1. Raising Performance through People Spring 2012 John Bull Management Futures in Partnership with OD & HR Shared Service

2. Outcomes for the session To give you a clear insight into the defining characteristics of high performance cultures, and the leadership behind them Challenge and help you think about what you can do to improve the level of engagement and performance culture in your own team –Collectively, and with each individual through the upcoming reviews Explore and practice 3 key skills –Powerful coaching questions – helping people to reflect on and take responsibility for their own performance and development, and drawing out their ideas on how we can maximise our performance going forward –Goal setting –Feedback, including around their grade

3. “The environment we create as leaders/managers profoundly affects how people behave and perform” A choice of leadership approaches and the impact of each on motivation, creativity & performance 1.Laissez Faire A pleasant leadership style but one which gives little direction –No clear leadership on vision, strategy or standards –Leaves people/structures largely to themselves –Avoids conflict or confrontation 2.Authoritarian A stern I-know-best style where people are told what to do, little involvement… –Goals, standards and direction on ‘how to’ handed down from leadership –Little input into the strategy –Focus is on supervising/managing implementation 3.Achievement Led Ensures clear direction, high standards, involves people and builds responsibility –Leadership engages everyone in a common aspiration –Creates a performance culture of ambitious goals, standards & feedback to drive learning –Performance achieved through responsibility and accountability at all levels

4. A fundamentally different approach to leadership Thinking about our own style and how we need to develop it Laissez Faire Laissez Faire Authoritarian Authoritarian Achievement led Achievement led

5. 6 ingredients which will transform a performance culture 1. Engage people around a clear purpose/vision & set of ambitions Translated into 3-5 key measures we are trying to make a difference to Note: Engagement is also about a connection between the organisation and an individual – they need to feel valued and that they are treated fairly 2. Clarity of focus Performance insight; Identify the key leavers that will enable you to transform performance i.e. what we should focus our energies on to maximise performance Ensure each individual understands how they can contribute to this 3. High standards – require people to be excellent Challenge (and inspire) people to try and become the very best they can be, recognising and building on strengths, as well as getting them to address any weaknesses Set the highest possible standards in key areas of performance; creating a culture of innovation and continuous improvement in always striving to be better 4. Autonomy around clear outcomes – liberate the talents of your people Give responsibility and autonomy Invite their contribution and welcome challenge Using coaching skills to draw out and develop their thinking, and develop responsibility 5. Accountability and feedback Constantly review performance against outcomes & measures - to maintain focus, drive learning and build momentum 6. Make teamwork a defining strength Get clear on where teamwork can add real value to performance, and hold people collectively accountable … Performance reviews provide a brilliant opportunity to work on all of these 5

6. Key leadership qualities and skills High standards, ambition and drive Ability to engage people behind the goals –Gives clear direction –Ignite ambition in others and build confidence Performance insight –Ability to distil into a clear and simple strategy what success depends on Coaching mindset –Believes in people’s potential and sees role as leader to unlock that potential –Delegates responsibility Exceptional coaching skills –For drawing out and developing people's ideas and talents Facilitating reviews –skilled and disciplined approach to facilitating reviews to drive momentum and learning Feedback skills –Gives frequent recognition/positive feedback –An ability to challenge people and give difficult feedback in a way that inspires rather than invokes defensiveness. Willing and effective in challenging poor performance. Getting people to work together –able to pull people together around common goals, and create an environment where collaboration is a defining strength A never ending commitment to keep developing their own leadership skills –self aware of their effectiveness and impact, open to feedback, aspire to be exceptional

7. The purpose of performance reviews… 1.To facilitate and draw out learning from the previous 12 months –Around what has worked, what hasn’t, blocks or issues we need to address etc. –Around the most useful focus for their future development as an individual –Around your effectiveness as a line manager – what’s working, & how you can improve 2.To recognise/acknowledge individual efforts, contributions, areas of improvement 3.To help people accurately assess how we’re performing as a team, and how they’re performing as an individual themselves –Confronting performance issues in an honest, straight forward but positive way –Confident discontent is the ideal attitude at the heart of performance cultures 4.To (re)energise people about the work we do and the year ahead –(Re)connecting to the purpose of our work (giving meaning to what we do) –Engaging and energising them behind the teams goals and challenges - creating ‘positive performance pressure’ –Making sure they feel a valued part of the effort 5.To ensure clarity of focus going forward –Focusing individuals on where they can best contribute to the teams goals and priorities; including drawing out their own thoughts on this –Providing a clear basis for future reviews, to help them (and you) assess their performance –Striking an optimal balance between the level of challenge (in their goals, responsibilities) and their capability & confidence – using coaching to build confidence by thinking through any challenges

8. The flow of an effective performance review 1.Upfront rapport & getting people in the right frame of mind for a great conversation  checking in with people and acknowledging their feelings  Setting out the purpose and different parts of the discussion 2. Review of the last 12 months:  Recapping on outcomes – team and individual  Drawing out their reflections [powerful review questions]  Giving your feedback [positive and challenging]  Seeking feedback on your management and leadership 3. Looking forward to the next 12 months – performance outcomes (outputs)  Setting out/recapping on the teams outcomes and measures, and how we’re performing  Two way discussion around how they can best contribute to these  Agreeing responsibilities and goals (focusing on outcomes not activities)  Discussion around what they plan to focus on to maximise their impact on these outcomes (strategy)  Agreeing milestones for next 3 months, and how we will review 4. Development goals (inputs)  Highlighting new areas of knowledge or skill we all need to excel at  Getting from them what they want to challenge themselves to develop  Your challenge around current or potential strengths you think they can excel at  Weaknesses/blind spots they need to address  Agreeing milestones for next 3 months

9. Best practice principles for performance reviews 1. Focus should be on a constructive dialogue, not on the process/system (but a good system will help focus this discussion) 2. Discussion should be a two-way dialogue, not top down assessment 3. The meeting should balance past review with future planning 4. Future focus should address a. Performance outcomes b. Strategy – i.e. clarity around what they will focus on to achieve these c. Development objectives, to improve their effectiveness and capability 5. The annual review session is only part of a wider process of ongoing high challenge, high support coaching conversations to focus and maximise performance

10. The performance management cycle

11. Four key components of effective performance conversations A clear outcome Putting forward Your view Seeking to understand their view Coaching

12. 3 key areas of skill… 1.Powerful coaching questions 2.Goal setting 3.Feedback, positive and negative –& including feedback on their ‘performance grade’ as a key part of differentiating performance

13. Introduction to coaching - Questions around an issue What would be an ideal outcome? What could you do to move this forward? – Draw out as many options as possible What, if anything, is stopping you? – How can you address this? What relatively simple action could you take to move this forward?

14. The key skills of coaching approach Building trust and rapport –Creating an environment where people feel comfortable opening up and exploring challenging questions Powerful questions –Questions which open up new insights, lines of thinking or a commitment to action [Deep] Listening

15. What makes a powerful coaching question? Good: Open Short and clear Start with ‘What...’ or ‘How...’ Takes their thinking to a new and useful place Avoid: Leading - advice in disguise Multiple questions Questions that only require the coachee to state what they are already aware of (information gathering)

16. Criteria of an effective goal Focus on positive outcomes (what we want), not activity (the how) Specific and measurable Creates positive performance pressure – optimal balance between challenge and capability Underpinned by clear thinking on how they can influence it (i.e. their plan of action)

17. BIFF structure for effective feedback 1. Behaviour What it is you want to raise the persons awareness of &/or get them to change 2. Impact Describe the impact it has on you & others 3. Feelings How you feel about it – defuses your own emotional response and demonstrates importance 4. Future What you want them to do differentl y

18. Principles underpinning effective performance differentiation The ultimate (long term) goal for every individual should be to achieve a ‘4’ –But honest feedback is critical in giving each individual accurate feedback on where they are against a standard of excellence –It is essential to the performance culture of the team as a whole [A big range in performance, unchallenged, undermines a positive performance culture] Preparation is critical – review goals and gather evidence Get clear on the story behind the grade you want to focus them on E.g. Their potential to perform at a much higher level; or the improvement this grade represents Delivering your feedback of the grade: –Get their view 1 st, and explore their thinking behind this (opening listening to understand, not trying to put your views/judgements across) –Then share your assessment, and your rationale behind it – relating your own thoughts and evidence to what they shared where applicable Be honest and straight forward in your feedback (people need to be able to honestly assess their performance against a high standard) Try to move people on (through coaching) to how to move this forward over the next year