I've been thinking about performance...

I’ve been thinking about performance…

Imagine running a 5K, getting halfway through then being alerted by the organizer that the race is now a marathon. That would totally suck, right? That’s kind of what tech companies like Meta and Google are doing by “weeding out the underperformers” by creating more aggressive KPIs.?

I was talking to Daniella Alessandra Genovese from Fox Business about just that (scroll all the way down). Basically, I explained that this isn’t just about CEO’s “turning up the heat” to increase productivity, but rather a way to publicly save face while stabilizing the confidence of shareholders after a decline in growth. Not rocket science, but I want to expand on the risks to this concept.?

Creating a culture of fear worked for Jack Welch back in the day - hell it worked great! - many call him the greatest CEO of all-time. And frankly, I grew up in a culture of fear-based leadership and I out-performed most in my age bracket at nearly everything.?

Just work harder, they said.?

It will pay off, they said.?

But, it doesn't come without a price. Fear-based leadership breeds cultures of fear that result in so many outcomes that negatively shape the employee experience (think anxiety, suppressed voice, declined teamwork and burnout).

What if we flipped the model from measuring an underperforming employee to measuring a culture committed to overperformance? (Stay with me here…)

As I see it, there are three areas to measure when it comes to performance and creating an experience-based culture:

1. Knowledge: skills, development, direction, function
2. Resources: time, tools, budget, information
3. Connection: purpose, values, inspiration, collaboration

The majority of these are measurable and controllable by the company and leadership. Not everyone is going to be a perfect fit at every company, but raising the KPIs in an aggressive manner without addressing these factors could cause greater damage to the overall culture thus alienating top talent while “trimming the fat.”?

Culture can eat the best strategies for breakfast, but it’s easier for companies to put the onus on the employees when growth slows and products begin falling apart. Something to think about as we design and build the future of work.?

xRD

one. raves.

I’ve always said event professionals low key run the world. Think about it…when we meet, we change the world, businesses evolve, innovation is sparked, people unite. Every government meeting, ceremonious event, protest, dinner party, gathering, business interaction is a result of people being together. So, it’s no surprise that these party planners in Ukraine are the ones creating and organizing cleanup raves to overcome the devastation of war.?

two. time banking.

No, I don’t mean “saving time”. Switzerland just took it to another level. Think of this project as the Swiss Skymiles of senior care. Just watch. People are so clever.

three. waffle house.

Sometimes, I watch old episodes of Parts Unknown. Not because Anthony Bourdain was my second husband in most of my dreams, but because he had the most incredible way of connecting to viewers through words which inspires me to be authentic in my storytelling. (Sorry, not the point at all.) The episode where he goes to a Waffle House for the first time came up last night and took me down a dark, WH rabbit hole since it was founded in my new home of Atlanta. Here’s Everything You Need to Know About Waffle House (a fascinating read on brand authenticity imho) and my favorite Bourdain quote from the episode is the first 45 seconds below. Swoon.

four. inclusive design.

150 pieces of inclusive furniture designed for the disabled. Bravo Pottery Barn…just bravo!?

five. involution.

Speaking of culture earlier...Gen Z and Millennials in China created a new vocabulary for their disaffection with work culture. The Fortune piece is behind a paywall so I’ll summarize.

laying flat (v.) doing the bare minimum to get by?

letting it rot (v.) making the best of a bad situation

involution (v.) becoming stagnant rather than evolving?

Yikes. Much like the gen z’ers in the US, they want reasonable work hours, a decent salary, and a better lifestyle. Not the 996 environments of the past - 9am to 9pm 6 days a week. Gen Z’ers are just built different <insert shameless plug>.

Hi to all you Overthinking newbies out there! Hope you enjoy reading this a fraction as much as I enjoyed writing this edition. Feel free to spread that enjoyment.

“If you can’t take the heat then get your ass out the kitchen.” - Surprisingly NOT Mark Zuckerberg, but Coolio from his 1994 classic, Fantastic Voyage.