1. Team Performance, Project Performance

2. Objectives for this session:
Learn how to use the Four Conversations for Team and Project Performance
See ways to:
Use Understanding dialogues to create Game Plans, Relations, and Roles to boost your team’s performance
Use Performance and Closure conversations to play and win

3. The Four Conversations
CLOSURE / COMPLETION
Complete the past
Acknowledge facts: What, When, Why
Appreciate people: Who, Where, How
Apologize for mistakes
Amend broken agreements
INITIATIVE / INTENTION / CONTEXT
Propose a future:
What do you want
When do you want it
Why does it matter
PERFORMANCE / AGREEMENT
Requests + Promises = Agreement
What will you do
When will you do it
Why is it important
Who is involved
Where are resources and results
How will you do it
UNDERSTANDING / DIALOGUE
Align on a future: Relationship / Creative problem solving
How will it get done

4. How Projects Happen

5. The Romance of the Team A group engaged in reaching a common objective
Shared spirit
Shared energy
Shared goals
A promise to assist one another

6. A Poll of 23,000 Employees from Steven Covey’s book, “The 8th Habit”
63% do not understand what their organization is trying to achieve and why
80% do not have a clear “line of sight” between their tasks and their team’s and organization’s goals

7. Oh Yeah. Team. Big Whoop.
80% are not enthusiastic about their team’s and their organization’s goals

8. Let’s Blame the People
The Tiresome: Unpredictable about keeping promises or commitments, they don’t treat deadlines seriously
The Bummer: Persistent and negative attitude and/or distracting interactions in the workplace
The Clueless: No planning, they don’t ask for resources and don’t manage resources when they arrive

9. Let’s Blame the Management
The No-Manager Manager:
Doesn’t set goals or track progress
Doesn’t give guidance - thinks people should “know their jobs”
Has long sloppy meetings or none at all
Doesn’t do performance reviews, they’re a waste of time

10. Let’s Blame the System “Unrealistic” demands
Metrics that don’t mean anything
Budgets that are never enough
Timelines that are unreal

11. Initiative Conversations
Really, What’s Missing?
A GOAL - What we want to accomplish
A SCHEDULE – When: A calendar and clock for timelines and due dates
The VALUE - Why it is worth doing
In other words,
A GAME.
Initiative Conversations
announce a game.

12. Initiative: Announce the Game
The Initiative:
What we want.
When we want it.
Why it matters.
Talk it up,
everywhere and often.

13. Understanding Conversations: Define the Game
WHO – Relations: The people and groups vital to your success = Hierarchy vs. Performance
WHERE – Deliverables: Senders, Receivers = your Performance Network
HOW– The Work: Tasks and stages, rules and roles = the agreements for working together
Understanding conversations help each participant learn how to play and how to win.

14. Understanding WHO: The Hierarchy
Boxes = People doing tasks & processes, using resources, and producing results
Lines = Authority Relationships

15. Understanding WHO: A Performance Network
Boxes = Same as hierarchy: People doing tasks & processes, using resources, and producing results
Lines = Arrows = Deliverables & Work Products
Products
Services
Communications

16. Understanding WHO: Your Performance Circle
The people and groups vital to your success
Draw your Performance Circle

17. Bring Performance Circle to Life
Confirm all Players: Users, Partners, Authorities, Suppliers, Support
Specify all Deliverables between all key Players
Align on Measures for Deliverables

18. A. Confirm ALL Players
Identify all the BOXES in your map: Individuals and Groups using resources, doing work, producing results
Confirm the participation of each User, Partner, Authority, Supplier, and Support person or group
Learn something about their functions and skill sets, and their success measures, allies, and resources

19. B. Specify all Deliverables
What results will be delivered at the end of your project?
What work products and sub- deliverables will be required?
From you to other Players
From all Players to you
Between other Players, related to your success
For each Deliverable:
Who is the Sender?
Who is the Receiver?

20. C. Align on Measures Performance means measures.
You need a scoreboard – or nobody will play.
Choosing measures is a complex discussion.

21. Variety of Measures: One Hospital’s “Performance”
Financial performance – bottom line
Clinical performance – health statistics
Operational performance – departments & functions
Patient satisfaction
Physician satisfaction
Staff satisfaction
Accreditation
Information Systems performance - reporting
Community performance – public evaluation

22. Types of Performance Measures

23. Efficiency Measures The number of hours people are working
The number of items they process
The amount of time to complete a process
The backlog of work remaining to be done

24. Types of Performance Measures

25. Productivity Measures
Output Quantity:
# Products / day, week
# Services / day, week
# Communications sent
Output Quality:
% Outputs that meet standards
Error rate, # Defects
# Items needing Rework

26. Types of Performance Measures

27. Effectiveness Measures
Customer Satisfaction
Did they like it?
Did they complain about it?
Customer Impact
Did it work for them?
Did they improve their performance measures?

28. Understanding Conversations Define the Game
WHO – Relations: The people and groups vital to your success = your Performance Circle
WHERE – Deliverables: Senders, Receivers = your Performance Network
HOW– The Work: Tasks and stages, rules and roles = the agreements for working together

29. Understanding WHERE: Performance Network
Establish Agreements:
Where will resources come from?
Where will results go to?
ARROWS =
DELIVERABLES

30. Tips on “The Arrows”
The agreements and deliverables are on the Arrows:
Products, Services, and Communications + Conversations
Most managers pay attention to what’s INSIDE the boxes: People, Tasks, and Activities.
Team and project performance requires the deliverable must be “senior to” the boxes.
Watch the agreements.

31. WHERE: Establish Agreements for Success
Performance Conversations
Make requests, promises, and agreements with each Player to convert “expectations” and “tasks” into measurable agreements for Deliverables
Confirm deliverable requirements: quantity, quality, timing, requirements for success
Confirm resource requirements for all deliverables and agreements

32. 1. Deliverable Agreement

33. 2. Additional Delivery Agreement

34. 3. Approval Agreement

35. 4. Supplier Agreement

36. 5. Order Management Agreement

37. 6. Monitoring Agreement

38. Agreements: Opportunity for Integrity
Agreements are not authority relationships
Sender & Receiver work together to spell out the deliverable’s details
Identify potential breakdowns in successful delivery
Repair broken agreements
Follow up even when you think you shouldn’t have to
BUILD INTEGRITY

39. Understanding Conversations Create the Game
WHO – Relations: The people and groups vital to your success = your Performance Circle
WHERE – Deliverables: Senders, Receivers = your Performance Network
HOW– Design and manage the agreements for working together: Practices, Tasks, and Roles

40. HOW: Performance Practices, 1
For this team, we agree to:
Have meetings with agendas
Use a scoreboard that includes all accountabilities
Keep a visible display of measurable results
Track activities, outputs, and impacts as appropriate
Have Closure conversations on all agreements

41. Performance Practices, 2
TIP – Further, we agree to:
Use one Master Calendar to schedule deliverable dates and assignments
Assign an individual to be accountable for each deliverable
Have individuals schedule work on their personal calendar to support success on the Master Calendar
We will schedule the work periods, not just the deadlines
Make clear requests and clear promises
Say “No” when we’re going to “Do No”

42. Performance Practices, 3
Sample Standard Meeting Agenda
Initiative – Remind us of the Game we’re playing: What, When, Why
Closure – Scoreboard: status of deliverables and agreements. Feedback: What’s working, what’s not, what’s needed. Update Agreements.
Understanding – Dialogue re: results, roles, and responsibilities
Performance – New requests, promises, agreements
Closure – Acknowledge accomplishment, Appreciate the people

43. HOW: Tasks, Steps, & Stages, 1
Brainstorm everything that needs to be done to accomplish the goal:
Tasks and activities
Project status tracking
Team communication
External communication
Align on steps and stages of activity, results, and deliverables

44. Tasks, Steps, and Stages, 2 Define all work products and deliverables:
Services
Communications
Identify resources of all kinds
Use a timeline for steps and post it on the Master Calendar

45. HOW: Roles - Who Does What?
THREE KEY ROLES
People who will be accountable for deliverables
People who will manage the arrows between Team and Users, Suppliers, etc.
People who will manage and support Team coordination, including agreements, results, and scoreboards

46. Roles: Assignments
Discuss and select the assignment of individuals and groups to roles and responsibilities.
Establish agreements on what each role will produce – work products, services, and communications

47. Roles: Establish the Value Connection
Each position has a clear view of what success looks like
They know what to do and what to produce
They know how to win
Each position contributes to the goal on the scoreboard

48. HOW: Manage the Arrows…
… more than the boxes.
Manage agreements: promises, schedules, due dates
Maintain performance and closure communication.
Ongoing: refine agreements for deliverables.

49. You Can Draw – and Manage – Your Performance Network

50. Understanding Conversations Define the Game
WHO – Performance Relations
Confirm all Players
Specify all Deliverables
Align on Measures
WHERE – Resources, Results, Deliverables
Performance Map: Establish Agreements for Success
HOW – Design & Manage Agreements for Working Together
Performance Practices: Agreements within the “team”
Tasks, Steps, and Stages: Work, Work Products, Timeline
Roles, Assignments, and the Value Connection
Manage the Arrows in Your Performance Network

51. Performance and Closure Conversations
Play the Game
Team performance happens with good requests, good promises, and clear agreements
For all Players on the team
With all Players in the Performance network
Keep track of what deliverables you – and they – owe, and when
Focus on deliverables: the Receiver is the judge
The Game =
Performance and Closure Conversations

52. Team Momentum
Performance accelerates with high use of closure conversations
Acknowledge facts
Appreciate people
Apologize for mistakes
Amend broken agreements
Keep momentum high and maintain good relationships

53. Dealing with problems, slowdowns, and breakdowns
Get specific
What happened? What specific action was taken – or not taken – that produced the unexpected results?
When – is there a problem of timing or scheduling?
Why – does this situation affect other things, people, projects?
Who else is involved, either in creating the situation or being affected by it?
Where is attention needed?
How can the situation be remedied? Create scenarios, decisions, options.

54. Dealing with problems, slowdowns, and breakdowns
Get into communication with people who can:
Help clarify the situation and possible remedies
Help get things back on track or back on schedule
Work with others to identify their consequences (from the situation) and contributions (to the remedy)
Marshal the necessary resources and coordinate actions and communications
Help make decisions on scenarios, decisions, and options
Use all Four Conversations.
With lots of Closure ones.

55. Build Team Accountability & Integrity
Treat the measures as if they’re important
Talk straight. Be a grownup, hold others to account, follow up.
Use your Team meetings to reinforce accountability and integrity – don’t step over anything.

56. Tips for Using the Four Conversations in Teams
Improve their performance: “Interrogate” excuses (Closure)
Complete the past with difficult people: Acknowledge them (Closure)
Pull teams together: Remind people of the goal (Initiative), Clarify roles and responsibilities (Understanding)
Turn complaints into action (Performance) or quash them (Closure)
Deal with breakdowns: Don’t allow bummer-buildup (Closure)