoming your reluctance to inform is to focus on the facts which are defined in
well-communicated standards and in the gaps between expected and actualperformance. To gain trust
and respect do not be subjective in your approach. Make sure everyone under you knows what you
expect of them and where they stand. It is important to realize that no one comes to work and says, “I am
going to be a horrible employee today”.
Do I have a plan? When employees are not performing up to standards it's common to see a 90-day
improve-or-term plan based in a probation period. In some organizations no one can actually accomplish
the 90 day improvement plan, mainly because of subjectivity in the deciding measures. As a leader, it is
important to avoid opinions and stick to well-defined facts and measures. When one on one get them to
agree on their opportunity. It is softer when you can go line by line in the facts measured against clear
expectations. Ask yourself, how long did it take me to become proficient at what I am critiquing this
person on? This keeps it real and our patience in check.
Being on the other side? Be strategic when in a review yourself, improve your interpersonal skills,
participate, learn about the business, and be assertive when face to face. Being assertive is not being
arrogant. It is behaving confidently with the ability to say in a clear direct way what you want or believe.
41. 41
Both managers and team hesitate to deliver negative messages sometimes, they can at times procrastinate
to see if people will change or improve on their own. Get to people as soon as they do not meet agreed
upon expectations. Don't wait. Early is the easiest time to do it with the highest return on investment for
you, them and the organization.
Do you build team vision? Give people under you the opportunity for bigger and better things. Task or
delegate assignments that take people outside their comfort zone, unit, or business function. Consider
making task or committee leaders out of complainers who never seem to have solutions to offer for
example. Cross-train people to work with others in their role— help them expand their perspectives and
grow experience. Have them attend meetings that include people from other areas. Present growth
opportunity by opening up the world for them so that they can better judge for themselves what's out there
and what part they want for themselves. This is a great best practice for changing performance,and
building future leaders who have the potential to grow with the organization but may just be stuck.
Are you authentic? Walk the walk and talk the talk. You have to be real— willing to be authentic with
your people and give them accurate but balanced feedback. They need not to only know the positives but
the negatives as soon as they are observed. Keep conversations in public positives and take negatives
behind closed doors, doing anything less than balanced can create a “Fault-Based Culture” which you’ll
want to avoid.
Do you help people develop? Have a learning dialogue with your people by informing. This includes
communicating expectations. Ask them what they have learned after each exercise and training to help
them increase their skills and understanding. We have to be accountable in inspiring people to be better
leaders, managers, and professionals. Developing means; learning in as many ways as possible. Use
InnovateVirtual to assess training effectiveness by getting stakeholder feedback for improvement needs.
Part of developing others is convincing people that new and challenging assignments would be good for
them. In studies of successfulexecutives, most report that a boss in their past basically forced them to
take on a difficult job assignment that they wanted to turn down. That assignment ended up being an
important step in their development. The peculiar thing about long-term development is that even
ambitious people sometimes turn down assignments which they need to have in order to grow.
42. 42
With some people in their particular stage of development, they just don’t have the perspective to
understand. Our job as a leader is to help convince people on their way up to get out of their way,get out
of their comfort zone and accept tasks they don't initially see as usefulor leading anywhere. Challenge
performance; one on one discussions in the review of performance includes the acceptance of ownership
in the vision match of newer and more exciting assignments.
Recommended Reading
1. The Core Competence of the Corporation - Harvard Business
2. Becoming a Manager - Linda A. Hill
3. Core Competency-Based Strategy 1st Edition
By Andrew Campbell, Kathleen Sommers Luchs
Suggested Actions:
1. Course correct whenever possible. Ask the question when rounding how a staff member’s role
supports what is critical, Apply core competency to your response building value and trust.
2. Give feedback to direct reports on what matters for success in their future jobs. This action can
be broadly initiated in IV as a newsletter to keep people focused on what opportunity there is.
3. 360° reviewfeedback— configure IV to supplement reviews with mid years. During one on
ones, a vision match on the skills needing improvement can be agreed on.
4. Ask direct reports what they can do now that they couldn't do a year ago. Pick the best things
they've learned and reinforce and encourage new learning leveraging their old skills.
5. Add knowledge checks—to policy and procedure releases using IV for critical updates. The
tool enables coaching to take place by delegating supervisors into action when questions are
answered wrong. The redundancy to communicate policy and procedure supports quality. The
follow-through creates assurances that people are executing to standard. Remember between
organizations, policy, and the procedure can be the same or closely similar. The biggest
competitive advantage we have is people. The key is how they execute our expectations.
43. 43
Exercise— how to use InnovateVirtual to communicate a follow-up discussion.
Task Reporting System
For the different types of dialog, assign different people to be the administrator or moderator of the
project. They can delegate action from inside InnovateVirtual by responding and delegating actions with
clear communication to feedback received from pulse engagement. This approach can create consistent
communication across the organization and can be a learning experience through coaching.
First step, leader tasks action from comment:
Word search
Task action
Set timeline
Last step, An Advisory group consists of the key team members. Here actions are tasked to be received
via email or text for resolution. At any point in time during a dialog, we create more accountability to
results.
Send, receive email note
Send phone text note
Question
44. 44
Detailed Note
6. Give assignments that progressively stretch. This is a project or task given to employees which
are beyond their current knowledge or skills level in order to “stretch” employee’s development.
The stretch assignment challenges employees by placing them in uncomfortable situations in
order to learn and grow. These are first-time activities for direct reports i.e.
o Managing a volunteer or intern
o Participating in the hiring process
o Executing a new or important company project
o Participating in the company’s strategic planning process
o Turning around a failing project, department or operation
o Organizing and leading an important company event or meeting
o Set up a buddy system so people can get continuing feedback and practice leadership.
o Volunteer high potentials for cross-boundary task forces
o Set up blog focused on what’s critical now for continual feedback with hyperlinks on IV.
o Have them set up a virtual meeting for contribution in IV.
o Be part of or manage a safety task team using IV.
Here is the note with
detail you task the people
into action with.
45. 45
Howsomeone might lead a safety task force using InnovateVirtual.
One great area to get more people involved is in the area of safety. A safety management system can
empower a team to provide experienced feedback anytime on concerns they feel need to be addressed.
Empowering engagement in safety— saves money where being reactionary costs money. Asking dialog
to support risk is critical to ensure that stakeholders understand they are part of the solution and as part of
the solution they own a culture of safety. With collaboration and a proactive approach, risk can be
avoided and the expenses associated with it. We can also improve safety and loss by enhancing training,
developing, and informing employees on what they should know by engaging safety.
As the moderator in the IV platform a leader can be charged in the safety task force or committee. They
would create a dialog with questions that support the expectation for each risk category. The open dialog
would enable staff to focus in and identify opportunity. Action can be delegated into results from the task
management system ensuring accountability. Below are some suggested focuses in the target of safety
that can be augmented to support an organization. If an area is identified as an opportunity then a deeper
dive of dialog specific to that category can be launched. The suggested Categories might be:
Technique: Target- Safety
Focus/s…
Risk Assessment Fire Safety Facilities Management
First Aid Office Safety Security
Equipment Wellbeing Contractors
Example 2 out of 9 safety questions.
46. 46
1. Our expectation is that contractors follow our policies and procedure for contractors to ensure
a safe working environment. [You can identify specifics policy here.] Rate our
organization’s ability to maintain a safe environment when considering contractors.
Share what we do well or could improve.
2. Our expectation is that we follow our policies and procedure for security to ensure a safe
working environment. [You can identify specifics here i.e.active shooter policy.] Rate our
organization’s ability to maintain a safe environment when considering yours and our
security.
Share what we do well or could improve
Other safety question examples
3. Rate our organization in the area of safety when considering your office
4. Rate our organization in the area of safety when considering first aid and access
5. Rate our organization in the area of safety when considering wellbeing
6. Rate our organization in the area of safety when considering equipment
7. Rate our` organization in the area of safety when considering Risk assessment
8. Rate our organization in the area of safety when considering fire safety
9. Rate our organization in the area of safety when considering facilities management
7. Feedback: People need continuous feedback from you and others to grow. Pulse checks through
IV like these are suggested monthly so people can participate to expectations anonymously and
provide honest input to processes. Perhaps it’s a checklist on what is critical now or collaboration
in a solution drive for feedback after a survey. This use of pulse engagement is a form of internal
marketing and keeps us focused on what is critical now. They can enhance your communication
department.
Solution Drive Example; question created as a follow-up to a survey question in blue.
The employees at my hospital work well together. 5.8
You often recognize above and beyond behavior cultivating desired outcomes such as team comradery;
by personally acknowledging efforts individually and openly in a team environment.
If you had the power to change how we work together, what would you change or recommend?
47. 47
21 INITIATIVE USE CASE
Throughout this book, we will target performance in the 21 Initiatives and then focus on an objective
within the initiatives which might make the biggest performance impact in that core competency. These
are example ways you can focus in on what is critical. It is important to edit the questions that best fit the
dialog you want to have with your team. Add any actual expectation to educate inform and measure
success in the questions.
21 Initiative use case— TASK ANALYSIS
Considering the context of the challenge— engaging on a target like this begins by identifying variable
objectives which when correlated together support the desired outcome. We will need to select the
performance objective and run the specific one/s that provides the most impact to the outcome we seek.
With a focus on a specific space, we can understand the variable expectations in the performance
initiative which support or prevent success from taking place. Perhaps it’s a lack of information,
development or broken process but the idea in pulse communication is to discover strengths so we can
exploit them, and identify opportunity and fix them in a proactive manner. When considering Task
Analysis, we want to define the initiative/s which supports the outcome we seek. To reduce ambiguity we
define the initiative and select the best questions.
Next, we refine the focus so respondents know what they should be thinking about when responding.
This cuts down on the subjectivity in response. Lastly, add expectation which aligns to the organization or
strategic objectives.
Suggested Action— select the performance initiatives that could affect your outcome in core
competency.
1. Schedule & Presence
2. Decision Making
3. Employee Turnover
4. Interviewing
5. Job Enrichment
6. Employee Stress
7. Organization
8. Satisfaction
9. Labor Relations
10. Management Style
48. 48
11. Minority and Ethics
12. Personnel Selection
13. Personnel Training
14. Productivity
15. Promotion
16. Task Analysis
17. Work Behavior
18. Environment
19. Work Motivation
20. Work Evaluation
21. Equipment/Machine and software
Design
Example: Selected correlation in red outside our focus
1. Schedule & Presence
2. Decision Making
3. Employee Turnover
4. Interviewing
5. Job Enrichment
6. Employee Stress
7. Organization
8. Satisfaction
9. Labor Relations
10. Management Style
11. Minority and Ethics
12. Personnel Selection
13. Personnel Training
14. Productivity
15. Promotion
16. Task Analysis
17. Work Behavior
18. Environment
19. Work Motivation
20. Work Evaluation
21. Equipment/Machine and software
Design
First select your initiative, TASK ANALYIS
49. 49
Example - 21 Initiative— TASK ANALYSIS
Definition: (defines the initiative clearly)
Best practices are developed by engaged employees engaged in daily work. For the purpose of this
initiative, we can define task analysis as the systematic identification of the fundamental elements of the
job whereby examination and implementation of knowledge and skills required for the job enable positive
performance.
Focus: (for your respondents to reduce subjectivity in response)
Concentrate on Task Analysis and how the current processes, capability, and experience of the team
accomplishes task objectives and fulfills the Mission Statement. Look at the presence of managers,team,
processes,experience and procedures in place to support the results customers, patients and clientele
expect.
Symptom:
From the perspective of the leader, this is the space where communications of tasks are defined. A
symptom could be the tasks failing to be completed. Are leaders or teams unavailable? Are processes not
defined well enough? Are procedures lacking clarity?
o The reason/s or importance of acting now is that communication breakdowns, bottlenecks and
failure to complete work are risks that when experienced can be costly.
o The expectation should be clearly defined. The perspective really identifies which performance
initiative you would select
Exercise:
Think about some of your tasks and how they could be more efficient?
50. 50
TASK ANALYSIS 7 out of 17 example questions to launch and explore the opportunity.
How do you rate direct managers in clarifying the process and priority of tasks,
enabling you to choose those that are more feasible and appropriate in getting
the job done?
1-10 (Turn Off) On
How do you rate the company in defining the sequence in which instruction
should occur to ensure learning during training and ultimately growth with the
company?
1-10 (Turn Off) On
A "procedural analysis" is done by determining whether a particular procedure
is applicable by applying the stepsin order from a flow chart, with decision
steps if required and then confirming that the end result is reasonable.
How do you rate the company in its ability to quickly change direction and
compete using a procedural analysis of current tasks towards that change?
1-10 (Turn Off) On
How do you rate the management's control when related to situation assessment,
decision making, response planning and execution?
1-10 (Turn Off) On
How do you rate the company in its documentation process to ensure the proper
procedure is performed within the systemrather than documenting the system
itself?
1-10 (Turn Off) On
Do you agree that our organization does a good job focusing resources on
critical/functional tasks by articulating what staff can do versus the perception of
what they should do?
Y/N/IDK (Turn Off) On
Are you able to highlight areas where the steps in a particular process are poorly
understood,and inconsistently delivered by staff, where a better process
structure needs to be defined?
Please provide feedback.
Y/N/IDK (Turn Off) On
51. 51
STAFF OWNERSHIP
- Consistently acquires new skills that help drive performance
What competency challenges you?
Assessing skill regularity— the process how? First, implement a good multi-source assessment using a
proven method, technique or tool— consider a 360° questionnaire for development. There is flexibility in
IV to set up a yearly or mid-performance review in this format. The format would include polling at least
10 people who know us well enough to share detailed feedback on what we do well and not well. This
allows for a vision match to skills needing improvement. It allows for skills to be weighted to the priority
for improvement. Using IV in this method of collaboration allows people to share what they'd like to see
us keep doing, start doing and stop doing. We don't want to waste time on developing skills that are not
needed.
Do you balance what is done well? If you're creative rounding and assertive, telling yourself to be less
innovative and ignore your strengths won't work. It's in applying your strengths the primary reason for
why someone is successfulto date. The key is to know where to focus. For example, if you're seen as
lacking in detail or disorganized then refocus. The goal is not to improve to be good at something, but
rather know that it doesn't hurt you. Refer to your organization's competencies to identify areas that you
can work on to balance your overused strengths. Communicating intent in all dialogs by expressing
expectation is the good way you can weigh in on the environment and make differences where needed.
Are you aware of blind spots? Be very carefulof blind spots. Resist thinking you are the best. Rather
have a target model of excellent behavior, and a plan so you don't get yourself into trouble. Collect more
data by tapping into the intelligence of your team. This is where pulse checks in InnovateVirtual can
really provide value. Ask someone you trust to monitor and evaluate you so they can give you feedback
each time. Study three to four people who are good at a specific task or competency and compare what
you do with what they do. Don't rest until you have cleared up a potential blind spot. A best practice is to
use your communication board to post people’s strengths for everyone to see so employees can select a
mentor if needed.
52. 52
Exercise- Using IV as an employee of the month program can assist mentoring because it allows for peer
to peer recognition. Excellence can be resourced when people are posted on the communication board.
Suggested Action— A 360° Methodology
A 360° can revealstrengths and opportunity which can map divide. During a one on one conversation, a
vision match is agreed upon for which skill needs improvement. Consider a skill you would like to
assess.
When you self-assess, divide your skills into categories:
(Red) examples how people can score themselves in InnovateVirtual it results in and average measure:
1. 10. Clear strengths— me at my best.
2. 9. Overdone strengths— I am too good, you are so confident that you are seen as arrogant.
3. 7-8 Hidden strengths— others rate me higher than I rate myself.
4. 5-6 Blind spots— I rate myself higher than others rate me.
5. 3-4 Weaknesses - I don't do it well.
6. 2. Untested areas - I've never been specifically involved in a particular task or strategy.
7. 1. Don't know - I need more information and feedback— a skill within a skill.
Example: Self-assessment Tool
An InnovateVirtual self-assessment is a 1-10 Checklist online. There is a score for the organization and
something to easily compare over time. The assessment type highlights which scoring outline to consider.
Leadership Competency Assessment Tool
Person Assessed:
Date
Assessor:
Performance
Leadership
Collaborative
Leadership
People
Leadership
53. 53
Another Rating Scale Example
1-2 3-4 5-6 7-8 9-10
Strongly
Disagree
Disagree
Neither Agree
nor Disagree
Agree
Strongly
Agree
For each competency defined below, indicate to what extent you agree or disagree that the statement
accurately describes you.
Leadership Competencies
STRATEGIC LEADERSHIP
Average
Score:
1.8
STRATEGIC THINKING
Maintains a long-term, big-picture view of the business. Establishes the vision and purpose
of the organization. Shapes, develops, and aligns the strategies of the organization so that
they address emerging trends, competitive threats,and changing market needs. Ensures that
strategies provide value to the consumer and create a sustainable competitive advantage in
the marketplace.
2
GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE
Keeps abreast of important trends, both locally and globally that impact the business or
organization. Understands the position of the organization within a global context and
adapts and helps others to adopt a global approach. Identifies the unique business and
cultural challenges and/or constraints involved when conducting business globally.
2
INNOVATION
Generates and champions new ideas, approaches,and initiatives, and creates an
environment that nurtures and supports meaningful innovation. Leverages knowledge and
best practices, fresh perspectives, breakthrough ideas, and continuous improvement to
advance science and create value in the market. Encourages new ways of looking at
problems, processes,and solutions.
1
FINANCIAL ACUMEN
54. 54
Understands the meaning and implications of key financial and quantitative indicators to
evaluate and act on strategic options and opportunities. Manages overall financial
performance and integrates quantitative and qualitative information to draw accurate
conclusions and make sound decisions.
2
PERFORMANCE LEADERSHIP
Average
Score:
1.0
CUSTOMER FOCUS
Designs and delivers strategies that place customers at the center of business decisions.
Consistently identifies current and future customer needs and ensures the effective delivery
of high quality and value-added solutions, products, and services that meet or exceed
customer expectations.
1
ANALYSIS
Thoroughly analyzes problems and opportunities and their impact on the business. Takes
into account all fact based and stakeholder information in order to make judgment rich
decisions. Probes symptoms to determine the underlying causes of problems and then
integrates information from a variety of sources to arrive at optimal solutions.
1
PLANNING
Creates a comprehensive and realistic operating plan with prioritized initiatives that align
with the strategic plan and focus on building efficiency, growth, and profitability. Cascades
plans through the organization with clearly defined deliverables, milestones,
accountabilities, and measures of success. Develops workforce plan that optimizes
resources to achieve goals.
1
EXECUTION
Drives results by acting with speed and agility and by assigning clear authority and
accountability, integrating and aligning efforts across units and functions, and monitoring
progress against objectives. Conveys a strong sense of urgency around continuous
improvement, achieving high quality and compliant results, and accelerating business
performance. Addresses problems directly and drives changes necessary to achieve
business objectives.
1
PEOPLE LEADERSHIP Average 1.0
55. 55
RELATIONSHIP BUILDING
Establishes and maintains strong relationships internally and externally. Relates well to
management, colleagues, peers,and direct reports. Champions a caring culture of respect,
diversity, and inclusion that values the unique talents, ideas and experiences of all
employees. Earns the respect of others through effective interpersonal skills, integrity,
compassion, and authenticity.
1
PEOPLE DEVELOPMENT
Creates comprehensive and robust talent management plans, talent pools, and bench strength
within the organization. Ensures that employees receive ongoing feedback,mentoring,
training, and development opportunities. Holds self and others accountable for making
continuous progress against their development objectives.
1
COMMUNICATION
Creates an environment which promotes the free flow of communication and information
throughout the organization. Communicates effectively in large and small groups. Openly
shares knowledge and expertise. Listens actively and encourages the open expression of
ideas and opinions.
1
ENGAGEMENT
Nurtures commitment to the vision, mission, objectives and values of the organization.
Creates a sense of energy,excitement, and personal commitment to the organization by
empowering others, rewarding and celebrating superior performance,and creating an
inclusive culture.
1
COLLABORATIVE LEADERSHIP
Average
Score:
1.3
ADAPTABILITY
Responds resourcefully, flexible, and positively when faced with new challenges,
transitions, and demands. Willingly and effectively deals with the stress and complexities
of various situations. Moves forward productively and optimistically under conditions of
change and uncertainty.
2
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INFLUENCE
Influences and motivates others over whom they have no direct control or authority. Wins
support and acceptance for proposed changes and ideas through carefulconsideration of
stakeholders’ needs and interests, through strategic relationships, and persuasive
communications.
COLLABORATION
Models and promotes collaboration and works effectively with others across the
organization to achieve goals and global opportunities. Demonstrates proficient cross-
company communication, cultural sensitivity, and partnership in interactions with others.
Involves others in decisions and plans and credits them for their contributions and
accomplishments.
1
COURAGE
Leads courageously by confronting problems directly, taking action and being decisive.
Takes principled, personal, and organizational risks to do what is right to achieve
organizational success and supports others who do so.
1
STRENGTHS TO ACCELERATE
When assessing with InnovateVirtual there is a comment box associated with each skill
being asked. Having a place for feedback is the only way people can take real action to
each question asked. This is especially true when multiple people are responding in a 360°
AREAS TO DEVELOP
Overall Average Competency Score 1.25
Taking ownership for skills? When you include others in your assessment you want to define the skill
task and focus stakeholders on what to consider when responding in IV. This will identify the
measurement in the skill within that task on a scale. As exampled above, the scales can be worded
differently and used for respondents to comment on how they might categorize or define someone’s skill.
It is important for each question to align to expectation. Each question becomes an objective to the
desired outcome of that task.
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It is important for each question to align to expectation. Each question becomes an objective to the
desired outcome of that task.
Do you demonstrate to others that you take your development seriously by taking ownership? State
your developmental needs and ask for their help. Vulnerability not only makes you likable but
approachable. Research shows that people are much more likely to help and give the benefit of the doubt
to those who admit their shortcomings and try to do something about them. They know it takes courage.
Do you test your strengths? To develop and maintain clear strengths you will need in the future, test
them in new task assignments. For example, if you're good at conflict resolution— use this strength in a
cross-functional problem-solving group while you learn about other functions. Your expertise and
experience empowers you to ask the key questions in a solution drive capturing contribution from others
using InnovateVirtual. Coach others in your strengths from the “Task Reporting System” in the platform.
Do you test the untested? Get involved and explore your untested areas in small areas at first— write a
strategic plan for your unit for example, then show it to people; negotiate the purchase of equipment. Get
others involved in the decision by rallying opinion in cost saving options in the purchase using IV.
Suggested Action:
After each task write down what you did well and what you didn't. Then try a second bigger task and
again write down the positives and negatives of your performance (wins and losses). At this point, you
may want to read a book or explore a course in the challenge area. Keep increasing the size and stakes of
tasks until you have the skill at the level you need it to be.
Do you test weaknesses? They are best handled with a development plan which involves a 100% effort
from three sources:
1. Stretching tasks in which you develop the skill or fail at the task whereby you do it again.
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65% effect from development.
2. Continual feedback to help you understand how you're doing. Yearly Reviews or 360° Reviews.
25% effect from learning constructively.
3. Building frameworks to understand through courses, seminars and brown baggers
10%) affecting ways to cement all learning so you can repeat them.
Do you engage what's important? Find out what's important for your current job and the two or three
next jobs you might have an opportunity to be promoted into. See if there are position descriptions for
those jobs you may be considering. Compare the top requirements with your appraisal. If there are no
position descriptions, ask the Human Resources Department for help or ask one or two people who now
have those jobs what skills they use most in their role, what functions they need and use to be successful.
You can also compensate for your weaknesses rather than build the skill. We are not great at everything.
Smart people have smart people around them to support their weaknesses. A good team leans on each
other for that support. If you have failed repeatedly at sales, detailed work or public speaking, for
example, find others who do this well and observe and evaluate them. Sometimes you can find indirect
ways to compensate.
Suggested action:
360° Peer ReviewMethod can be applied at any time within the year and supports skills within the skill.
It can be used with leaders or future leaders. A 360° review includes peer opinion as opposed to just the
direct report leader’s insight. Peer to peer influence can be great in motivating personal change. This
process enables employees to listen to peers and take ownership to their own individual development
plans. The tool results enable leaders who may already be aware of their report’s challenges to push back
with recommendations to improve skills along with time lines. These timelines are easily tasked and
scheduled right from the reports inside the InnovateVirtual platform. The process can be used to improve
company training and planning or grooming employees into future leaders.
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Suggested Readings:
1. Lombardo, M. M., & Eichinger, R. W. (2011). The Leadership Machine: Architecture to Develop
Leaders for Any Future (10th-anniversary edition). Minneapolis, MN: Lominger International.
2. Drucker,Peter F. The Effective Executive. New York: Harper & Row, 1996.
3. Bell, Arthur H.,Ph.D., and DayleM.Smith, Ph.D. Motivating Yourself for Achievement. Upper
Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 2002.
4. Lombardo, M. M., & Eichinger, R. W. (1998). FYI: For Your Improvement: A Development and
Coaching Guide (2nd ed.). Minneapolis, MN: Lominger Limited, Inc.
5. Handy, Charles B. 21 Ideas for Managers:practical wisdom for managing your company and
yourself. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass,2000.
6. Holton, Bill, and Cher. The Manager's Short Course. Thirty-three tactics to upgrade your career.
New York: John Wiley & Sons, 1992.
7. Lombardo, M. M., & Eichinger, R. W. (2009). FYI: For Your Improvement: A Guide for
Development and Coaching (5th ed.). Minneapolis, MN: Lominger International.
8. Lombardo, Michael M., and Robert W. Eichinger. The Leadership Machine. Minneapolis, MN:
Lominger Limited, Inc., 2001.
9. Maps, James J. Quantum Leap Thinking. Los Angeles: Dove Books, 1996.
10. Olesen, Erik. 12 Steps to Mastering the Winds of Change. New York: Macmillan, 1993.
11. Pirsig, Robert M. Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. New York: Bantam Books, 1984.
12. Stephens, Deborah C. (Ed) and Abraham Harold Maslow. The Maslow Business Reader. New
York: John Wiley & Sons, 2000.
13. Stone, Florence M., and Randi T. Sachs. The High-Value Manager - Developing the core
competencies your organization needs. New York: AMACOM,1995.
Suggested actions:
1. Exercise your strengths by applying them to new areas,on new teams or to serve new functions
2. Choose a targeted skill where you can already do 50-75% of it quite well, then balance
development with motivation.
3. Develop strengths specifically to compensate for a need that is difficult to address directly.
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4. Pick a need that is important to your current role or career path,where you can make progress
on it, and where there is a clear opportunity to improve.
5. Share your IDP and ask for help from other staff who see you in situations where you are
looking to improve.
6. Study three people who are good at something and compare what you do with what they do
7. Study position descriptions and competency models to find out what's important in your current
role and the two or three next jobs you might have an opportunity to be promoted into.
21 Initiative use case— PERSONNEL TRAINING
Considering the context of the challenge— engaging on a target like this begins by identifying variable
objectives which when correlated together support the desired outcome. We will need to select the
performance objective and run the specific one/s that provides the most impact to the outcome we seek.
With a focus on a specific space, we can understand the variable expectations in the performance
initiative which support or prevent success from taking place. Perhaps it’s a lack of information,
development or broken process but the idea in pulse communication is to discover our strengths so we can
exploit them and identify opportunity and fix them in a proactive manner.
When considering PersonnelTraining, we want to define the initiative/s which supports the outcome we
seek. To reduce ambiguity we define the initiative and select the best questions. Next, we refine the
focus so respondents know what they should be thinking about when responding. This cuts down on the
subjectivity in response. Lastly, add expectation to the questions which align to the organization or
strategic objectives.
Exercise
Ask yourself what you could do better?