{"public_access_rules_enabled":false,"public_access_rules":[],"html_title":"What Are the Most Common Management Mistakes of New Managers?","post_summary":"

Stepping into a brand new role as a first-time manager can feel like a daunting task 🤯. Nobody is perfect—even experienced team leaders—and as a new manager, you’ll definitely make your fair share of mistakes. Save yourself some time and trouble by uncovering some of the most common management mistakes here rather than having to learn through your own experiences!

\n","post_body":"

Stepping into a brand new role as a first-time manager can feel like a daunting task 🤯. Nobody is perfect—even experienced team leaders—and as a new manager, you’ll definitely make your fair share of mistakes. Save yourself some time and trouble by uncovering some of the most common management mistakes here rather than having to learn through your own experiences!

\n\n

5 Most Common Management Mistakes of New Managers

\n

One of the keys to avoiding management mistakes is simply being aware of some of the most common mistakes managers make 💭. Once you can identify management problems, you can start learning new skills and developing better habits in order to overcome them 💪! So without further ado, here are five of the most common leadership mistakes among new managers.

\n

New Manager Mistake #1: Not Conducting Regular 1:1 Meetings 👫

\n

1:1 meetings are a great way to track performance, build deeper relationships, and boost employee engagement. However, new managers often dread conducting these 1:1 meetings or avoid doing them all together. Why? When you're a leader, it's easy to get so wrapped up in your own workload or keeping track of all your employees that you forget to actually make yourself available to them. It can also be overwhelming for a single manager to schedule and follow up on 1:1 meetings with so many team members 😖.

\n

It’s essential to avoid this management mistake if you want to be an effective leader and have a high-performing team. So, be sure to block off time for recurring 1:1 meetings with each member of your team for the same time on the same day. This creates consistency! Show up with a clear agenda, leverage data and concrete examples so you can give specific and constructive feedback, take notes, and assign action items—then actually follow up on them. These are just a few tips for running more effective 1:1 meetings 👏!

\n

When done correctly, 1:1 meetings will empower your employees to be more informed, engaged, and comfortable speaking up to you about any concerns or obstacles they’re facing 🗣️. With these insights and information, you can actually make the changes your employees want to see and help each team member achieve their greatest potential. The result? Higher team morale, stronger manager/direct report relationships, and a sense of ownership and accountability that will lead to higher job satisfaction and boosted productivity!  

\n

New Manager Mistake #2: Micromanaging 📍

\n

In 2018, an independent workplace survey on LinkedIn asked the question \"What is the ONE mistake leaders make more frequently than others?\" The number one response 🧐? Micromanaging. As a new manager, you likely want to prove yourself and make sure everyone on your team is meeting expectations and adhering to deadlines. However, you don’t want to make the mistake of micromanaging every little thing. 

\n

Micromanaging can derail your team's motivation and creativity, and make them feel like you don’t trust them enough to get things done on their own. So how can you strike ⚡ the right balance between keeping your teams on track and being a strong leader—without nitpicking every little thing? As a new manager, it’s important to take continuous steps to build accountability on your team! 

\n

When you hold your employees accountable for completing their tasks and having the right attitude in the workplace, trust is formed amongst coworkers. When you hold yourself accountable for doing what you say you’re going to do, it builds trust between you and your direct reports. Trust is the backbone of high-performing teams because it allows each team member to truly count on the others 🤝. When you can count on your direct reports to do what they should be doing, there’s no need to micromanage 😄! 

\n

New Manager Mistake #3: Not Gathering Employee Feedback 🗣️

\n

It’s obvious that managers are supposed to give employee feedback—but what’s often overlooked is that getting employee feedback is just as important. As a manager, (especially a new manager who has a lot to learn!) receiving employee feedback can help you improve your leadership skills while making strides to improve the organization as a whole 👏! 

\n

The most common leadership mistake here is that many businesses rely on exit interviews to gain insight into how direct reports felt about their manager’s effectiveness. The problem with this approach 👎? You can’t apply those insights to improve an employee’s experience once they’ve already decided to leave the company. 

\n

On the flip side, if you have a way to receive regular employee feedback, you can identify issues and course correct in order to increase employee retention rates! So, ask for employee feedback during regular check-ins, team meetings, or 1:1 meetings. You may also want to consider sending out monthly or quarterly surveys so employees can voice their opinions anonymously 📝.

\n

New Manager Mistake #4: Failing to Improve Their Leadership and Management Skills 📚

\n

Upper management often invests in leadership development for middle and lower management —but might not invest in that same level of training for themselves. For this reason, one of the most common mistakes managers make is failing to grow as leaders. But once you land a management position, you shouldn’t stop learning 🤓! 

\n

If you want to be a good manager, it’s important to develop new skills, learn about new management techniques and methodologies, and grow personally and professionally 📖. As we just mentioned, this is often overlooked—in fact, leadership development is rated at \"below average or poor\" in over one-third of businesses. So, you may have to take the lead in reaching out for training and development yourself. Don’t be afraid to do this! It shows passion, initiative, and a willingness to learn that can help build trust and accountability between you and your direct reports. 

\n

As a manager, you set and track goals for your employees, and one of the biggest management mistakes is not doing the same for yourself. Identify a new skill you want to learn, leadership training workshop you want to attend, or book you want to finish reading this quarter. Then, hold yourself accountable (just like you would your employees) for doing so 🙌! 

\n

New Manager Mistake #5: Failure to Delegate ✍️

\n

One of the most common weaknesses of a manager is the tendency to take on too much and not delegate 😕. This is especially true for new managers. After all, you were probably just another member of the team until recently, so taking care of all your own job tasks may still feel like second nature.

\n

However, failing to delegate is often listed as the number one reason managers fail. It can cause huge problems as work bottlenecks around them, leading to higher stress and faster burn out. It’s important to keep in mind that being a leader doesn’t mean being able to do everything yourself! Unless you delegate tasks, you're never going to have time to focus on the \"big picture\"📸 that you’re responsible for. 

\n

Plus, you’re doing your team members a disservice by not allowing them to develop and learn how to hold themselves accountable. Leaders should be focused on helping their team members grow by giving them responsibilities and surrounding themselves with capable people who can do what is necessary to achieve the team’s goals 😍.

\n

Avoid These Common Management Mistakes with the Right Tools! 

\n

We get it—even if you’re aware of common management mistakes to avoid, it can be difficult to get it right as a new manager. Don’t think you have to do it all on your own 👫! 

\n

Thanks to modern technology, there are lots of digital tools and resources you can use to minimize your mistakes as a new manager and become the best leader you can be to your teams 💻! Strety is one of those tools. 

\n

It offers practical features that new managers and experienced team leaders alike can actually use throughout the week to overcome the challenges of being in charge 👔. With Strety on your side, you'll be able to:

\n

\n
• Conduct more effective team, leadership, and 1:1 meetings
\n
• Set and track employee, team, and company goals 
\n
• Send and store team announcements for improved communication and team building
\n
• Ask recurring questions and set automated reminders to improve project management 
\n
• And much more! 
\n

\n

Are you ready to gain access to the tools you need to overcome the most common management mistakes of new managers? Contact us today 📞. We’re here to be your go-to tool and support system throughout all your management mistakes and successes!

\n

 

","rss_summary":"

Stepping into a brand new role as a first-time manager can feel like a daunting task 🤯. Nobody is perfect—even experienced team leaders—and as a new manager, you’ll definitely make your fair share of mistakes. Save yourself some time and trouble by uncovering some of the most common management mistakes here rather than having to learn through your own experiences!

\n","rss_body":"

Stepping into a brand new role as a first-time manager can feel like a daunting task 🤯. Nobody is perfect—even experienced team leaders—and as a new manager, you’ll definitely make your fair share of mistakes. Save yourself some time and trouble by uncovering some of the most common management mistakes here rather than having to learn through your own experiences!

\n\n

5 Most Common Management Mistakes of New Managers

\n

One of the keys to avoiding management mistakes is simply being aware of some of the most common mistakes managers make 💭. Once you can identify management problems, you can start learning new skills and developing better habits in order to overcome them 💪! So without further ado, here are five of the most common leadership mistakes among new managers.

\n

New Manager Mistake #1: Not Conducting Regular 1:1 Meetings 👫

\n

1:1 meetings are a great way to track performance, build deeper relationships, and boost employee engagement. However, new managers often dread conducting these 1:1 meetings or avoid doing them all together. Why? When you're a leader, it's easy to get so wrapped up in your own workload or keeping track of all your employees that you forget to actually make yourself available to them. It can also be overwhelming for a single manager to schedule and follow up on 1:1 meetings with so many team members 😖.

\n

It’s essential to avoid this management mistake if you want to be an effective leader and have a high-performing team. So, be sure to block off time for recurring 1:1 meetings with each member of your team for the same time on the same day. This creates consistency! Show up with a clear agenda, leverage data and concrete examples so you can give specific and constructive feedback, take notes, and assign action items—then actually follow up on them. These are just a few tips for running more effective 1:1 meetings 👏!

\n

When done correctly, 1:1 meetings will empower your employees to be more informed, engaged, and comfortable speaking up to you about any concerns or obstacles they’re facing 🗣️. With these insights and information, you can actually make the changes your employees want to see and help each team member achieve their greatest potential. The result? Higher team morale, stronger manager/direct report relationships, and a sense of ownership and accountability that will lead to higher job satisfaction and boosted productivity!  

\n

New Manager Mistake #2: Micromanaging 📍

\n

In 2018, an independent workplace survey on LinkedIn asked the question \"What is the ONE mistake leaders make more frequently than others?\" The number one response 🧐? Micromanaging. As a new manager, you likely want to prove yourself and make sure everyone on your team is meeting expectations and adhering to deadlines. However, you don’t want to make the mistake of micromanaging every little thing. 

\n

Micromanaging can derail your team's motivation and creativity, and make them feel like you don’t trust them enough to get things done on their own. So how can you strike ⚡ the right balance between keeping your teams on track and being a strong leader—without nitpicking every little thing? As a new manager, it’s important to take continuous steps to build accountability on your team! 

\n

When you hold your employees accountable for completing their tasks and having the right attitude in the workplace, trust is formed amongst coworkers. When you hold yourself accountable for doing what you say you’re going to do, it builds trust between you and your direct reports. Trust is the backbone of high-performing teams because it allows each team member to truly count on the others 🤝. When you can count on your direct reports to do what they should be doing, there’s no need to micromanage 😄! 

\n

New Manager Mistake #3: Not Gathering Employee Feedback 🗣️

\n

It’s obvious that managers are supposed to give employee feedback—but what’s often overlooked is that getting employee feedback is just as important. As a manager, (especially a new manager who has a lot to learn!) receiving employee feedback can help you improve your leadership skills while making strides to improve the organization as a whole 👏! 

\n

The most common leadership mistake here is that many businesses rely on exit interviews to gain insight into how direct reports felt about their manager’s effectiveness. The problem with this approach 👎? You can’t apply those insights to improve an employee’s experience once they’ve already decided to leave the company. 

\n

On the flip side, if you have a way to receive regular employee feedback, you can identify issues and course correct in order to increase employee retention rates! So, ask for employee feedback during regular check-ins, team meetings, or 1:1 meetings. You may also want to consider sending out monthly or quarterly surveys so employees can voice their opinions anonymously 📝.

\n

New Manager Mistake #4: Failing to Improve Their Leadership and Management Skills 📚

\n

Upper management often invests in leadership development for middle and lower management —but might not invest in that same level of training for themselves. For this reason, one of the most common mistakes managers make is failing to grow as leaders. But once you land a management position, you shouldn’t stop learning 🤓! 

\n

If you want to be a good manager, it’s important to develop new skills, learn about new management techniques and methodologies, and grow personally and professionally 📖. As we just mentioned, this is often overlooked—in fact, leadership development is rated at \"below average or poor\" in over one-third of businesses. So, you may have to take the lead in reaching out for training and development yourself. Don’t be afraid to do this! It shows passion, initiative, and a willingness to learn that can help build trust and accountability between you and your direct reports. 

\n

As a manager, you set and track goals for your employees, and one of the biggest management mistakes is not doing the same for yourself. Identify a new skill you want to learn, leadership training workshop you want to attend, or book you want to finish reading this quarter. Then, hold yourself accountable (just like you would your employees) for doing so 🙌! 

\n

New Manager Mistake #5: Failure to Delegate ✍️

\n

One of the most common weaknesses of a manager is the tendency to take on too much and not delegate 😕. This is especially true for new managers. After all, you were probably just another member of the team until recently, so taking care of all your own job tasks may still feel like second nature.

\n

However, failing to delegate is often listed as the number one reason managers fail. It can cause huge problems as work bottlenecks around them, leading to higher stress and faster burn out. It’s important to keep in mind that being a leader doesn’t mean being able to do everything yourself! Unless you delegate tasks, you're never going to have time to focus on the \"big picture\"📸 that you’re responsible for. 

\n

Plus, you’re doing your team members a disservice by not allowing them to develop and learn how to hold themselves accountable. Leaders should be focused on helping their team members grow by giving them responsibilities and surrounding themselves with capable people who can do what is necessary to achieve the team’s goals 😍.

\n

Avoid These Common Management Mistakes with the Right Tools! 

\n

We get it—even if you’re aware of common management mistakes to avoid, it can be difficult to get it right as a new manager. Don’t think you have to do it all on your own 👫! 

\n

Thanks to modern technology, there are lots of digital tools and resources you can use to minimize your mistakes as a new manager and become the best leader you can be to your teams 💻! Strety is one of those tools. 

\n

It offers practical features that new managers and experienced team leaders alike can actually use throughout the week to overcome the challenges of being in charge 👔. With Strety on your side, you'll be able to:

\n

\n
• Conduct more effective team, leadership, and 1:1 meetings
\n
• Set and track employee, team, and company goals 
\n
• Send and store team announcements for improved communication and team building
\n
• Ask recurring questions and set automated reminders to improve project management 
\n
• And much more! 
\n

\n

Are you ready to gain access to the tools you need to overcome the most common management mistakes of new managers? Contact us today 📞. We’re here to be your go-to tool and support system throughout all your management mistakes and successes!

\n

 

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{"public_access_rules_enabled":false,"public_access_rules":[],"html_title":"How to Manage Client Relationships for Long-Term Mutual Success","post_summary":"

This may sound obvious but not everyone really gets it…. 

\n","post_body":"

This may sound obvious but not everyone really gets it…. 

\n\n

Developing and maintaining client relationships is essential to growing and retaining your customer base.

\n

Yes, you’re in the Managed Services/IT business and keeping their technology humming is priority #1... but you’re also very much in the business of customer service, and the foundation of any successful customer service effort is an honest understanding and genuine interest in the customer’s business and their success.

\n

Are you genuinely interested in your customer’s success???

\n

When was the last time you talked to your customer about their business and not just their tech? Some MSPs rely on QBRs or renewals to prompt these conversations, but you need to establish a more continuous conversation around this topic. Leverage every interaction with your client as an opportunity to build and strengthen your relationship, from the first touch with sales, to their implementation, and at every onsite visit to ask a simple question: How’s business treating you?

\n

Priorities can change in an instant, and they’re often different from stakeholder to stakeholder, so unless you’re regularly asking what people are focused on, you’ll always be reacting to needs rather than getting out in front of them.

\n

A quick conversation onsite can uncover an upcoming project or a knot of new hires that could have been hurled into the service desk, unannounced, with high priority leaving your team in react/panic-mode.

\n

Once you’ve embraced the importance of the customer service mindset, it’ll set off a chain reaction of positive outcomes for your business. 

\n

A customer service mindset requires you to identify how you can add real value for the customer. Adding real value builds trust with the client. Once a degree of trust has been established, the client is more likely to see you as a strategic partner - not outsourced IT. At that point, clients become advocates, and in an industry where new business is still very much reliant on word-of-mouth, that trust you’ve built from operating with a customer service mindset will have a direct impact on your business’s growth.

\n

Relationship building is more of an art than a science, and it all starts with how you communicate and educate your clients on working with you. There’s no one way to turn clients into advocates, but there are some best practices you can follow to ensure your doing your part:

\n

 

\n

Develop Relationships Early

\n

Immerse yourself! Get to know the client inside and out. Dedicate time to know their culture and what they feel makes them unique. If you’re not sure how to bring the latter out, take time to share things about yourself and your team to open the communication beyond the confines of their tech and your offerings.

\n

You can also stay current by following them and their industry leaders on social media & subscribing to their blogs. Give yourself every opportunity to understand what internal and external forces are influencing their business. Not only will this show the client you care about their success, but it will help you to cater your offerings around their needs.

\n

 

\n

Nail the Sales/Implementation Handoff

\n

Client onboarding is the most critical phase of relationship building. To really nail onboarding, you must have an internal process in place that identifies the following:

\n

\n
• What does the client really want? What is their Job to be Done?
\n
• Who are the decision makers, implementers, and key stakeholders?
\n

\n

Your implementation team needs this information before they begin working with the client so make sure your sales team (over)shares this information with the onboarding specialists.

\n

And if you really want to execute, introduce the implementation team during the sales process. This will make for a smooth & effective transition for all parties. 

\n

 

\n

Set Clear Expectations

\n

Set clear expectations from the onset and not only will you be in a better position to serve your client, you'll also teach them how to work best with you. 

\n

Schedule out when and detail why you’ll be connecting with them during onboarding. Set timelines for how and when they’re going to get started with new products. Detail how to access and use company & product info. Be clear with how & who they should communicate with so when they need something, they’re not being passed around and feeling like your team is disorganized. 

\n

Establishing expectations early will go a long way in reducing any sort of miscommunication that could derail the relationship-building process during this critical period.

\n

 

\n

Establish Multiple Communication Channels

\n

It’s important to keep lines of communication open as well as providing multiple options for the client, as preferred methods of communication may differ from company to company and even person to person.

\n

Make sure your clients know all the ways they can reach you. Combine email, phone, communication software (MS Teams & Slack), support tickets, etc to make it as easy as possible for them while making it effective and efficient for you.

\n

 

\n

Be Proactive, Stay Proactive

\n

Inform clients of occurrences of tech problems. Get out in front, control the message, and assure them that you’re doing everything you can to resolve the issue in a timely manner. Customers will appreciate the transparency, and it will help continue building trust.

\n

Looking at the bigger picture, your customers decide to work with you because of your knowledge and expertise. This goes beyond providing IT/MS support. If there are emerging strategies, technologies, or tactics that would benefit your customers, it’s your responsibility to be aware of them and advise them on how they should be leveraged. If a client starts to bring these types of ideas to you, they will lose faith in your expertise and your relationship will take a hit.

\n

 

\n

Respond Promptly

\n

Replying quickly shows respect. If a client reaches out, acknowledge it as quickly as possible, even if you can’t yet resolve their issue. Let them you’re looking into their inquiry and, if possible, give a timeline. 

\n

 

\n

Use Every Interaction to Deliver Value

\n

It’s your job to help them achieve their desired outcomes with your offerings. Speak to and think of their needs, not yours with every interaction. You want your client to see you as an extension of their team, not a vendor.

\n

Use your tools to see where there’s room to expand then make a clear case why it will help their business. You can do this in lighter ways too, by sharing relevant resources such as blog posts or insights that could help them resolve problems and improve their processes.

\n

To summarize, manage your client relationships like you run your own teams. Have regular conversations through onsites, emails, phone calls, and QBRs. Help educate your clients on how you intend to work together. In return you’ll have clearer, more effective communication and, most importantly, the foundation for a mutually beneficial relationship that will serve you both for years to come.

\n

 

","rss_summary":"

This may sound obvious but not everyone really gets it…. 

\n","rss_body":"

This may sound obvious but not everyone really gets it…. 

\n\n

Developing and maintaining client relationships is essential to growing and retaining your customer base.

\n

Yes, you’re in the Managed Services/IT business and keeping their technology humming is priority #1... but you’re also very much in the business of customer service, and the foundation of any successful customer service effort is an honest understanding and genuine interest in the customer’s business and their success.

\n

Are you genuinely interested in your customer’s success???

\n

When was the last time you talked to your customer about their business and not just their tech? Some MSPs rely on QBRs or renewals to prompt these conversations, but you need to establish a more continuous conversation around this topic. Leverage every interaction with your client as an opportunity to build and strengthen your relationship, from the first touch with sales, to their implementation, and at every onsite visit to ask a simple question: How’s business treating you?

\n

Priorities can change in an instant, and they’re often different from stakeholder to stakeholder, so unless you’re regularly asking what people are focused on, you’ll always be reacting to needs rather than getting out in front of them.

\n

A quick conversation onsite can uncover an upcoming project or a knot of new hires that could have been hurled into the service desk, unannounced, with high priority leaving your team in react/panic-mode.

\n

Once you’ve embraced the importance of the customer service mindset, it’ll set off a chain reaction of positive outcomes for your business. 

\n

A customer service mindset requires you to identify how you can add real value for the customer. Adding real value builds trust with the client. Once a degree of trust has been established, the client is more likely to see you as a strategic partner - not outsourced IT. At that point, clients become advocates, and in an industry where new business is still very much reliant on word-of-mouth, that trust you’ve built from operating with a customer service mindset will have a direct impact on your business’s growth.

\n

Relationship building is more of an art than a science, and it all starts with how you communicate and educate your clients on working with you. There’s no one way to turn clients into advocates, but there are some best practices you can follow to ensure your doing your part:

\n

 

\n

Develop Relationships Early

\n

Immerse yourself! Get to know the client inside and out. Dedicate time to know their culture and what they feel makes them unique. If you’re not sure how to bring the latter out, take time to share things about yourself and your team to open the communication beyond the confines of their tech and your offerings.

\n

You can also stay current by following them and their industry leaders on social media & subscribing to their blogs. Give yourself every opportunity to understand what internal and external forces are influencing their business. Not only will this show the client you care about their success, but it will help you to cater your offerings around their needs.

\n

 

\n

Nail the Sales/Implementation Handoff

\n

Client onboarding is the most critical phase of relationship building. To really nail onboarding, you must have an internal process in place that identifies the following:

\n

\n
• What does the client really want? What is their Job to be Done?
\n
• Who are the decision makers, implementers, and key stakeholders?
\n

\n

Your implementation team needs this information before they begin working with the client so make sure your sales team (over)shares this information with the onboarding specialists.

\n

And if you really want to execute, introduce the implementation team during the sales process. This will make for a smooth & effective transition for all parties. 

\n

 

\n

Set Clear Expectations

\n

Set clear expectations from the onset and not only will you be in a better position to serve your client, you'll also teach them how to work best with you. 

\n

Schedule out when and detail why you’ll be connecting with them during onboarding. Set timelines for how and when they’re going to get started with new products. Detail how to access and use company & product info. Be clear with how & who they should communicate with so when they need something, they’re not being passed around and feeling like your team is disorganized. 

\n

Establishing expectations early will go a long way in reducing any sort of miscommunication that could derail the relationship-building process during this critical period.

\n

 

\n

Establish Multiple Communication Channels

\n

It’s important to keep lines of communication open as well as providing multiple options for the client, as preferred methods of communication may differ from company to company and even person to person.

\n

Make sure your clients know all the ways they can reach you. Combine email, phone, communication software (MS Teams & Slack), support tickets, etc to make it as easy as possible for them while making it effective and efficient for you.

\n

 

\n

Be Proactive, Stay Proactive

\n

Inform clients of occurrences of tech problems. Get out in front, control the message, and assure them that you’re doing everything you can to resolve the issue in a timely manner. Customers will appreciate the transparency, and it will help continue building trust.

\n

Looking at the bigger picture, your customers decide to work with you because of your knowledge and expertise. This goes beyond providing IT/MS support. If there are emerging strategies, technologies, or tactics that would benefit your customers, it’s your responsibility to be aware of them and advise them on how they should be leveraged. If a client starts to bring these types of ideas to you, they will lose faith in your expertise and your relationship will take a hit.

\n

 

\n

Respond Promptly

\n

Replying quickly shows respect. If a client reaches out, acknowledge it as quickly as possible, even if you can’t yet resolve their issue. Let them you’re looking into their inquiry and, if possible, give a timeline. 

\n

 

\n

Use Every Interaction to Deliver Value

\n

It’s your job to help them achieve their desired outcomes with your offerings. Speak to and think of their needs, not yours with every interaction. You want your client to see you as an extension of their team, not a vendor.

\n

Use your tools to see where there’s room to expand then make a clear case why it will help their business. You can do this in lighter ways too, by sharing relevant resources such as blog posts or insights that could help them resolve problems and improve their processes.

\n

To summarize, manage your client relationships like you run your own teams. Have regular conversations through onsites, emails, phone calls, and QBRs. Help educate your clients on how you intend to work together. In return you’ll have clearer, more effective communication and, most importantly, the foundation for a mutually beneficial relationship that will serve you both for years to come.

\n

 

","tag_ids":[23667170488],"topic_ids":[23667170488],"enable_google_amp_output_override":false,"generate_json_ld_enabled":true,"blog_post_schedule_task_uid":null,"blog_publish_to_social_media_task":"DONE","blog_publish_instant_email_task_uid":"DONE","blog_publish_instant_email_campaign_id":null,"blog_publish_instant_email_retry_count":null,"keywords":[],"composition_id":0,"use_featured_image":true,"published_at":1600873341647,"head_html":null,"footer_html":null,"attached_stylesheets":[],"enable_domain_stylesheets":null,"include_default_custom_css":null,"past_mab_experiment_ids":[],"featured_image_alt_text":"Client Relationship ","layout_sections":{},"meta_description":"Tips and best practices for developing strong client relationships through a customer service mindset built on trust and effective communication","meta_keywords":null,"password":null,"enable_layout_stylesheets":null,"tweet":null,"tweet_at":null,"campaign_name":null,"campaign_utm":null,"tweet_immediately":false,"publish_immediately":true,"security_state":"NONE","placement_guids":[],"property_for_dynamic_page_title":null,"property_for_dynamic_page_slug":null,"property_for_dynamic_page_meta_description":null,"property_for_dynamic_page_featured_image":null,"property_for_dynamic_page_canonical_url":null,"preview_image_src":null,"legacy_blog_tabid":null,"legacy_post_guid":null,"performable_variation_letter":null,"style_override_id":null,"has_user_changes":true,"css":{},"css_text":"","unpublished_at":0,"published_by_id":9725277,"allowed_slug_conflict":false,"ai_features":{"empty":true,"present":false},"link_rel_canonical_url":null,"page_redirected":false,"page_expiry_enabled":null,"page_expiry_date":null,"page_expiry_redirect_id":null,"page_expiry_redirect_url":null,"deleted_by":null,"state_when_deleted":null,"cloned_from":null,"staged_from":null,"personas":[],"compose_body":null,"featured_image":"https://f.hubspotusercontent30.net/hubfs/5256430/Blog%20Images/23b.png","featured_image_width":0,"featured_image_height":0,"publish_timezone_offset":null,"theme_settings_values":null,"header":null,"last_edit_session_id":null,"last_edit_update_id":null}

{"public_access_rules_enabled":false,"public_access_rules":[],"html_title":"How to Become a More Productive Manager in 2020","post_summary":"

What does a productive manager look like?

\n

Every company (heck, every team) has a slightly different answer to that question. Some measure a manager's productivity by their team's ability to meet deadlines, while others are focused on revenue from the projects a manager's team is working on.

\n

True productivity for any manager requires a mix of the right systems, the right goals, and the right schedule.

\n","post_body":"

What does a productive manager look like?

\n

Every company (heck, every team) has a slightly different answer to that question. Some measure a manager's productivity by their team's ability to meet deadlines, while others are focused on revenue from the projects a manager's team is working on.

\n

True productivity for any manager requires a mix of the right systems, the right goals, and the right schedule.

\n\n

A Manager is Not an Individual Contributor

\n

Transitioning to full-time management is tricky. Getting promoted to a managerial position often means you're in a brand new role, one that requires a skillset your prior role didn't necessarily prepare you to take on. All of a sudden, your entire job is to help someone else achieve their goals.

\n

Contrary to popular belief, a manager's job is not figuring out how to do the work for their team. A manager's responsibilities are to connect with individual contributors on their team, direct those teammates by telling them where the organization is going and why, clear any obstacles in their way, and give feedback to help them improve. Taken together, the goal is to get better outcomes from a group of individuals working together by enabling individuals to figure out the right how for them and their unique set of skills and abilities.

\n

If you've spent your entire career figuring out the \"how,\" giving that up to focus on team alignment can feel uncomfortable. The first step to improving productivity as a new manager is to recognize that discomfort, understand where it's coming from, and remember that your job is to help others achieve goals — not achieve them yourself.

\n

If you're feeling unproductive, take a critical look at your workload and discuss it with your boss. Is your day spent on tasks that distract from your core role of people management? In a perfect world, managers would spend the vast majority of their time coaching, directing, mentoring, and giving feedback. While it's sometimes necessary to take on non-coaching tasks to help out your team, doing too many projects yourself will split your focus and therefore reduce your productivity. No productivity \"hack\" will solve a focus issue — those are helpful, but only after your focus is appropriately balanced.

\n

Measure the Team's Entire Output

\n

Coaching is a wholly different skillset and requires a different set of goals. Your work isn't about you, it's about the people you're supporting. Your success is measured by the entire team, not by one person's performance.

\n

According to Andy Grove in High Output Management, a coach's output is equal to the output of their team and the output of neighboring organizations under their influence. Success looks like effective delegation, streamlined processes, and influencing direction with your unique knowledge. If decisions are delayed, projects are meddled with, or your team constantly feels frustrated, then there's room for improvement as a manager.

\n

Remember: your highest impact work is helping others meet their goals. If everything's going smoothly on your team, that means you're doing your job well. That's your goal: a happy, well-functioning team. The metrics that measure your performance as a manager should directly relate to how well your team is functioning.

\n

Once your focus is established and your goals are appropriate for your role, you're ready to tinker with systems and schedules to improve your productivity.

\n

Build the Right Management Systems

\n

Systems and processes are crucial for efficient management. Without automated systems for tracking your team, you will miss things. Sometimes, you'll miss important things. Automating aspects of people management like stand-ups/check ins and requests for feedback will help you catch small issues before they turn into big problems. A tool like Strety makes that process easy.

\n

Your system for performance management should incorporate:

\n

\n
• Collaborative meeting agendas to which your team contributes asynchronously
\n
• Customized goals with measurable success
\n
• Automatic check ins to understand how goals are progressing, what obstacles your team is facing, and how you can help
\n
• Feedback allowing you to praise in public and coach in private.
\n

\n

Strety users: Contact our success team for customized help using our employee engagement tools to build a system that works for you.

\n

 

\n

Schedule Your Day to Reduce Switching Costs

\n

Do you ever feel like you need to take a walk (or maybe a nap) after a meeting before you start another task? Switching between two different tasks is difficult—especially when those tasks don't relate to each other. If you try to work on something completely different after finishing a project without taking a break, your brain will resist.

\n

Managers who are responsible for individual contributor projects in addition to their coaching responsibilities will face switching costs all the time. People management requires a different headspace than heads-down work, and it's nearly impossible to multitask. Switching from one call to another is relatively easy, but trying to jump into a ticket escalation  right after a call can feel like an uphill battle.

\n

Pushing through switching costs might sound noble, but it isn't efficient. Instead, create a schedule that allows you to focus on one element of your job during a predetermined chunk of time.

\n

Some ideas to try:

\n

\n
• Block off \"meeting-free\" times in your calendar to focus on your heads-down work. If you're most productive in the mornings, ask your team not to schedule meetings or interrupt you with a non-urgent issue before 11am. Time blocking can be especially helpful if you're working remotely and a colleague can't physically see that you're in the middle of something.
\n
• Schedule all your meetings on certain days. A former colleague used to leave Mondays and Fridays completely open (no calls or meetings allowed) and met with his team Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. The middle of his week was almost completely spent on Zoom, but he had two focused days a week to work on other things.
\n
• Create themes for your days. If you're working on a few big projects, make Project A your focus on Monday, Project B your focus on Wednesday, and Project C your focus on Friday. Tuesday and Thursday can be \"catchall\" days to work on whatever's needed.
\n

\n

Over to You

\n

If you're ready to up your leadership game with a continuous performance management system, contact Strety for a demo of our tool. We'll make it easy!

","rss_summary":"

What does a productive manager look like?

\n

Every company (heck, every team) has a slightly different answer to that question. Some measure a manager's productivity by their team's ability to meet deadlines, while others are focused on revenue from the projects a manager's team is working on.

\n

True productivity for any manager requires a mix of the right systems, the right goals, and the right schedule.

\n","rss_body":"

What does a productive manager look like?

\n

Every company (heck, every team) has a slightly different answer to that question. Some measure a manager's productivity by their team's ability to meet deadlines, while others are focused on revenue from the projects a manager's team is working on.

\n

True productivity for any manager requires a mix of the right systems, the right goals, and the right schedule.

\n\n

A Manager is Not an Individual Contributor

\n

Transitioning to full-time management is tricky. Getting promoted to a managerial position often means you're in a brand new role, one that requires a skillset your prior role didn't necessarily prepare you to take on. All of a sudden, your entire job is to help someone else achieve their goals.

\n

Contrary to popular belief, a manager's job is not figuring out how to do the work for their team. A manager's responsibilities are to connect with individual contributors on their team, direct those teammates by telling them where the organization is going and why, clear any obstacles in their way, and give feedback to help them improve. Taken together, the goal is to get better outcomes from a group of individuals working together by enabling individuals to figure out the right how for them and their unique set of skills and abilities.

\n

If you've spent your entire career figuring out the \"how,\" giving that up to focus on team alignment can feel uncomfortable. The first step to improving productivity as a new manager is to recognize that discomfort, understand where it's coming from, and remember that your job is to help others achieve goals — not achieve them yourself.

\n

If you're feeling unproductive, take a critical look at your workload and discuss it with your boss. Is your day spent on tasks that distract from your core role of people management? In a perfect world, managers would spend the vast majority of their time coaching, directing, mentoring, and giving feedback. While it's sometimes necessary to take on non-coaching tasks to help out your team, doing too many projects yourself will split your focus and therefore reduce your productivity. No productivity \"hack\" will solve a focus issue — those are helpful, but only after your focus is appropriately balanced.

\n

Measure the Team's Entire Output

\n

Coaching is a wholly different skillset and requires a different set of goals. Your work isn't about you, it's about the people you're supporting. Your success is measured by the entire team, not by one person's performance.

\n

According to Andy Grove in High Output Management, a coach's output is equal to the output of their team and the output of neighboring organizations under their influence. Success looks like effective delegation, streamlined processes, and influencing direction with your unique knowledge. If decisions are delayed, projects are meddled with, or your team constantly feels frustrated, then there's room for improvement as a manager.

\n

Remember: your highest impact work is helping others meet their goals. If everything's going smoothly on your team, that means you're doing your job well. That's your goal: a happy, well-functioning team. The metrics that measure your performance as a manager should directly relate to how well your team is functioning.

\n

Once your focus is established and your goals are appropriate for your role, you're ready to tinker with systems and schedules to improve your productivity.

\n

Build the Right Management Systems

\n

Systems and processes are crucial for efficient management. Without automated systems for tracking your team, you will miss things. Sometimes, you'll miss important things. Automating aspects of people management like stand-ups/check ins and requests for feedback will help you catch small issues before they turn into big problems. A tool like Strety makes that process easy.

\n

Your system for performance management should incorporate:

\n

\n
• Collaborative meeting agendas to which your team contributes asynchronously
\n
• Customized goals with measurable success
\n
• Automatic check ins to understand how goals are progressing, what obstacles your team is facing, and how you can help
\n
• Feedback allowing you to praise in public and coach in private.
\n

\n

Strety users: Contact our success team for customized help using our employee engagement tools to build a system that works for you.

\n

 

\n

Schedule Your Day to Reduce Switching Costs

\n

Do you ever feel like you need to take a walk (or maybe a nap) after a meeting before you start another task? Switching between two different tasks is difficult—especially when those tasks don't relate to each other. If you try to work on something completely different after finishing a project without taking a break, your brain will resist.

\n

Managers who are responsible for individual contributor projects in addition to their coaching responsibilities will face switching costs all the time. People management requires a different headspace than heads-down work, and it's nearly impossible to multitask. Switching from one call to another is relatively easy, but trying to jump into a ticket escalation  right after a call can feel like an uphill battle.

\n

Pushing through switching costs might sound noble, but it isn't efficient. Instead, create a schedule that allows you to focus on one element of your job during a predetermined chunk of time.

\n

Some ideas to try:

\n

\n
• Block off \"meeting-free\" times in your calendar to focus on your heads-down work. If you're most productive in the mornings, ask your team not to schedule meetings or interrupt you with a non-urgent issue before 11am. Time blocking can be especially helpful if you're working remotely and a colleague can't physically see that you're in the middle of something.
\n
• Schedule all your meetings on certain days. A former colleague used to leave Mondays and Fridays completely open (no calls or meetings allowed) and met with his team Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. The middle of his week was almost completely spent on Zoom, but he had two focused days a week to work on other things.
\n
• Create themes for your days. If you're working on a few big projects, make Project A your focus on Monday, Project B your focus on Wednesday, and Project C your focus on Friday. Tuesday and Thursday can be \"catchall\" days to work on whatever's needed.
\n

\n

Over to You

\n

If you're ready to up your leadership game with a continuous performance management system, contact Strety for a demo of our tool. We'll make it easy!

","tag_ids":[23667170488],"topic_ids":[23667170488],"enable_google_amp_output_override":false,"generate_json_ld_enabled":true,"blog_post_schedule_task_uid":null,"blog_publish_to_social_media_task":"DONE","blog_publish_instant_email_task_uid":"DONE","blog_publish_instant_email_campaign_id":null,"blog_publish_instant_email_retry_count":null,"keywords":[],"composition_id":0,"use_featured_image":true,"published_at":1599765419237,"head_html":null,"footer_html":null,"attached_stylesheets":[],"enable_domain_stylesheets":null,"include_default_custom_css":null,"past_mab_experiment_ids":[],"featured_image_alt_text":"Businessman","layout_sections":{},"meta_description":"Meaningful productivity for any manager requires a mix of the right systems, the right goals, and the right schedule. Here's how to get there in 2020.","meta_keywords":null,"password":null,"enable_layout_stylesheets":null,"tweet":null,"tweet_at":null,"campaign_name":null,"campaign_utm":null,"tweet_immediately":false,"publish_immediately":true,"security_state":"NONE","placement_guids":[],"property_for_dynamic_page_title":null,"property_for_dynamic_page_slug":null,"property_for_dynamic_page_meta_description":null,"property_for_dynamic_page_featured_image":null,"property_for_dynamic_page_canonical_url":null,"preview_image_src":null,"legacy_blog_tabid":null,"legacy_post_guid":null,"performable_variation_letter":null,"style_override_id":null,"has_user_changes":true,"css":{},"css_text":"","unpublished_at":0,"published_by_id":9725277,"allowed_slug_conflict":false,"ai_features":{"empty":true,"present":false},"link_rel_canonical_url":null,"page_redirected":false,"page_expiry_enabled":null,"page_expiry_date":null,"page_expiry_redirect_id":null,"page_expiry_redirect_url":null,"deleted_by":null,"state_when_deleted":null,"cloned_from":null,"staged_from":null,"personas":[],"compose_body":null,"featured_image":"https://f.hubspotusercontent30.net/hubfs/5256430/Blog%20Images/22b.png","featured_image_width":0,"featured_image_height":0,"publish_timezone_offset":null,"theme_settings_values":null,"header":null,"last_edit_session_id":null,"last_edit_update_id":null}

{"public_access_rules_enabled":false,"public_access_rules":[],"html_title":"Managers: 5 Ways You Can Promote Career Growth and Retain Talent","post_summary":"

2020 has brought on a seismic shift towards working from home (WFH) that has increasingly blurred the line between work and personal time for many of us. This presents a unique opportunity for both employers and employees to embrace the gray area and prioritize professional skill development.

\n","post_body":"

2020 has brought on a seismic shift towards working from home (WFH) that has increasingly blurred the line between work and personal time for many of us. This presents a unique opportunity for both employers and employees to embrace the gray area and prioritize professional skill development.

\n

A 2018 Udemy Work Research Report shows us that 58% of respondent’s current employers DO NOT provide learning, development, and training opportunities. 42% of those same young professionals say career development opportunity is the MOST important factor in deciding where to work. Linkedin’s 2018 Workplace Learning Report backs that up in a big way revealing 94% of respondents would stay at a company longer if it invested in their career. The numbers don't lie, this is important to day's workforce.

\n

The #1 reason employees feel held back from learning is a lack of time. Looking at this from an employee’s perspective, I’d expect my employer to value me enough as an individual to show a vested interest in my professional growth. In today’s demanding, and now more distributed workplace, employees should not be expected to develop their skill-sets completely separate from their work. Learning needs to be incorporated and promoted through the workplace and within the scope of one's role & responsibilities.

\n

If you’re not focused on developing your talent you’re increasing the risk for sharp decline in organizational performance, engagement, and retention. For employers focussed on retaining the talent they have, your options are clear: make career development an active part of your manager-direct report relationships or lose them to companies who do.

\n

Here's what you can do to ensure you're doing your part:

\n

 

\n

How to Lead Career Development Initiatives

\n

1. Prioritize Professional Growth in One-on-One Meetings

\n

You have to know the individual career goals of every person on your team. Make this priority #1. Your one-on-one meetings are the perfect place to begin and carry-on this conversation thread.

\n

It’s equally important to get real answers, not the company-line. To facilitate honest insights, be authentic and proactively handle apprehension. Let your direct report know that it’s okay if their career goals don’t align with their current role or within the current structure of your organization, the focus is them and their development.

\n

If you’re able to solicit their honest goals and/or motivations, you’ll be in a much more informed position as a manager, allowing you greater opportunity to offer relevant learning and development opportunities. The benefit(s here and shared, extending beyond the individual and into team performance.

\n

2. Help to Identify Relevant Learning & Education Opportunities

\n

Opportunities for continued learning and skillset development will vary based on your industry, but it is a manager's responsibility to help an employee know what options are available. Linkedin shows 56% of employees would take a course suggested by their manager. Other examples to seek out and share:

\n

\n
• Online courses: Udemy, Coursera, Universities
\n
• Professional Training & Certification Programs
\n
• Conferences
\n
• Networking Events
\n
• Books & Blogs
\n
• Multimedia resources: videos, webinars, podcasts
\n

\n

Once opportunities are shared and the ball gets rolling, it’s a manager’s responsibility to hold employees accountable for pursuing any presented opportunities. 

\n

Strety Users: Use one of our 1:1 templates or set-up your own recurring Agenda Item around Learning & Development Opportunities so you can continually discuss any ongoing or upcoming opportunities with your direct report

\n

\n

 

\n

3. Share Your Professional Expertise

\n

We’re huge proponents of feedback, but unlike performance feedback, this is where you get to share your experiential feedback. Take what you know and use it to help your direct report towards their goals. 

\n

Perhaps you’re a CTO and your first-line tech wants to become a service manager within the next 3 years, that's awesome! Lay out the steps and skills they’ll need to accomplish that! Or maybe you’re Founder/CEO of your MSP and your report would like to start their own business one day? Give them a real look at what they can expect from the GRIND that is starting a business!

\n

Be candid in what you share and these conversations will help build trust that will carry-over into day-to-day operations.

\n

4. Expand Their Network

\n

Let me be clear, managers are busy people. It can be difficult to take time away from short and mid term organizational objectives to focus on long-term individual development.  While you, as a manager, need to be active in the development of your team, you don’t have to do it alone. 

\n

Leverage your established network within your field to make introductions with those in positions to offer additional mentorship. We recommend sourcing individuals from within and from outside your organization to create a more diverse and well-rounded feedback loop. 

\n

5. Promote Cross Departmental Collaboration

\n

People don’t know what they don’t know. Encourage your team to work beside and shadow other departments within your organization. Exposure may help them unearth new skills or interests they may have never otherwise pursued.

\n

Basecamp famously has everyone in the organization work with Support. It’s a huge part of their ethos. So much so that when it began to fail its intended purpose, rather than scrap it, they re-worked it and now it’s adding more value for their employees AND customers than ever before.

\n

Additionally, team members will gain more appreciation for their colleague’s work and the company will benefit from a more informed and well-rounded team 

\n

Lead and Manage

\n

The modern manager gets results - but they also lead. It’s become a prerequisite. Embrace your opportunity to help guide your team in their work and in their career. The time, effort, and energy you invest - the value you add - will make its way back to you and will make a world of different to them. Be that leader.

\n

 

","rss_summary":"

2020 has brought on a seismic shift towards working from home (WFH) that has increasingly blurred the line between work and personal time for many of us. This presents a unique opportunity for both employers and employees to embrace the gray area and prioritize professional skill development.

\n","rss_body":"

2020 has brought on a seismic shift towards working from home (WFH) that has increasingly blurred the line between work and personal time for many of us. This presents a unique opportunity for both employers and employees to embrace the gray area and prioritize professional skill development.

\n

A 2018 Udemy Work Research Report shows us that 58% of respondent’s current employers DO NOT provide learning, development, and training opportunities. 42% of those same young professionals say career development opportunity is the MOST important factor in deciding where to work. Linkedin’s 2018 Workplace Learning Report backs that up in a big way revealing 94% of respondents would stay at a company longer if it invested in their career. The numbers don't lie, this is important to day's workforce.

\n

The #1 reason employees feel held back from learning is a lack of time. Looking at this from an employee’s perspective, I’d expect my employer to value me enough as an individual to show a vested interest in my professional growth. In today’s demanding, and now more distributed workplace, employees should not be expected to develop their skill-sets completely separate from their work. Learning needs to be incorporated and promoted through the workplace and within the scope of one's role & responsibilities.

\n

If you’re not focused on developing your talent you’re increasing the risk for sharp decline in organizational performance, engagement, and retention. For employers focussed on retaining the talent they have, your options are clear: make career development an active part of your manager-direct report relationships or lose them to companies who do.

\n

Here's what you can do to ensure you're doing your part:

\n

 

\n

How to Lead Career Development Initiatives

\n

1. Prioritize Professional Growth in One-on-One Meetings

\n

You have to know the individual career goals of every person on your team. Make this priority #1. Your one-on-one meetings are the perfect place to begin and carry-on this conversation thread.

\n

It’s equally important to get real answers, not the company-line. To facilitate honest insights, be authentic and proactively handle apprehension. Let your direct report know that it’s okay if their career goals don’t align with their current role or within the current structure of your organization, the focus is them and their development.

\n

If you’re able to solicit their honest goals and/or motivations, you’ll be in a much more informed position as a manager, allowing you greater opportunity to offer relevant learning and development opportunities. The benefit(s here and shared, extending beyond the individual and into team performance.

\n

2. Help to Identify Relevant Learning & Education Opportunities

\n

Opportunities for continued learning and skillset development will vary based on your industry, but it is a manager's responsibility to help an employee know what options are available. Linkedin shows 56% of employees would take a course suggested by their manager. Other examples to seek out and share:

\n

\n
• Online courses: Udemy, Coursera, Universities
\n
• Professional Training & Certification Programs
\n
• Conferences
\n
• Networking Events
\n
• Books & Blogs
\n
• Multimedia resources: videos, webinars, podcasts
\n

\n

Once opportunities are shared and the ball gets rolling, it’s a manager’s responsibility to hold employees accountable for pursuing any presented opportunities. 

\n

Strety Users: Use one of our 1:1 templates or set-up your own recurring Agenda Item around Learning & Development Opportunities so you can continually discuss any ongoing or upcoming opportunities with your direct report

\n

\n

 

\n

3. Share Your Professional Expertise

\n

We’re huge proponents of feedback, but unlike performance feedback, this is where you get to share your experiential feedback. Take what you know and use it to help your direct report towards their goals. 

\n

Perhaps you’re a CTO and your first-line tech wants to become a service manager within the next 3 years, that's awesome! Lay out the steps and skills they’ll need to accomplish that! Or maybe you’re Founder/CEO of your MSP and your report would like to start their own business one day? Give them a real look at what they can expect from the GRIND that is starting a business!

\n

Be candid in what you share and these conversations will help build trust that will carry-over into day-to-day operations.

\n

4. Expand Their Network

\n

Let me be clear, managers are busy people. It can be difficult to take time away from short and mid term organizational objectives to focus on long-term individual development.  While you, as a manager, need to be active in the development of your team, you don’t have to do it alone. 

\n

Leverage your established network within your field to make introductions with those in positions to offer additional mentorship. We recommend sourcing individuals from within and from outside your organization to create a more diverse and well-rounded feedback loop. 

\n

5. Promote Cross Departmental Collaboration

\n

People don’t know what they don’t know. Encourage your team to work beside and shadow other departments within your organization. Exposure may help them unearth new skills or interests they may have never otherwise pursued.

\n

Basecamp famously has everyone in the organization work with Support. It’s a huge part of their ethos. So much so that when it began to fail its intended purpose, rather than scrap it, they re-worked it and now it’s adding more value for their employees AND customers than ever before.

\n

Additionally, team members will gain more appreciation for their colleague’s work and the company will benefit from a more informed and well-rounded team 

\n

Lead and Manage

\n

The modern manager gets results - but they also lead. It’s become a prerequisite. Embrace your opportunity to help guide your team in their work and in their career. The time, effort, and energy you invest - the value you add - will make its way back to you and will make a world of different to them. Be that leader.

\n

 

","tag_ids":[23667170488],"topic_ids":[23667170488],"enable_google_amp_output_override":false,"generate_json_ld_enabled":true,"blog_post_schedule_task_uid":null,"blog_publish_to_social_media_task":"DONE","blog_publish_instant_email_task_uid":"DONE","blog_publish_instant_email_campaign_id":null,"blog_publish_instant_email_retry_count":null,"keywords":[],"composition_id":0,"use_featured_image":true,"published_at":1598460343862,"head_html":null,"footer_html":null,"attached_stylesheets":[],"enable_domain_stylesheets":null,"include_default_custom_css":null,"past_mab_experiment_ids":[],"featured_image_alt_text":"Tips for Managers","layout_sections":{},"meta_description":"The best managers lead career development conversations with their team. Here are 5 ways you can help your team grow under your tutelage ","meta_keywords":null,"password":null,"enable_layout_stylesheets":null,"tweet":null,"tweet_at":null,"campaign_name":"Management Tips & Skills","campaign_utm":"Management%20Tips%20%26%20Skills","tweet_immediately":false,"publish_immediately":true,"security_state":"NONE","placement_guids":[],"property_for_dynamic_page_title":null,"property_for_dynamic_page_slug":null,"property_for_dynamic_page_meta_description":null,"property_for_dynamic_page_featured_image":null,"property_for_dynamic_page_canonical_url":null,"preview_image_src":null,"legacy_blog_tabid":null,"legacy_post_guid":null,"performable_variation_letter":null,"style_override_id":null,"has_user_changes":true,"css":{},"css_text":"","unpublished_at":0,"published_by_id":9725277,"allowed_slug_conflict":false,"ai_features":{"empty":true,"present":false},"link_rel_canonical_url":null,"page_redirected":false,"page_expiry_enabled":null,"page_expiry_date":null,"page_expiry_redirect_id":null,"page_expiry_redirect_url":null,"deleted_by":null,"state_when_deleted":null,"cloned_from":null,"staged_from":null,"personas":[],"compose_body":null,"featured_image":"https://f.hubspotusercontent30.net/hubfs/5256430/21b.png","featured_image_width":0,"featured_image_height":0,"publish_timezone_offset":null,"theme_settings_values":null,"header":null,"last_edit_session_id":null,"last_edit_update_id":null}

{"public_access_rules_enabled":false,"public_access_rules":[],"html_title":"A Performance Review Template that Really Works","tag_ids":[23667170488,23934667295],"topic_ids":[23667170488,23934667295],"post_summary":"

Performance reviews get a bad rap. Many of us have been in situations where a not-great manager used a review as an opportunity to parade failures and mistakes in front of us. Done poorly, performance reviews breed resentment, not motivation. That's not exactly productive.

\n","post_body":"

Performance reviews get a bad rap. Many of us have been in situations where a not-great manager used a review as an opportunity to parade failures and mistakes in front of us. Done poorly, performance reviews breed resentment, not motivation. That's not exactly productive.

\n\n

But done well, annual (or biannual) one-on-one performance reviews can be key to fostering employee engagement and growth. If you're a new manager or want to change the process your team uses for reviews, read on. We've compiled a template based on decades of experience leading highly effective teams. 

\n

How Do You Conduct a Performance Review?

\n

Some general principles:

\n

\n
• Do it in cycles. The first step should be asynchronous and individual, and the second should be a meeting in real time (whether virtually or in-person)
\n
• Start with a template of questions that the employee fills out about themselves (a self-appraisal) and the manager fills out about the employee. If your team wants to try 360 performance reviews, add a set of questions for the employee to answer about their manager.
\n
• A manager and employee should both share their answers with each other prior to meeting. Springing information on an employee in the moment helps nobody. Give each other time to process and think about the information in the review, whether positive or negative.
\n
• Prepare questions and comments prior to your meeting. If you've done most of the work in advance, you're ready to have a productive discussion when you meet.
\n

\n

How Do You Start a Performance Review?

\n

So you've written your self-appraisal, you've read the review from your boss, you've written your team's reviews, and you're about to log into a video chat or step into a one-on-one. What do you say? How do you start?

\n

Whether you're the manager or the employee, we recommend starting with positivity. Beginning a review with meaningful praise and celebration creates an environment in which team members feel valued and in which constructive criticism can be heard. If you start with criticism, praise feels like a consolation prize. If you start with celebration, critique feels more fair and is more likely to be adopted.

\n

At the beginning of the review, find a few specific things to celebrate from the last 6 months. If you're the employee, come prepared with notes of things you did that went well, specific people on the team that contributed to that success, and personal growth you've achieved. This is your time to brag about yourself; use it.

\n

If you're the manager, come to the review with a few specific things to celebrate about your employee. Avoid being vague; instead of complementing someone's work ethic in general terms, for instance, praise their performance during one particular week when they really showed up. 

\n

How Do You Give Good Feedback in a Performance Review?

\n

If you've started with meaningful praise (not empty celebration), then giving good feedback will probably flow naturally. To keep up the constructive, effective process, remove blame from negative feedback.

\n

We recommend focusing constructive feedback on learnings, future changes, and growth. Don't waste time rehashing bad blood or scolding someone for a mistake that happened months ago. Instead, provide an opportunity for your team to talk about what they've learned, what didn't go well that they'd do differently, and what growth they hope to make before the next review. Criticism that feels like improvement and like cheering for each other, not blame or chastising, is more likely to be heard and implemented.

\n

Often, this is a matter of a simple rephrasing. Reviews are vulnerable situations that call for thoughtful wording. This is particularly true when giving constructive feedback. 

\n

Strety Users: Drastically reduce prep time for reviews by filtering recent 360 feedback, 1:1 notes, and Check In responses for each person on your team. 

\n

How do Goals Come Into Play?

\n

There are two types of goals to consider in the performance review process:

\n

\n
1. Company goals that an employee owns or contributes to, and
\n
2. Goals the employee has for their own professional development.
\n

\n

When the two intersect, it's serendipity. They won't always intersect, so it's important to speak about both and prioritize both whenever possible. When speaking about company goals, document initiatives well in advance and ask your team what they want to impact and help them find role-appropriate ways to do so. Give your team time to think about it, solidify ownership or areas of impact in the review, and spend proceeding meetings checking in on that goal's progress.

\n

Company goals are crucial to the business, and an employee's goals for their own development are crucial for employee retention. Make space to discuss both.

\n

In Review: The Template

\n

Create a list of 2-3 questions for each of the following categories:

\n

\n
• Celebrating\n
  \n
  • What went well?
  \n
  • What are you proud of?
  \n
  • Who else on the team do you want to celebrate? etc
  \n
  \n
\n
• Learning\n
  \n
  • What did we learn?
  \n
  • What might we do differently in the future? etc
  \n
  \n
\n
• Growth and Goals\n
  \n
  • Which company initiatives do you want to own?
  \n
  • What impact do you want to have on the company before your next review?
  \n
  • What personal goals can I help you achieve? etc
  \n
  \n
\n

\n

If you're ready to incorporate better reviews into your continuous performance management system, contact Strety for a demo of our tool. We'll make this easy!

","rss_summary":"

Performance reviews get a bad rap. Many of us have been in situations where a not-great manager used a review as an opportunity to parade failures and mistakes in front of us. Done poorly, performance reviews breed resentment, not motivation. That's not exactly productive.

\n","rss_body":"

Performance reviews get a bad rap. Many of us have been in situations where a not-great manager used a review as an opportunity to parade failures and mistakes in front of us. Done poorly, performance reviews breed resentment, not motivation. That's not exactly productive.

\n\n

But done well, annual (or biannual) one-on-one performance reviews can be key to fostering employee engagement and growth. If you're a new manager or want to change the process your team uses for reviews, read on. We've compiled a template based on decades of experience leading highly effective teams. 

\n

How Do You Conduct a Performance Review?

\n

Some general principles:

\n

\n
• Do it in cycles. The first step should be asynchronous and individual, and the second should be a meeting in real time (whether virtually or in-person)
\n
• Start with a template of questions that the employee fills out about themselves (a self-appraisal) and the manager fills out about the employee. If your team wants to try 360 performance reviews, add a set of questions for the employee to answer about their manager.
\n
• A manager and employee should both share their answers with each other prior to meeting. Springing information on an employee in the moment helps nobody. Give each other time to process and think about the information in the review, whether positive or negative.
\n
• Prepare questions and comments prior to your meeting. If you've done most of the work in advance, you're ready to have a productive discussion when you meet.
\n

\n

How Do You Start a Performance Review?

\n

So you've written your self-appraisal, you've read the review from your boss, you've written your team's reviews, and you're about to log into a video chat or step into a one-on-one. What do you say? How do you start?

\n

Whether you're the manager or the employee, we recommend starting with positivity. Beginning a review with meaningful praise and celebration creates an environment in which team members feel valued and in which constructive criticism can be heard. If you start with criticism, praise feels like a consolation prize. If you start with celebration, critique feels more fair and is more likely to be adopted.

\n

At the beginning of the review, find a few specific things to celebrate from the last 6 months. If you're the employee, come prepared with notes of things you did that went well, specific people on the team that contributed to that success, and personal growth you've achieved. This is your time to brag about yourself; use it.

\n

If you're the manager, come to the review with a few specific things to celebrate about your employee. Avoid being vague; instead of complementing someone's work ethic in general terms, for instance, praise their performance during one particular week when they really showed up. 

\n

How Do You Give Good Feedback in a Performance Review?

\n

If you've started with meaningful praise (not empty celebration), then giving good feedback will probably flow naturally. To keep up the constructive, effective process, remove blame from negative feedback.

\n

We recommend focusing constructive feedback on learnings, future changes, and growth. Don't waste time rehashing bad blood or scolding someone for a mistake that happened months ago. Instead, provide an opportunity for your team to talk about what they've learned, what didn't go well that they'd do differently, and what growth they hope to make before the next review. Criticism that feels like improvement and like cheering for each other, not blame or chastising, is more likely to be heard and implemented.

\n

Often, this is a matter of a simple rephrasing. Reviews are vulnerable situations that call for thoughtful wording. This is particularly true when giving constructive feedback. 

\n

Strety Users: Drastically reduce prep time for reviews by filtering recent 360 feedback, 1:1 notes, and Check In responses for each person on your team. 

\n

How do Goals Come Into Play?

\n

There are two types of goals to consider in the performance review process:

\n

\n
1. Company goals that an employee owns or contributes to, and
\n
2. Goals the employee has for their own professional development.
\n

\n

When the two intersect, it's serendipity. They won't always intersect, so it's important to speak about both and prioritize both whenever possible. When speaking about company goals, document initiatives well in advance and ask your team what they want to impact and help them find role-appropriate ways to do so. Give your team time to think about it, solidify ownership or areas of impact in the review, and spend proceeding meetings checking in on that goal's progress.

\n

Company goals are crucial to the business, and an employee's goals for their own development are crucial for employee retention. Make space to discuss both.

\n

In Review: The Template

\n

Create a list of 2-3 questions for each of the following categories:

\n

\n
• Celebrating\n
  \n
  • What went well?
  \n
  • What are you proud of?
  \n
  • Who else on the team do you want to celebrate? etc
  \n
  \n
\n
• Learning\n
  \n
  • What did we learn?
  \n
  • What might we do differently in the future? etc
  \n
  \n
\n
• Growth and Goals\n
  \n
  • Which company initiatives do you want to own?
  \n
  • What impact do you want to have on the company before your next review?
  \n
  • What personal goals can I help you achieve? etc
  \n
  \n
\n

\n

If you're ready to incorporate better reviews into your continuous performance management system, contact Strety for a demo of our tool. We'll make this easy!

","enable_google_amp_output_override":false,"generate_json_ld_enabled":true,"use_featured_image":true,"blog_post_schedule_task_uid":null,"blog_publish_to_social_media_task":"DONE","blog_publish_instant_email_task_uid":"DONE","blog_publish_instant_email_campaign_id":null,"blog_publish_instant_email_retry_count":null,"keywords":[],"composition_id":0,"layout_sections":{},"past_mab_experiment_ids":[],"meta_description":"Done well, performance reviews can be a key to fostering employee engagement. Here's the template we've found most effective; tailor it for your team.","meta_keywords":null,"featured_image_alt_text":"","enable_layout_stylesheets":null,"tweet":null,"tweet_at":null,"campaign_name":null,"campaign_utm":null,"tweet_immediately":false,"publish_immediately":false,"security_state":"NONE","placement_guids":[],"property_for_dynamic_page_title":null,"property_for_dynamic_page_slug":null,"property_for_dynamic_page_meta_description":null,"property_for_dynamic_page_featured_image":null,"property_for_dynamic_page_canonical_url":null,"preview_image_src":null,"legacy_blog_tabid":null,"legacy_post_guid":null,"performable_variation_letter":null,"style_override_id":null,"has_user_changes":true,"css":{},"css_text":"","unpublished_at":0,"published_by_id":10284841,"allowed_slug_conflict":false,"ai_features":{"empty":true,"present":false},"link_rel_canonical_url":null,"page_redirected":false,"page_expiry_enabled":null,"page_expiry_date":null,"page_expiry_redirect_id":null,"page_expiry_redirect_url":null,"deleted_by":null,"state_when_deleted":null,"cloned_from":null,"staged_from":null,"personas":[],"compose_body":null,"featured_image":"https://f.hubspotusercontent30.net/hubfs/5256430/Screen%20Shot%202020-07-27%20at%205.25.28%20PM.png","featured_image_width":0,"featured_image_height":0,"publish_timezone_offset":null,"theme_settings_values":null,"head_html":null,"footer_html":null,"attached_stylesheets":[],"enable_domain_stylesheets":null,"include_default_custom_css":null,"password":null,"header":null,"published_at":1595940300253,"last_edit_session_id":null,"last_edit_update_id":null}

{"public_access_rules_enabled":false,"public_access_rules":[],"post_summary":"

Unless you’re a sales rep for Zoom, it's pretty safe to say that whatever goals you had at the beginning of the year now look like a stretch.  Now that the dust has settled from 2020’s rollercoaster first half, it’s time to climb up the tree to see if you’re still on the right path. It’s time for a midyear gut check. 

\n","post_body":"

Unless you’re a sales rep for Zoom, it's pretty safe to say that whatever goals you had at the beginning of the year now look like a stretch.  Now that the dust has settled from 2020’s rollercoaster first half, it’s time to climb up the tree to see if you’re still on the right path. It’s time for a midyear gut check. 

\n\n

This year more than ever, it’s vital to do a mid-year review with your direct report or manager. Reviewing the last 6 months worth of work and assessing what stays and what goes will yield one of the highest ROI's of any meeting on your Q3 calendar. It does not have to be a very long meeting, but it does have to be very intentional. 

\n

For starters it's a good time to check with your counterpart on how they're feeling about their progress this year. You may have done this more casually throughout the year already but it's important to give the discussion some structure, to record the meeting, and to assign and track any actions or to-dos that come out of it.

\n

To kick it off, review what was planned at the beginning of the year: What were the numbers or outcomes that were agreed upon to signal success on your yearly goals? You should both ask yourselves “are these still appropriate goals considering how the year has gone”?. Adjusting goal-targets is a huge key to keeping employee morale and motivation high.

\n

You should also ask yourself “Do we need to scrap any of these goals right here and now?”. Priorities change quickly and what was important or feasible in January may not be any longer. If a goal needs to be scrapped, mutually agree on new 2nd half goals that take the reality of 2020’s 2nd half expectations into consideration. 

\n

 

\n

\n

 

\n

Once you've agreed upon 2nd half numbers and/outcomes, put them in writing and break them down so they're more manageable. Plan out the next major steps (2-3) that will put you on the right track to hit that number or goal for the end of the year. The, most importantly, set a regular recurring time to check in with the goal owner and get updates on their progress towards the goal or KPI.

\n

With less opportunity for in-office face-time, it’s important to get more frequent updates without taking up any additional time. We have personally used Strety's Goals & Check Ins to get more consistent reads on how everyone is doing, feeling, and progressing towards their goals and we haven’t missed a beat; effectively replacing our need for a Daily Stand Up.

\n

Lastly, praise. Everyone has faced their own personal challenges and hardships adjusting their work around WFH and a global pandemic. Remember to use the meeting to also acknowledge and emphasize what’s been accomplished amidst such a tough year. Your team will thank you for it. 

\n

 

","rss_summary":"

Unless you’re a sales rep for Zoom, it's pretty safe to say that whatever goals you had at the beginning of the year now look like a stretch.  Now that the dust has settled from 2020’s rollercoaster first half, it’s time to climb up the tree to see if you’re still on the right path. It’s time for a midyear gut check. 

\n","rss_body":"

Unless you’re a sales rep for Zoom, it's pretty safe to say that whatever goals you had at the beginning of the year now look like a stretch.  Now that the dust has settled from 2020’s rollercoaster first half, it’s time to climb up the tree to see if you’re still on the right path. It’s time for a midyear gut check. 

\n\n

This year more than ever, it’s vital to do a mid-year review with your direct report or manager. Reviewing the last 6 months worth of work and assessing what stays and what goes will yield one of the highest ROI's of any meeting on your Q3 calendar. It does not have to be a very long meeting, but it does have to be very intentional. 

\n

For starters it's a good time to check with your counterpart on how they're feeling about their progress this year. You may have done this more casually throughout the year already but it's important to give the discussion some structure, to record the meeting, and to assign and track any actions or to-dos that come out of it.

\n

To kick it off, review what was planned at the beginning of the year: What were the numbers or outcomes that were agreed upon to signal success on your yearly goals? You should both ask yourselves “are these still appropriate goals considering how the year has gone”?. Adjusting goal-targets is a huge key to keeping employee morale and motivation high.

\n

You should also ask yourself “Do we need to scrap any of these goals right here and now?”. Priorities change quickly and what was important or feasible in January may not be any longer. If a goal needs to be scrapped, mutually agree on new 2nd half goals that take the reality of 2020’s 2nd half expectations into consideration. 

\n

 

\n

\n

 

\n

Once you've agreed upon 2nd half numbers and/outcomes, put them in writing and break them down so they're more manageable. Plan out the next major steps (2-3) that will put you on the right track to hit that number or goal for the end of the year. The, most importantly, set a regular recurring time to check in with the goal owner and get updates on their progress towards the goal or KPI.

\n

With less opportunity for in-office face-time, it’s important to get more frequent updates without taking up any additional time. We have personally used Strety's Goals & Check Ins to get more consistent reads on how everyone is doing, feeling, and progressing towards their goals and we haven’t missed a beat; effectively replacing our need for a Daily Stand Up.

\n

Lastly, praise. Everyone has faced their own personal challenges and hardships adjusting their work around WFH and a global pandemic. Remember to use the meeting to also acknowledge and emphasize what’s been accomplished amidst such a tough year. Your team will thank you for it. 

\n

 

","tag_ids":[23182286584,23667170488],"topic_ids":[23182286584,23667170488],"enable_google_amp_output_override":false,"generate_json_ld_enabled":true,"blog_post_schedule_task_uid":null,"blog_publish_to_social_media_task":"DONE","blog_publish_instant_email_task_uid":"DONE","blog_publish_instant_email_campaign_id":null,"blog_publish_instant_email_retry_count":null,"keywords":[],"html_title":"Reset & Revitalize 2nd Half Performance: How to Run a Midyear Goal Review Meeting","use_featured_image":true,"composition_id":0,"password":null,"head_html":null,"footer_html":null,"attached_stylesheets":[],"enable_domain_stylesheets":null,"include_default_custom_css":null,"layout_sections":{},"past_mab_experiment_ids":[],"theme_settings_values":null,"meta_description":"Performance goals must be relevant to remain effective. Make sure your goals still reflect your organizations needs with a midyear gut check!","meta_keywords":null,"featured_image_alt_text":"midyear-performance-goals-meetings","enable_layout_stylesheets":null,"tweet":null,"tweet_at":null,"campaign_name":null,"campaign_utm":null,"tweet_immediately":false,"publish_immediately":false,"security_state":"NONE","placement_guids":[],"property_for_dynamic_page_title":null,"property_for_dynamic_page_slug":null,"property_for_dynamic_page_meta_description":null,"property_for_dynamic_page_featured_image":null,"property_for_dynamic_page_canonical_url":null,"preview_image_src":null,"legacy_blog_tabid":null,"legacy_post_guid":null,"performable_variation_letter":null,"style_override_id":null,"has_user_changes":true,"css":{},"css_text":"","unpublished_at":0,"published_by_id":10284841,"allowed_slug_conflict":false,"ai_features":{"empty":true,"present":false},"link_rel_canonical_url":null,"page_redirected":false,"page_expiry_enabled":null,"page_expiry_date":null,"page_expiry_redirect_id":null,"page_expiry_redirect_url":null,"deleted_by":null,"state_when_deleted":null,"cloned_from":null,"staged_from":null,"personas":[],"compose_body":null,"featured_image":"https://f.hubspotusercontent30.net/hubfs/5256430/19b.png","featured_image_width":0,"featured_image_height":0,"publish_timezone_offset":null,"header":null,"published_at":1595455310320,"last_edit_update_id":null,"last_edit_session_id":null}

{"html_title":"10 Check In Questions to Keep Your Team On Track Between Meetings","enable_google_amp_output_override":false,"generate_json_ld_enabled":true,"composition_id":0,"use_featured_image":true,"public_access_rules_enabled":false,"public_access_rules":[],"post_summary":"

A growing company - or the sudden absence of an office - can make it difficult for a manager to keep a steady pulse on the health and performance of their team. Daily Stand-ups and status updates can tell the story during meetings but a good manager needs a process to collect and manage team sentiment between meetings.

\n","post_body":"

A growing company - or the sudden absence of an office - can make it difficult for a manager to keep a steady pulse on the health and performance of their team. Daily Stand-ups and status updates can tell the story during meetings but a good manager needs a process to collect and manage team sentiment between meetings.

\n\n

At Strety, we call this process 'Check Ins'. Check-ins are recurring single-prompt questions managers and team leads ask to increase engagement and gain proactive insights. The right mix of questions will help surface issues and gauge the real-time health of their team between team and 1:1 meetings, effectively filling in all a manager's blind spots.

\n

In their book Nine Lies About Work, Marcus Buckingham & Ashley Goodall say  “A team with low check-in frequency is a team with low intelligence. Data reveals checking in with your team members once a month (during meetings) is literally worse than useless. While team leaders who check-in once a week see a 13% increase in team engagement, those in check-in once a month see a 5 percent decrease in engagement. There’s also a 2.7x increase in retention that accompanies frequent conversations. As if team members are saying “I’d rather you not waste my time if all we’re going to do is talk in generalities”.

\n

Check-ins are not one-sided.  You have to give to receive. The engagement boost only happens when team members regularly check in AND regularly get a reply. Buckingham & Goodall elevate this sentiment:  

\n

\n

“Checking in with each person on a team - listening, course correcting, adjusting, coaching, advising, paying attention to the intersection of the person and the real-world work - is not what you do in addition to the work of leading. This is the work of leading” 

\n

\n

The more frequent and predictable your check ins, the more real time attention you’ll be able to give to your team’s work, leading to more engagement and higher performance from your team. What we’re saying is: It Starts with You! 

\n\n

Implementing Check Ins

\n

We use check ins to keep our teams engaged and our managers informed; each one serving as its own asynchronous, one-question meeting.  Buckingham and Goodall simplify their approach by recommending managers start by asking each team member two simple questions each week:

\n

\n
• What are your priorities this week
\n
• How can I help
\n

\n

It’s less about a perfectly posed question and more about consistency, and these two check ins are a great place to start. They’re simple and they put the focus on the actual work your team is doing. This allows managers to know where they can have the most impact right now.

\n

Don’t expect your questions to be uncovering gold right away. You’ll have to find what works best for you and your team. Test, learn, iterate, repeat. Here are a few things to think about as you roll-out check ins:

\n

\n
• Cadence: How often do you want to ask certain questions
\n
• Day of the week: Ask the check in when you’ll get the best answer
\n
• Public/Private: Do you want answers to be shared with the entire team or only with you
\n

\n

At Strety, our check ins are a healthy balance of daily, weekly, and monthly work and non-work related prompts. We’ve set up questions that ensure we have a holistic view of how our people are doing while also reinforcing our company’s values & culture. Here are some examples of questions we’ve had success with to help you get going:

\n

Suggested Questions to Ask Your Team

\n\n

Daily Check Ins

\n

1. What are you working on today?

\n

Ask in the morning, make public. This should be a short bulleted or numbered list of the key tasks each team member is working on today.  Not only does this show you what your team is prioritizing but it helps break down the barriers between departments. In providing visibility into what everyone else is working on, you allow each team member to see how their work contributes to the overall organizational effort

\n

\n

2. How was your day?

\n

Ask in the afternoon, private or public. Perfect for new hires or people in new roles.  A great opportunity for your team members to reflect on hyper-specifics from their day and for a manager to provide a little hands-off guidance. It’s also a cross-referencing point with ‘What are you working on today?”

\n\n

Weekly Check Ins

\n

3. How are you feeling coming into this week?

\n

Ask Monday morning. Can be open-ended or 1-10 scale. This is about understanding everyone’s headspace. Are they coming into the week refreshed and recharged or are they carrying stress? 

\n

If the latter, it’s a great opportunity for you to help lighten their load and set the pace for a better week. Especially important for distributed team leaders since you don’t have that Monday morning visual like you would in the office.  

\n

4. What challenges are you facing?

\n

Ask this midweek.  Allows you to get ahead of any issue and to provide real-time course correction while the actual work is being done. Really push to get a response here. Maybe it isn’t directly related to the work they’re doing but to their work process; i.e. having trouble staying focused while working from home. You need to know these things, too!

\n

5. What wins did you have this week?

\n

Ask on Friday afternoon. Gives you an opportunity to recognize their work - especially the day-to-day things you may not be fully on top of. Also allows you to see where your team is placing value; what do they see as a win versus what you may see as a win? Take note of the types of work each member of your team is proud of.

\n

6. How did you feel this week?

\n

Ask on Friday afternoon.  This forces your direct report to slow down, reflect, and learn from the work they’ve accomplished. Seeing self-growth is empowering. We are BIG TIME believers in this practice.  It also gives you an opportunity to offer advice, guidance or reassurance at the end of a week reducing the likelihood any unnecessary stress gets carried into the next week

\n

Strety Users: When a Check in response requires further discussion, easily add it to any upcoming meeting agenda

\n

\n

 

\n\n

Monthly Check Ins

\n

7. What part of your role are you most passionate about? Feels the most draining?

\n

This check in will give you quality insights to how your direct report feels about their work.  Does their purpose match up with the team and organizations?  Knowing what tasks sap the energy from their day is equally as vital.  

\n

In collecting answers to these questions each month - rather than 1x/year during annual performance reviews - you’ll have the data points you need to really understand what’s motivating, driving, and/or hindering performance, helping them feel more fulfilled and perform higher year round.

\n

8. Have you been inspired or extra motivated by anything or anyone recently?

\n

Weekly or monthly prompt that encourages peer recognition.  Can also bring organization-wide visibility to silo’d work. Sources of inspiration and motivation can also come from outside work, i.e family, friends, communities, philanthropy.  We strongly encourage you to work this check in into your routine.

\n\n

Culture Building Check Ins

\n

9. What did you do this weekend?

\n

We ask this every Monday morning. This is an opportunity to learn about the person behind the role. I can’t tell you how many cool things I’ve learned about my co-workers from their weekend updates; some are excellent cooks, some read A LOT, some can run 10 miles.  In the long run, this is the stuff that truly matters when building a cohesive team.  Sharing may not come natural to everyone, so lead by example and encourage everyone to share a few photos!

\n

\n

10. If you were to recommend one ___ what would it be?

\n

\n
• movie/youtube video to watch
\n
• album or podcast to listen to
\n
• book or blog to read 
\n
• Restaurant to eat at
\n
• Recipe to try 
\n

\n

People love sharing what they’re into! These more fun questions will help your team get to know one another and could build relationships between team members through common interests or shared experiences they’d perhaps never have found out otherwise. 

\n

 

\n

How someone is feeling and how they’re performing are almost always intrinsically connected, and having a consistent pulse on both sides of a person at all times, not just during meetings, is a vital part of your role.

\n

Use these questions - or come up with you own - and you’ll be well on your way to better understanding your team, increasing engagement, and achieving better business outcomes.

","rss_summary":"

A growing company - or the sudden absence of an office - can make it difficult for a manager to keep a steady pulse on the health and performance of their team. Daily Stand-ups and status updates can tell the story during meetings but a good manager needs a process to collect and manage team sentiment between meetings.

\n","rss_body":"

A growing company - or the sudden absence of an office - can make it difficult for a manager to keep a steady pulse on the health and performance of their team. Daily Stand-ups and status updates can tell the story during meetings but a good manager needs a process to collect and manage team sentiment between meetings.

\n\n

At Strety, we call this process 'Check Ins'. Check-ins are recurring single-prompt questions managers and team leads ask to increase engagement and gain proactive insights. The right mix of questions will help surface issues and gauge the real-time health of their team between team and 1:1 meetings, effectively filling in all a manager's blind spots.

\n

In their book Nine Lies About Work, Marcus Buckingham & Ashley Goodall say  “A team with low check-in frequency is a team with low intelligence. Data reveals checking in with your team members once a month (during meetings) is literally worse than useless. While team leaders who check-in once a week see a 13% increase in team engagement, those in check-in once a month see a 5 percent decrease in engagement. There’s also a 2.7x increase in retention that accompanies frequent conversations. As if team members are saying “I’d rather you not waste my time if all we’re going to do is talk in generalities”.

\n

Check-ins are not one-sided.  You have to give to receive. The engagement boost only happens when team members regularly check in AND regularly get a reply. Buckingham & Goodall elevate this sentiment:  

\n

\n

“Checking in with each person on a team - listening, course correcting, adjusting, coaching, advising, paying attention to the intersection of the person and the real-world work - is not what you do in addition to the work of leading. This is the work of leading” 

\n

\n

The more frequent and predictable your check ins, the more real time attention you’ll be able to give to your team’s work, leading to more engagement and higher performance from your team. What we’re saying is: It Starts with You! 

\n\n

Implementing Check Ins

\n

We use check ins to keep our teams engaged and our managers informed; each one serving as its own asynchronous, one-question meeting.  Buckingham and Goodall simplify their approach by recommending managers start by asking each team member two simple questions each week:

\n

\n
• What are your priorities this week
\n
• How can I help
\n

\n

It’s less about a perfectly posed question and more about consistency, and these two check ins are a great place to start. They’re simple and they put the focus on the actual work your team is doing. This allows managers to know where they can have the most impact right now.

\n

Don’t expect your questions to be uncovering gold right away. You’ll have to find what works best for you and your team. Test, learn, iterate, repeat. Here are a few things to think about as you roll-out check ins:

\n

\n
• Cadence: How often do you want to ask certain questions
\n
• Day of the week: Ask the check in when you’ll get the best answer
\n
• Public/Private: Do you want answers to be shared with the entire team or only with you
\n

\n

At Strety, our check ins are a healthy balance of daily, weekly, and monthly work and non-work related prompts. We’ve set up questions that ensure we have a holistic view of how our people are doing while also reinforcing our company’s values & culture. Here are some examples of questions we’ve had success with to help you get going:

\n

Suggested Questions to Ask Your Team

\n\n

Daily Check Ins

\n

1. What are you working on today?

\n

Ask in the morning, make public. This should be a short bulleted or numbered list of the key tasks each team member is working on today.  Not only does this show you what your team is prioritizing but it helps break down the barriers between departments. In providing visibility into what everyone else is working on, you allow each team member to see how their work contributes to the overall organizational effort

\n

\n

2. How was your day?

\n

Ask in the afternoon, private or public. Perfect for new hires or people in new roles.  A great opportunity for your team members to reflect on hyper-specifics from their day and for a manager to provide a little hands-off guidance. It’s also a cross-referencing point with ‘What are you working on today?”

\n\n

Weekly Check Ins

\n

3. How are you feeling coming into this week?

\n

Ask Monday morning. Can be open-ended or 1-10 scale. This is about understanding everyone’s headspace. Are they coming into the week refreshed and recharged or are they carrying stress? 

\n

If the latter, it’s a great opportunity for you to help lighten their load and set the pace for a better week. Especially important for distributed team leaders since you don’t have that Monday morning visual like you would in the office.  

\n

4. What challenges are you facing?

\n

Ask this midweek.  Allows you to get ahead of any issue and to provide real-time course correction while the actual work is being done. Really push to get a response here. Maybe it isn’t directly related to the work they’re doing but to their work process; i.e. having trouble staying focused while working from home. You need to know these things, too!

\n

5. What wins did you have this week?

\n

Ask on Friday afternoon. Gives you an opportunity to recognize their work - especially the day-to-day things you may not be fully on top of. Also allows you to see where your team is placing value; what do they see as a win versus what you may see as a win? Take note of the types of work each member of your team is proud of.

\n

6. How did you feel this week?

\n

Ask on Friday afternoon.  This forces your direct report to slow down, reflect, and learn from the work they’ve accomplished. Seeing self-growth is empowering. We are BIG TIME believers in this practice.  It also gives you an opportunity to offer advice, guidance or reassurance at the end of a week reducing the likelihood any unnecessary stress gets carried into the next week

\n

Strety Users: When a Check in response requires further discussion, easily add it to any upcoming meeting agenda

\n

\n

 

\n\n

Monthly Check Ins

\n

7. What part of your role are you most passionate about? Feels the most draining?

\n

This check in will give you quality insights to how your direct report feels about their work.  Does their purpose match up with the team and organizations?  Knowing what tasks sap the energy from their day is equally as vital.  

\n

In collecting answers to these questions each month - rather than 1x/year during annual performance reviews - you’ll have the data points you need to really understand what’s motivating, driving, and/or hindering performance, helping them feel more fulfilled and perform higher year round.

\n

8. Have you been inspired or extra motivated by anything or anyone recently?

\n

Weekly or monthly prompt that encourages peer recognition.  Can also bring organization-wide visibility to silo’d work. Sources of inspiration and motivation can also come from outside work, i.e family, friends, communities, philanthropy.  We strongly encourage you to work this check in into your routine.

\n\n

Culture Building Check Ins

\n

9. What did you do this weekend?

\n

We ask this every Monday morning. This is an opportunity to learn about the person behind the role. I can’t tell you how many cool things I’ve learned about my co-workers from their weekend updates; some are excellent cooks, some read A LOT, some can run 10 miles.  In the long run, this is the stuff that truly matters when building a cohesive team.  Sharing may not come natural to everyone, so lead by example and encourage everyone to share a few photos!

\n

\n

10. If you were to recommend one ___ what would it be?

\n

\n
• movie/youtube video to watch
\n
• album or podcast to listen to
\n
• book or blog to read 
\n
• Restaurant to eat at
\n
• Recipe to try 
\n

\n

People love sharing what they’re into! These more fun questions will help your team get to know one another and could build relationships between team members through common interests or shared experiences they’d perhaps never have found out otherwise. 

\n

 

\n

How someone is feeling and how they’re performing are almost always intrinsically connected, and having a consistent pulse on both sides of a person at all times, not just during meetings, is a vital part of your role.

\n

Use these questions - or come up with you own - and you’ll be well on your way to better understanding your team, increasing engagement, and achieving better business outcomes.

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