All that can be expected of people at work is to do their best; no more, no less.
The Work of a manager is to serve the staff in doing their best.
Coaching a Manager the other day his name is Frank, reviewing his goals for 2011.
One goal was to have “all employees operating at a level 3” – I asked Frank to explain what a level 3 employee is.
His response was, “A level 3 employee is one who can complete any and all necessary tasks within the department. Is able to trouble-shoot, and know how to solve all customer needs, essentially a level 3 employee can complete the task work off all the necessary jobs.” There was also a list of skills for the department, and I will save you from those.
- Me, “Frank is anybody at a level 3 right now?”
- Frank, “Yes Margaret is, she is a real help I can count on her to take care of challenges when I must be gone, and everyone knows that she is the person to go-to.”
- Me, “Frank, do you feel all your staff have the same capability as Margaret?”
- Frank, “What do you mean?”
- Me, “Alright you have 22 subordinates – right now rank them in capability."
- Frank, “What, I can’t do that!”
- Me, “Yes you can take out a piece of paper and start, you said Margaret is at the top, who is at the bottom, who is in the middle – make a list and rank them in order of your judgment. Judgment being capability and your expectations of their work.”
Frank went to work making a list, ranking the people who work for him. He changed some people in order although nothing significant.
- Frank, “Hmm I never thought it would be that easy.”
- Me, “What was easy about it?”
- Frank, “I intuitively judge their work already, putting them in a list of capability and my expectations shows me all the staffs level of work.”
- Me, “Do all of them have the capability of being a level 3?”
- Frank, “No…and if they all were much of the work would not get done.”
- Me, “What would happen if they all were level 3, according to your Role Description?”
- Frank, “Those who just cannot think like that, will become frustrated and the people who can operate at a level 3 will think their work is valued less.”
- Me, “So what can you do?”
- Frank, “Now that I have this ranking order I can coach and set goals with each person individually so they can work to fill their capability based upon my expectations.”
- Me, “What is so great about that?”
- Frank, “If each person is working as well as they can, meaning they are at their full capability – they are doing their best, and that is all I really want as a manager is people to do their best!”
All that can be expected of people at work is to do their best; no more, no less.
The Work of a manager is to serve the staff in doing their best.
Contact Mike…to do your best; and Coach others to be their best.
michael cardus is create-learning
image by Editor B
Related posts:
- 9 Indicators That a Manager is NOT Able to Handle the Complexity of the Work & some ideas of what to do about it.
- Is Your Leadership & Work Matched to Capability; How do you know?
- 5 Behavioral Values Expected of People & Leaders
- Promoted Beyond Ability and the Effects on Work
- 10 Misconceptions About People At Work
I would like to ask Frank, “why do you suppose those you ranked below the middle were operating, in your opinion, at a sub-par level?” Out of 22 people, there is a lot of room for improvement and how much of that room is Frank’s responsibility? 90%. Many low performers will generally stay low performers so we’ll let Frank off the hook for a couple people. But the rest of that lost productivity is on Frank’s shoulders.
Frank needs the training. I would like to see frank spend a day with Mike. He’d learn a lot.
Chris Reich
TeachU.com
Thank you Chris,
All people can not and will not ever have the capability to operate at Frank calls a “Level 3″. One job of management is to know what people are capable of and ensure that their tasks are matched to their capability.
If Frank’s employees are all doing their best, then there is nothing more he can get out of their work.
The level 3 employees have the smarts to operate at a higher level, within the system people who are at level 1 or 2 if that is their best will be very happy at the work matched to their capability.
I look at it like the Peter Principle – If you take someone at a lower capability and promote them because “you believe they can figure it out” they fail because they just can’t do it.