Radical frankness – secret of effective managers
It would seem that it all clearly: when employees do something wrong, the boss must indicate it to them. But it is very rare.
To explain what is a radical frankness, a co-founder of the Consulting Agency Candor, Inc. Kim Scott, who advised Twitter, Dropbox, YouTube and Google, developed a simple schedule. The right comments of the head must fall into the right upper sector.
When we know that the boss does not give a damn on us, that he is interested in us not only as in the employee, but also as in person, criticism is perceived easier. And the boss itself is easier to take the next step towards the right leadership – to be ready to call the subordinate.
Many are difficult to criticize employees, and any FIDBEK, in addition to positive, it seems impolite. But after all, the work of the boss in that and lies about the misses, and about the victories to speak with equal directness. Moreover, this is the moral debt of the head.
Scott calls the rules of radical frankness modesty, willingness to help, timeliness, necessarily personal appeal (if criticism, then with an eye on the eye; if praise, then in public), but not the transition to personality.
In the latter and is a significant difference between radical frankness. The boss must say no "you are a fool", but, for example, "you look stupid when you say" um "every three words" (this one day heard Kim Scott from his boss after speaking with the presentation).
Other behaviors
To achieve a radical frankness, you have to forget about the postulate, which is imposed on us since childhood: if you can’t say anything good, better silent. And it is not easy.
But if you doubt whether to be frank, just think about other options for the manual (the remaining three sectors on the chart).
If you can not be radically frank, the best thing you can have is rude. "Do not understand incorrectly, I can’t work with Grabians. But even it is better than not to criticize the employee, "says Kim. The worst option, in her opinion, is a manipulating insincerity, when the boss is trying to influence employees with various tricks.
However, most manual errors can be attributed to the category of destructive sympathy. Trying not to offend one employee, not criticizing him, you end up harm those who do their job well.
How to motivate employees to show radical frankness
Kim Scott gives four main advice that any leader will help create the right situation in the team.
1. Encourage Spontane Fidbek
To move daily to radical frankness, Scott advises managers to print the second schedule, hang next to his table and explain to employees what it means. Then ask them after each conversation with you to celebrate on the schedule with stickers of different colors, how was the conversation. "You will be surprised how openly people will express their opinion about your leadership," says Scott.
2. Exclude the possibility of conversations behind your back
Supervisors should avoid the role of an intermediary between two conflicting employees. It is better to insist that they first discussed their problem with each other before contacting the boss. Only if the problem is not solved in this way, it is worth intervening to the manager.
And do not forget that you need to discuss the controversial situation in the presence of both participants in the conflict.
3. Make so to say the truth was easier
If you manage managers, bring to all subordinates that they can criticize their manager.
Kim Scott offers such a way:
- First inform the managers that you are going to meet with their immediate subordinates. Give them time to get used to this thought and explain that the purpose of the meeting is to help them improve their work. Then explain the same subordinate.
- Personally, lead records during the discussion and immediately after the end of the meeting, send them to the manager. "When you yourself are recorded, you show that listening to the opinion of people, – says Scott. – And be sure to report that after the meeting, you will show the document to their supervisor, without making any amendments to the text ".
- In order for the meeting to not turn into finding out the relationship, ask for employees to allocate only the main problems. Tell me, for example: "It is always difficult to change. Do not wait for your boss completely change after one short meeting. Let’s discuss one or two times, which, in your opinion, should change in his behavior ".
- Then talk to the manager, offer specific ways to solve the problem. After a while, make sure that he fulfills his promises.
4. First, put the oxygen mask on yourself
This is not in vain talking in airplanes. You just can not take care of others if you don’t worry about yourself.
Having experienced a heavy period in a career, Kim Scott understood: the most useful thing that she can do at the moment for his team, it is not to hire excellent specialists and not attract funding, and every morning to go to jog.
Kim recalls that one rainy morning, when it was especially difficult at work, she wanted to give up jogging, but at the last moment I still changed my mind. She was already accustomed to promises, this very much, treat as seriously, as well as professional duties.
Usually, on a run, I came across hundreds of other people, but only one eccentric ran into this morning. When I caught up with him, I saw that this co-founder of my company. And although at work then a lot went awry, I realized that we were on the right track.
