From 'Halo' to 'Hollow'

Not long ago, I enjoyed a lengthy conversation with a highly successful business leader.  The topic of authentic leadership came up and we discussed “the gap”; the difference between what the leader says matters most (often evidenced by the organization’s values) and what they actually do (their behavior, especially but not exclusively in times of high stress).  It seems even the most exalted, respected leaders can take a significant tumble with a single breach of trust.   He offered this comment “It doesn’t take long to go from “halo” to “hollow”.

Well thought out, articulated statements of mission, vision and values have become foundational elements in building a strategic plan.  A common challenge is building meaning into each of these so that they are top of mind for all stakeholders.  In the case of values, these are best captured by identifying specific organizational behaviors which support them and those that do not.

This brings up the challenge of behaviors inside organizations.  How are they monitored?  Are behavioral expectations expressed in writing and reviewed in advance with each team member?  Are these evaluated and if so how, when and by whom?  Are there non-negotiable standards which, when violated, result in stern consequences?

It is common for organizations to have job descriptions for most if not all staff positions.  These read as a list of duties of the respective job title.  Often, the last line in these documents says “…and other duties as assigned”.  This is an attempt to acknowledge that no job description can be fully complete.  But what about a document that, in a similar way, details expected behaviors?  Since employees are more often fired for their behavior rather than for job specific performance, adding this would seem to make sense.  There’s a better way.

The Dynamic Performance Appraisal System offers a three-part plan for each team member.  A list of prioritized job responsibilities, and goals are created, customized to each employee.  The third section lists the organization’s stated values and offers specific behaviors which support and those that violate these.  These three segments come together to form a customized, complete, and easy to understand performance plan.  Quarterly review meetings help the manager, and the team member keep track and, modify or adjust items in the first two categories as needed.

To download your complimentary copy of Alexander Joseph & Associates’ Dynamic Performance Appraisal System, including instructions and worksheets, go to ajstrategy.com/dpa_workbook.

For more information on getting your strategy and planning aligned, contact me at joe@ajstrategy.com.

The preceding content was provided by a contributor unaffiliated with Printing Impressions. The views expressed within may not directly reflect the thoughts or opinions of the staff of Printing Impressions.