Time: < 30 Minutes
STEP 1: Review the Employee Performance Requirements Guide and schedule a time with your employees or family to conduct a Performance Dialogue.
STEP 2: With your employee or family, discuss the three critical components of performance.
STEP 3: Outline the key skills and capabilities the person KNOWs how to do and CAN do.
STEP 4: Now turn your attention to what the person WANTs to do. Use the following questions to create a rich, robust dialogue around what they WANT to do.
- What work creates personal energy for you?
- Where to you consistently deliver high performing results?
- What work do you love to do?
- What work do you want to do more of in the next 6 months? Less of?
NOTE: You will want to spend the majority of your time focused on what the employee or family member “WANTs” as a way to impact performance.
STEP 5: Outline the actions you and the other person must take to increase the “WANT” to do component of performance to ensure they are able to deliver high performing results in the future.
Use Solution Template: Performance Dialogue
Performance Dialogue
A) KNOW What to Do (Understand)
Knowledge makes a big difference in employee performance...
- Employees must understand the correct steps, standard operating procedures, or best practices to successfully perform all of the critical tasks within their assigned duties. Knowledge of “how to do” something or the best methods to produce a desired result makes sure everyone can perform the work in a safe manner using an efficient method.
- Employees must also be knowledgeable of the different operating conditions which may be encountered and what to do if certain problems occur. Most work environments have a lot going on, so being up-to-speed with what to do if “X” happens, definitely helps people perform successfully.
- This last part of “knowledge” may be the most important. Employees need to be clear on the “WHY” behind the “WHAT” to perform at their best. The WHY provides context and helps everyone understand the big picture. It shares why performing some specific work is important to customers or the organization, or someone downstream from the performer.
Knowledge makes a difference (period). High levels of performance require in-depth knowledge for every person in every role.
B) CAN Do (Capable)
Being able to successfully perform the correct procedures or building the necessary competence to operate a piece of machinery takes skill... the ability to demonstrate what needs to be done for successful performance. Skill does not rest within a person’s head... it comes out in their actions and decisions. They do stuff.
- Employees take their knowledge and put it into motion by performing tasks, completing complex activities, problem solving issues, making decisions, and developing new pragmatic solutions.
- “CAN Do” shows the competence created by following the correct procedures, practicing the skill, or the depth and breadth of a person’s experience. The more they can do, the more they can add value or contribute to the team or organization.
C) WANT to Do (Engagement)
Knowledge and Skill set the stage for performance. Knowledge helps an employee know what to do, when to perform, and what types of changes may be encountered within their role. Skill or the “CAN DO” ability equips the performer to take action where necessary to deliver the right results.
Now the third requirement needed for performance... “WANT To Do”. Does the person want to deliver the right results in the right way? Does the person want to deliver high levels of performance or mediocrity? Does the person want to do all parts of the job, select where they put their energy and leave the rest for someone else? Does the person have the desire to perform at their best, or will they leave a lot of their real performance bottled up inside?
- WANT to Do makes the difference between compliance and commitment
- WANT to Do makes the difference between serving customers and providing exceptional customer service
- WANT to DO makes the difference in doing the minimum vs. going above and beyond.
