Week 1 – Lets Progress
Lesson 2 It’s all about you. When are you at your best?
Activity Complete on Page 5 of your Black Workbook titled At Your Best. The purpose of this activity is to demonstrate the difference between a strengths-based approach to development versus the conventional weakness fixing approach. The questions you will answer are
What do you do best?
What brings you joy?
What are you most proud of?
Once you have completed the exercise reflect on these questions
Has anyone ever asked you these types of questions before?
What is one thing you learnt about yourself?
Optional Activity Repeat this activity with one of your direct reports
As per the above conversation example, we want to reframe the Progress Review conversation from a scorecard to a conversation that…
Builds trust and creates a safe environment. Amy Edmondson (https://amycedmondson.com/psychological-safety/) pioneered the work on the topic of psychological safety which is defined as a shared belief held by members of a team that this group is a safe place for taking risks
Shows you care about them
Focuses on catching people doing things right. The number 1 reason people leave their jobs is that they do not feel appreciated (https://www.gallup.com/workplace/650174/employee-retention-depends-getting-recognition-right.aspx)
Motivates your team to move towards and have something to look forward to
Recap The Languages of Workplace Appreciation
The languages of workplace appreciation can be a helpful tool to achieve the above. Appreciation is critical. In research that was repeated in 1946, 1986, and 2001 by K Kovach that asked the question “What Motivates Employees?” he found workers and supervisors give different answers. Supervisors said in order of importance is good wages, job security, promotion and growth in the organisation, good working conditions, and interesting work. Coming in at 8th most important was full appreciation of work done. In contrast workers selected full appreciation of work done as number 1.
Activity On Page 6 of your Black Workbook review the 5 ways to recognise others. As you do, note the names of your direct reports next to the language you think would most likely be their preferred style.
Watch For more on the languages of workplace appreciation see the video summary
Activity If you haven’t already, discover your preferred Language of Workplace appreciation by completing the profile. Could you also get your team members to do the same and share the result.
Optional Activity Who is someone you could show some appreciation to today. Send them a quick text, e-mail or have a conversation. Make sure to be specific and include the following elements
Feeling We feel before we think. Use the phrase “I feel.” I cannot argue with what YOU feel and think. Do describe how you feel, leverage the feelings wheel https://feelingswheel.com
Behaviour What have you seen them do? What have you heard them say?
Impact As a result of this behaviour, what did you or others go on to do or be?
The Progress Review conversation impacts almost all areas of engagement including expectations, recognition, knowing someone cares about you, development, opinions count and more. See the diagram 12 Strongest Predictors of Engagement on Page 4 of your Black Workbook.
Optional Activity If you have engagement survey data available, review the results and see if you can identify if and where your team need any additional support. Consider how the Progress Review conversation could help. Note your thinking on the diagram on Page 4 of your Black Workbook.
You have completed this lesson
Remember to click the ‘Complete Lesson’ button