In my leadership development work, I and the group I happen to be working with, will invariably discuss managing poor performance or team members who need to improve their performance. People managers/leaders at all levels often struggle with the first hurdle here, that of giving clear and unambiguous feedback and in a constructive manner.
There’s relatively simple solution here and usually that would be training in giving feedback. Simple, isn’t it?
Well yes, fixing the problem is always good, but in my experience, the solution (in this case training) often occurs some significant time after the problem reveals itself. As a result, lot of time, energy, frustration and attrition can happen in the meantime. Surely there’s another, better approach?
At the heart of my leadership development work is Leader-Member Exchange (LMX) Theory. LMX theory is a relationship-based, dyadic theory of leadership. According to this theory, leadership resides in the quality of the exchange relationship developed between leaders and their followers (team members). High quality exchanges are characterised by trust, liking, and mutual respect, and the nature of the relationship quality has implications for job-related well-being and effectiveness of employees.
So, if we consider the first 1:1 with a new team member, LMX theory would infer that this 1:1 is the start of a dyadic relationship (albeit a professional relationship) in which of course there is a power gradient Line Manager (with the power and legitimate authority) and Team Member (with less power and no legitimate authority).
So how would we structure this session and what would we say? Well, here’s what I would say.
First and foremost, my mindset needs to be that this is a dyadic relationship, meaning that it requires both of our active participation; and I would say this at the outset. I would also say that I want us to agree how we’re going to develop this working relationship, to discuss what we both need from the relationship and recognition by both of us that it will require work on both our parts.
I would tell my new team member about what they can expect from me as a leader, who I am as a leader, my leadership philosophy, what’s important to me and I would ask them what I can expect from them. I’d tell them a little about what I understand to be my strengths and my development needs, my leadership journey, my mistakes and successes, what I’ve learned from both, and I would ask them to tell me theirs.
I’d tell them about some of the things that I know I don’t appreciate, or that can lead to frustration and potentially conflict, and I’d ask the same of them. I’d ask them how they like to receive feedback; when have they received feedback delivered well and delivered badly. And from that we’d agree on the importance of feedback, and how to do it, when we need it, and we’d discuss reciprocal feedback, I’d make it clear that I need it from them as well.
The intention here is to kick off a relationship from the first 1:1 in the way you both want to it to be. You as leader are the initiator of the first conversation with a clear intention to co-create this professional relationship with them. In this relationship you want trust, accountability, clear expectations, clear standards of performance, openness, a learning & development ethos and psychological safety.
If we do indeed try this out at the next opportunity, do you think it would make conversations about performance easier? In my experience, not only does it make it easier, it reduces the need to talk about improving performance.
As you read this you may realise that to do this requires some prior thought and clarity on who you are as a leader.
As always leadership requires that we look at ourselves first.
