One on ones with direct report's staff

Submitted by delete_account_... on Tuesday April 19th, 2011 1:16 pm
in

Forums

I am a new executive at this company and am implementing the one on ones for the very first time. They have been enthusiastically received by all including a direct who is a manager with two staff reporting to him.

His two staff are feeling left out of the one on ones and I can sense they want to meet with me too. I know from your podcasts that he should implement his own one on ones after we have done ours for a few months.

We are a small team so how do I handle their feelings of being left out of the process or do I start one on ones with them and then transfer that to him once he and I have met for the few months?

Love the podcasts!!!

Submitted by mmann on Tuesday April 19th, 2011 4:22 pm

IMO exercise patience

Holding O3s with your skips will create a lot of tension between you and their manager. Your skips will talk smack about their boss, and even if they don't, their manager will think they are.

What specific behavior(s) are your skips demonstrating that you're interpreting as a longing to meet with you? Are they doing anything that impacts productivity?

--Michael

Submitted by delete_account_... on Tuesday April 19th, 2011 5:24 pm

Update

I had my O3 with the manager and mentioned that I sensed his two directs might feel they are missing out as they seem eager to participate in open communications and don't want to be the only ones left out. My DR suggested that I do the O3s but I offered instead that he communicate with them that he would be doing the O3s with them but only after he and I had been doing them for a number of weeks so that he becomes familar with the process. He agree to this.

Make sense?

Submitted by lindge on Tuesday April 19th, 2011 8:39 pm

Sounds like the right thing

If your direct writes the reviews for your skips, he should own the O3s.

Would recommend your direct listens to the O3 podcasts (including the ones about rolling out O3s) as part of his coaching on this. Would also suggest setting your direct objectives re O3s - implementing them and following through with them after implementation (or you could also have him set the objectives and agree them with you).