Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    Creating High Performers - 2nd Edition: 7 Questions to Ask Your Direct Reports
    Creating High Performers - 2nd Edition: 7 Questions to Ask Your Direct Reports
    Creating High Performers - 2nd Edition: 7 Questions to Ask Your Direct Reports
    Ebook158 pages1 hour

    Creating High Performers - 2nd Edition: 7 Questions to Ask Your Direct Reports

    By William Dann and Ken Blanchard

    ()

    Read preview

    About this ebook

    Creating High Performers offers managers certainty and a step-by-step process to answer the following: 1) What should I provide to direct reports? 2) Am I doing this well? 3) Why is underperformance happening? and 4) What actions should I take to improve performance?

    The 7 Questions are an easy-to-use foundation for a conversation leading to targeted, effective performance management and coaching. Real-life stories experienced by the author as a manager or coach illustrate the value of each question.


    Additions in this 2nd edition include:

    1. An expanded discussion of why and how the traditional model for supervision is failing
    2. A clear definition of a proposed new role of supervisor (people manager) to meet the needs of today's workforce, including a listing of what products or outcomes a people manager should be delivering
    3. How to restart and build a strong working relationship with employees
    4. Follow-up questions for each of the 7 Questions to clarify what's possibly missing that could lead to improved performance
    5. Why it is essential to ask the 7 Questions in the context of current performance, i.e., whether it exceeds, meets or falls below expectations
    6. An expanded discussion on how to discern whether poor performance is a Can't Do or Won't Do Problem and how to solve it
    7. A new chapter on how the six ways to employ the 7 Questions for improved organizational performance
    8. An expanded Troubleshooting chapter based on challenges/questions of managers trained and coached on the 7 Questions method.

    This book brings clarity and method for those new to managing others. For experienced managers, it offers a new approach to overcoming the ill effects of old practices. It details how to shift to a new role and establish the trust this new method requires. For both, it offers a way to gain greater satisfaction from managing others and to add more value to your organization.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherBookBaby
    Release dateAug 16, 2021
    ISBN9781098386641
    Creating High Performers - 2nd Edition: 7 Questions to Ask Your Direct Reports

    Related to Creating High Performers - 2nd Edition

    Related ebooks

    Leadership For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      How To Build Trust In Remote Teams

      Jun 22, 2020

      Whenever there is change and uncertainty, employees will naturally withhold expending too much energy into a team, until it feels safe to do so. Continuing to boost your team’s trust levels is critical, while everyone is learning the ropes. This is t

      5 min read

    • Article

      Getting The Most From A Mentor

      Jan 16, 2020

      Getting The Most From A Mentor
      3 min read

    • Article

      Flipping Accountability On Its Head

      Sep 1, 2019

      HARD-CHARGING LEADERS often boast that at their companies, ‘We hold people accountable’. Success, they argue, comes from this culture of accountability. This phrase is surely one of the most overused — and frankly, insulting — additions to the busine

      5 min read

    • Article

      10 Ways to Fail Miserably at Office Politics

      Apr 30, 2021

      “Office politics,” says Boston-based Karen Dillon, “is impossible to avoid. But it is manageable if you know what not to do. As the former editor of the Harvard Business Review magazine and author of the HBR Guide to Office Politics, Dillon provides

      3 min read

    • Article

      How To Maximise Employee Retention Rates In The Job-hopping Age

      Aug 2, 2019

      In a world where 1 in 4 employees quits within 90 days, how do you hang on to your best and brightest? Software company Mobile Jazz has come up with a winning formula which any company can follow - even if they don’t have the financial firepower of F

      6 min read

    • Article

      Building A Motivated Team

      Aug 10, 2020

      Motivating people to do their job to the best of their ability is one of a manager’s most challenging tasks. Simply getting employees to do the work is not that difficult; as long as they’re reasonably paid and not treated too badly, they’ll do just

      2 min read

    • Article

      “ I’m Struggling To Find Work And Worry That It’s Because I’m Older”

      Jun 8, 2021

      Q I lost my job as an admin manager when my firm closed last autumn and, despite applying for dozens of roles, I haven’t found anything new. I know this is a difficult time when it comes to work, but I am getting paranoid that it’s because I am a mat

      2 min read

    • Article

      The Fearless Organization

      May 1, 2019

      The Fearless Organization
      9 min read

    • Article

      Are You an Inspiring Leader?

      Sep 1, 2018

      Are You an Inspiring Leader?
      9 min read

    • Article

      The Path to Future-Ready Operations

      Sep 1, 2022

      As we move forward and the pandemic recedes, leaders must ask a fundamental question: What state are our business operations in? We wanted to better understand the connection between business operations maturity and performance. So in 2020, we survey

      3 min read

    • Article

      Ready For More

      Mar 19, 2020

      Ready For More
      3 min read

    • Article

      How To Ask For Feedback

      Oct 20, 2020

      David Klein began his career at McKinsey, an organization obsessed with feedback. So, in 2011, when he launched New York City-based student loan lender CommonBond, Klein decided to made feedback core to his company’s culture. When seeking structured

      1 min read

    • Article

      Why Do Incompetent People Become Business Leaders?

      Nov 20, 2019

      If you have ever had a manager, or perhaps even your CEO, who was not only incompetent but dishonest, manipulative, narcissistic and a first-class jerk and wondered how such a person could have attained their position, you are not alone. And, you've

      3 min read

    • Article

      The Science of Speaking Up

      May 1, 2020

      The Science of Speaking Up
      11 min read

    • Article

      Confessions Of A Change-maker

      Jan 20, 2022

      Confessions Of A Change-maker
      4 min read

    • Article

      No Bad Teams, Just Bad Leaders

      Jul 11, 2019

      Idon’t know exactly when this happened, but over the last several years the dialogue around leadership has degenerated into a fluffy, abstract conversation about desirable leadership attributes. We seem to spend an inordinate amount of time and energ

      4 min read

    Related categories

    Reviews for Creating High Performers - 2nd Edition

    0 ratings

    0 ratings0 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

      Book preview

      Creating High Performers - 2nd Edition - William Dann

      cover.jpg

      Creating High Performers:

      7 Questions to Ask Your Direct Reports Published through Growth Press, LLC

      All rights reserved Copyright © 2021 William Dann

      Paperback ISBN: 978-0-99094-402-7

      No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in

      a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic,

      mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise,

      without the written permission of the author or publisher.

      Growth Press, LLC 721 Depot Drive, Anchorage, AK 99501

      Table of Contents

      Foreword

      Acknowledgments

      1. Introduction to Second Edition

      2. The Role of Manager and Supervisor

      3. The Two Types of Performance Problems

      4. Why A Change in Role and Approach Matters

      5. The 7 Questions

      Question #1 – Expectations

      Question #2 – Good Performance

      Question #3 – Feedback

      Question #4 – Authority

      Question #5 - Timely Decisions

      Question #6 – Resources

      Question #7 – Credit

      6. The Performance Context

      7. Relationship and The Underlying Principle of Fairness

      8. Putting the 7 Questions to Work

      9. Identifying and Handling the Won’t Do Employee

      10. Troubleshooting

      11. Some Final Thoughts

      Appendix 1

      Appendix 2

      Appendix 3

      Foreword

      For a long time, I’ve been interested in the subject of managing people’s performance. To me, there have always been three parts of that process: performance planning, where you set goals and establish coaching strategies; day-to-day coaching, where you follow through on what you agreed upon in order to help people win by accomplishing their goals; and performance evaluation, where you assess how well the person has performed over time. Of these three aspects, which typically is the most time consuming for managers? Performance evaluation. This tends to be the time when they have to sit down and fill out forms on each of their people and sort them into a normal distribution format. Only a few will win, a few have to lose, and the rest are considered average. Or, even worse, they may have to rank order their people. Bill Dann condemns this process, and so do I.

      It has always amazed me how very few organizations do extensive performance planning where clear goals are set. They’re even worse when it comes to how little day-to-day coaching goes on.

      I always ask managers in my training sessions How many of you hire losers? Do you say, ‘We lost some of our best losers last year, so let’s hire some new ones to fill those low spots’? Of course, you don’t! You either hire winners—people who already have good performance records in their position; or you hire potential winners—people whom you believe you can train to be high performers. Obviously, you don’t hire on a normal distribution curve.

      Bill Dann and I wonder why every leader or manager wouldn’t want every person to potentially win—to be a high performer who gets A’s? Yet, to do that, managers have to talk to their people. That’s why I love Bill’s book. He introduces 7 questions you can use to partner with your people for better performance.

      Peter Drucker always said, Nothing good ever happens by accident. If you want something good to happen, you have to put some structure around it. If you want your people to perform well, meet and talk with them about how they are performing. Use Bill Dann’s good questions and I guarantee not only that you will become a better leader/ manager, but that your people will become better performers.

      This second edition adds a chapter on the distinction between supervisor and manager, expands on the role of managers and explains why that role needs to shift. Also added are in-depth guidance on how to introduce the 7 Questions method to employees, the importance of relationship, the multiple ways the 7 Questions can be used to fulfill a manager’s role and an expanded treatment of how to deal with underperformers.

      These changes all serve to provide managers greater clarity re. how to get employees to optimum performance and how to deal with those choosing not to go there.

      Thanks Bill, you’re the best.

      Ken Blanchard, Co-Founder, The Ken Blanchard Companies

      Author of The New One Minute Manager® and Servant Leadership in Action

      Acknowledgments

      It took a long while and lots of encouragement to bring about the first edition. Those who deserve to be credited include students of mine, co-workers, partners, clients, friends and loved ones. There are too many of you to mention again in this edition. But there are a few of you that I want acknowledge for their contribution to this second edition.

      First, my friend and mentor, Ken Blanchard. In addition to being an inspiration as a human being, Ken taught me the meaning and essence of developing people. He has continued to encourage me to share my own learnings.

      Second, I want to acknowledge John Gregoire, current owner and CEO of Professional Growth Systems, with whom I have collaborated on training and coaching to implement the 7 Questions in organizations. John shares my passion for work becoming the source for satisfaction and energy in our lives. He has an insight into the challenges of making the shift to a coach and to deploying the 7 Questions. His insights have been instrumental in the additions to this second edition. An expanded treatment of what has been learned to date, the impact on organizations and how to implement what we now call The Question Method® will be contained in the forthcoming book by that title, co-authored with John.

      Lastly, I want to again thank my lifelong partner, Jenny Alowa, for always believing in me and encouraging me to go for it.

      1.

      Introduction to Second Edition

      My purpose in writing both the first and second editions of this work was to fill the void of lack of training for first-time managers and help them gain more satisfaction from that role. Having been thrust into supervision myself without training, I experienced the pains from failure and the self-doubt that was created by my dealing with poor performers. In consulting, I have seen all parties - manager, employee and organization - suffering from this void. My hope is to provide answers to the following:

      What results should I be producing as a manager?

      How do I become more comfortable and confident in delivering those results?

      How do I know if I am doing well?

      How do I know if poor employee performance is due to my lapses or that of the employee?

      How do I become more effective at correcting underperformance and helping employees achieve their full potential?

      Two developments have prompted the writing of this new edition.

      First, overwhelming research findings year after year show that the traditional supervisory roles and practices are failing both organizations and their employees. Bad bosses are the greatest cause of disengagement as well as unwanted turnover and may be the leading contributor to underperformance of organizations.

      One takeaway from implementing the 7 Questions method is that lack of fulfillment from work constitutes a spiritual crisis for many in the work force. A second takeaway is that higher performance and happier employees are attainable through a change in management practice. Validation of the methods in the first book prompted a desire to improve clarity and useability in a revised edition.

      Secondly, while implementing the 7Q’s in organizations has proven the impact of this new approach, it has also uncovered new questions and challenges that need to addressed to help future readers. These are addressed in this edition.

      Redefining the supervisor-employee relationship is challenging. It may involve establishing trust where trust has been broken. The 7 Questions work only when and if they reveal new truth. Convincing employees that you want the truth in order for both parties to improve is a precondition for the 7 Questions to add value. A heartfelt communication of why you want to restart will get you there. That new truth can’t be heh, I learned a new tool or the organization needs to shift to this new method. It needs to be a personal realization, a shift in values, an ability to be vulnerable. More about this in Chapter 4.

      Through helping clients implement the 7 Questions, the need for a context for the conversation has become apparent. It cannot be an abstract discussion about employee needs or management missteps. It must be about those needs in light of the current performance on accountabilities and standards.

      Clients tell us successful implementation has made their annual evaluation process add true value for the first time. Many have replaced the formal evaluation with the 7 Question conversation and action plan.

      The 7 Questions method has proven itself capable of shifting organizational culture. Engagement, cooperation, morale, turnover and consequently performance can all be positively impacted. But it requires sustained effort. If it is just another one-shot training program without ongoing support to leaders seeking to make the shift, it will join the history of programs that didn’t make a difference. Chapter 8, Putting the 7 Questions to Work has been expanded to lay out the lessons learned.

      Organizational culture or what is labeled ‘level of engagement’ is the secret sauce that separates high performing organizations. Your organization may have the same products/services, the same technology, same locations, same pricing, but a competitor with a healthier culture will doom you. Culture dictates the quality of the experience for employees and hence for the customer. Customers can feel a positive culture and value it highly. Culture creates customer loyalty or what Blanchard calls Raving Fans.¹

      The number one concern of those we have coached is how to handle the Won’t Do employee. Scores of questions have led to several distinctions on this question that we explore in depth in a new chapter in this edition.

      While adding some new material in this edition, I have also chosen to delete some previous material in order to get to the heart of the matter.

      Lastly, several managers with whom we have worked say they have had to read the book several times before trying to put the material to work. To ease this burden, Key Points have been added at the close of each chapter to lessen that burden.

      ¹ Blanchard, K. & Bowles, S., Raving Fans , William Morrow, 1993

      2.

      The Role of Manager and Supervisor

      Enjoying the preview?
      Page 1 of 1