When Can You Start Your People-Building?

When you start seeing clearly who they really are.

Do people at work know who you really are?

Do you see the people around you clearly enough to know who they really are?

I was thinking about the things an executive coach and advisor really does--or should be doing. One of the most important is this: Seeing people for who they are, realizing what they can be, and helping to take them there.

If that doesn't sound very "business-like," it probably isn't in the traditional sense of "business-like."

And therein lies the issue. Organizations of all kinds hire the best people they can find. Those folks look at the "people are our most important asset" blurbs in the corporate recruiting brochures.Then they  sign on with high hopes.

But what happens down the road that causes discontent, retention issues, and the need to search for "talent?" Weren't those people talented when they were hired?

This Is What I See

I see highly motivated people getting performance appraisals that are designed to force rankings on a curve so they never accurately portray an individual's contribution and worth. I see employees at all levels  getting feedback on the gaps in their performance--and then receiving orders to "close the gaps." I see the same people then coming to workshops and seminars, hearing theoretical--but good--teaching, only to go back to work and say "what do I actually do with that?"

In nearly 30 years of managing, consulting, and coaching, I can count on one hand the number of people I've seen fired for technical incompetence. They get released for issues of character, the inability to relate well with other people, or not being able to "close the gap."

Here are my thoughts as a result:

1. The character issue can be discerned during the hiring process. Discernment should be a highly valued talent possessed by those interviewing.  If not, get an objective third party to help with that element. Someone who sees others clearly and quickly for who they are.

2. Relating well with other people. You can send people to class to learn skills. But does the day-to-day interaction at work encourage and reward healthy relationships? A manager with a coaching/relational approach can set the tone for how things get done and how people are expected to interact in the process

3. Workshops and Education. Two things I enjoy with a passion. Neither immediately changes my own behavior very much. But I learn ways to think differently and more clearly. Then, when presented with an opportunity to actually do what was taught, the education leads to application. People have the most chance of bumping up their game when given a chance to discuss and apply new knowledge right away.

Manager As Coach

Managers can coach effectively when they see their people clearly because they've built relationships that let them know who their folks really are. If they don't have the time or inclination, then they need to get some help to build the talent that seems, at times, to be hiding. It's probably not hiding. It might just be invisible to the naked eye.

What to Do:

If you want your talent to be valued, you've got to let people know who you really are. Make it impossible for them not to see you clearly.

If you are a manager, be intentional about "seeing clearly." If it's a little difficult for you, get some help.

You and I wouldn't build a house in the dark. We need light to see in order to build. And unless your a truffle, you need a lot of light in order to grow and use your talent to perform.

And a request:  Our writing has been honored with a nomination to Best of Leadership Blogs 2008. If you enjoy the articles here, help us with a quick click and a vote for All Things Workplace. Much appreciated.

Related Reads:

• Nettie Hartsock's riff on cognitive dissonance looks at the importance of presenting one's self clearly.

• Managing and coaching are both about sharing knowledge. Yet there are those who think that power and promotions come from hoarding it. Have a look at this from Torley at Lifehack.org.

As always: weigh in. Share your thoughts on clarity, talent, and building people by seeing them clearly. Let the community learn from what you've learned. Click on Comments and join the discussion.

Comments

[Wally Bock]

Nice post, Steve. Clarity is not easy to achieve but I've witnessed some things over the years that help.

When looking outward, try to concentrate on the things you can witness and describe, what people say and do, and don't try to guess what might be behind them.

When looking inward, try to judge yourself by your results instead of by your intent.

[Patrick]

The Center for Talent Retention has a deck of cards that can be used for different exercises between an employee and their manager. The intent is to provide easy ways for two people to get to know one another in a non-threatening or awkward way through sorting the cards, discussing the meaning, and sharing feedback on how these things are going.

It's a pretty good tool and really easy to promote engagement and relationship building.

[Frode H.]

Great post, Steve.
"Managing and coaching are both about sharing knowledge" - I try to teach all of my knowledge to the people around me and it is a great tip if you want to create a winning team. A big mistake many companies do is not informing about the financial status, resulting in employees not knowing where to save a buck. I’ve read about open companies that have gotten one of the best savings tips from the cleaning lady, she would not know about it, if she did not know about the financial situation. This is why I believe that the more my co-workers know, the greater chance they know the solution.

[Lance]

Steve, I agree that it's important to both know others and others know you well in the workplace. There are definitely people that I know well at work. Some people are good at being "known". I am not one of them. I need to be better about being more open about who I am. Another characteristic that I think helps in this is being able to "know" people. Some people are good at this. We have someone in particular at work, who just has a knack for getting to know people personally. And I think that's what makes a real and lasting connection. She is genuine and caring, and I think it makes people more open with her. And that's a good thing.

[Jackie Cameron]

I really like Lance's comment about not being good about "being known". We all have a choice of course and some of those choices will be based on the environment in which we work. And in my experience the managers who are best at listening - with their eyes as well as their ears ( if you get my drift) - are the ones who will be able to pick up the underlying person who is either choosing not be known or needing a bit of a nudge to get them out there!

[Karin H.]

Hi Steve

I rather be known for my talents and be encouraged to extend on them (by training, workshops etc) than for the 'gaps' in my performance.
Most appraisals are based on the wrong issue: closing gaps instead of growing the talent that is already there.
My apparent 'gaps' could be filled by others who are talented to do so.
(And of course, that brings us back to the Gallup Organisation) ;-)

Karin H. (Keep It Simple Sweetheart, specially in business)

[Steve Roesler]

Wally,

Those last two lines are very useful descriptions/prescriptions.

Expect to see them again:-)

Thanks...

[Steve Roesler]

Patrick,

Thanks for the reference. If you shoot me the URL I'll give it a mention.

Any time those conversations can be helped, I'm all for it.

[Steve Roesler]

Hi, Frode,

Isn't it fascinating how, when you give adults the kind of information they need to join in, that they step up in really meaningful ways?

I've always wondered about the common practice of playing things "close to the vest" when it comes to organizational life. I hope your example will encourage other managers to follow your lead.

[Steve Roesler]

Well, Lance, the very fact that you are aware of the dynamic tells me that your "known-ness"will probably increase:-)

We all have varying degrees of openness and connectedness for various reasons. One of the signs of healthy people and a healthy workplace is that people have a close friend on the job. Work is part of life, not the other way 'round. So it makes sense that even though we're trying to "get stuff out the door," we still have to have the kind of relationships that help us do that in a satisfying way.

Thank you for taking the time to share your particular scenario...

[Steve Roesler]

Jackie,

You and Lance have prompted me to do a post on research that shows the three ways that people approach the task of "initiating" relationships (or not:-)

People find this info helpful for themselves but also for seeing that others have a completely different take on the act of initiating, then building, relationships.

I was wondering what to write about...have been away all weekend and totally out of professional mode:-)

[Steve Roesler]

Hi, Karen,

I figured you might stop by for this one, since this is one of your passionate topics.

The whole gap thing is relatively futile. After one decides to "close a gap," tries it earnestly, then realizes that it's not going to happen, one has to acknowledge that this really isn't an area of giftedness. It doesn't mean to ignore gaining some degree of competency; but it does mean that if it's important to the task at hand, then it's best--as you point out--to find someone who actually is super-charged.

Every minute we spend trying to completely close gaps that weren't meant to be closed by us takes away from using the talent we do have.