Passive Updating - Any Examples?

Tony-

That's part of our performance management process. I think there's a cast out there on it...

Mark

Tony: examples of Passive Updating that I use:

- For my teams' performance objectives, they have to identify business improvement initiatives totalling 2.5% of cost for the 2008 budget. They've rolled down this same objective to all of their teams down to the front line. My next Quarterly Review meeting with my Directs (General Managers) is July 15. The General Managers meet with the Managers July 7 to identify the performance improvements the Managers have identified. June 29, the Managers meet with their Supervisors about their 2.5% initiatives. June 22 the Supervisors have a review meeting with their Foremen to talk about hte 2.5%.

- My involvement will revolve around July 15 when the rolled up initiatives are forwarded to me. I'm not going to chase any numbers until then, although I've identified it as a O3 item that I follow up with my team regularly to keep the urgency up.

Another example:

- In our city, we have a short term urgent need to review and approve land development applications. This is a critical performance piece for the department.
- We've set up a process where at our Thursday am Department meeting, we review a report on the status of Land Developent Reviews.
- The Status Reports are produced Tuesday where they are reviewed by my individual team members who take any action required to stay on schedule.
- Thursday the Status Report is a part of our agenda, and my team reports to me on their progress.
- Again...I don't chase project updates, but I've set up a process where my teams roll up their progress for review.

Hope these help!

Dorian

Let me say this differently.

Passive updating just means that YOU aren't responsible for following up on everything you've delegated to your directs. THEY are doing the task, they are responsible for keeping you informed. Failure could be failing the task, or failing to communicate appropriately.

- Weekly verbal updates from them to you in your one on ones, during which you take notes.
- Monthly written reports
- Quarterly Self Performance Reviews

Think about it: this is just what a smart direct (you) would do to make your boss's job easier. Why not ask your team to step up? Some will struggle... might as well know sooner rather than later, and avoid running around checking on everything all the time.

Pretty simple. Don't make it hard!!!

Mark

Mark,

Just to clarify, on passive updating, it is still your responsibility to track what has been delegated and that you are getting updates right?

Thanks!

Steve

No, not exactly. You're [b]responsible [/b]for the work getting done. You're NOT responsible for the tracking of it...though for many, tracking is HOW they assure it does get done. But a responsibility for a HOW? Not really.

Look, if you have someone who repeatedly proves they track things more assiduously than you do, why waste YOUR effort?

And, would I recommend you track stuff? SURE...particularly for your weaker performers...and teach your top performers that you WON'T track... they'll figure out what that means.

Mark

Mark ... thanks for the clarification on tracking. I'll keep working on the balance between WHAT and HOW plus TOP and WEAK performers.

I have put the Slide 20 - Effective Performance Management from the MT Conference into place with my team since getting back.

So far so good.

Steve