Happy Sunday Everyone:
I have the best coaching students I’ve ever had this semester. Not because everyone is having banner years, they’re just more serious about getting coached. When you have more serious students, they raise your own bar and the pressure builds, and you feel it. These folks are paying a lot to get coached (3k/month) and if you’re a coach you better appreciate the need to deliver the value they expect.
The students do a 90 day survey. This survey has a bunch of questions on it, including “how is your coach impacting your life on a scale of 1-10”. If you’re a coach, that answer means everything during a semester. As coaches we pride ourselves on “the number”. This semester, I received ten 10’s, one 9, and one 7. The seven came from one of my absolute best students. First reaction is “are you freaking kidding me”…it’s a personal insult and an emotional reaction. Second thought is “why did this person rate me as a 7 and what can I do to get this higher”. I sent her an email stating exactly that…”what can we do over the next 60 days to make sure we’re in alignment to hit the value you need from me”. I would say at this point, the two of us have complete clarity on our mutual expectations over the next 60 days.
I’m bringing this up for multiple reasons.
1. Getting measured: If you’re not getting measured at your job, how the heck do you ever know how you’re doing? We need feedback.
2. No one should be a 10. I love my students who gave me 10’s but they’re not going to get anything different and maybe that’s okay (although they can now use this Sunday Thoughts to change their mind). Constructive feedback and transparent communication is how you get better. Scale to evaluate: 1-5, this was given to me by our Director of HR, in comparison to a movie star. A 3 gets the role to play the part, a 4 gets nominated for an Oscar, and a 5 wins it. Keeps it in perspective when evaluating your own efforts and others.
3. Measuring others with care: I was made aware of an internal email where a manager said of the need to review others “I’m too busy, just give them an A”. I’ll use the quote “the opposite of love is not hate, its indifference”. If you don’t care enough to give quality feedback to your team members you suck as a leader and have no business leading anyone. This probably sounds harsh but I think it’s how we all need to think about the need to evaluate our people. Evaluations are worthless if you’re checking a box, and they’re everything if you actually care about your people. I hope this creeps in your head as you’re evaluating.
4. A players need feedback: People don’t leave companies for money (for the most part), they leave or stay based on whether or not they feel cared for. When I think of the A players I work with, including myself, we all need feedback. A players want to get better, B players are okay with okay (and that’s okay), C players want to hide. Best way to keep the A players motivated is with feedback. Best way to keep C players happy, is no feedback. A player leaders give feedback, C player leaders, no feedback. Self-fulfilling prophesy one way or the other.
So my student that gave me the 7, thank you, the constructive feedback was helpful and is appreciated. I will be a better coach for it.
Enjoy the rest of your Sunday!