Tis the season.....for employee conversations

Sitting here at my desk this morning, it’s dawned on me we are just six weeks away from what will likely be the last working day of the year before we head off on that well deserved break for Christmas!

For many companies it is also the period where Q1 and Q2 conversations need to be completed and I wanted to share some thoughts on how you can approach this process and make it a real win for your teams and you as the leader.

Across my 20+ years working in HR and leadership, quarterly conversations, also sometimes referred to as performance conversations are often met with angst from both the leader and employee sides, and here’s the gem, they don’t need to be!

With a little planning on both sides, this very essential task in running successful teams and companies can actually be a rewarding experience for both sides.

THE WHY

Successful organisations make it a strategic initiative to understand what their employees want and require in their workplace so that they can design a workplace and implement programs that retain and engage their employees more effectively. Regardless of the size of your operation, ask yourself:

"What are you looking for to maintain the balance with your organisation and calibrate that balance in your team?"

In your role as a leader, you have the opportunity to be truly transformative, through the quality of your connection in quarterly and performance conversations.

When you consider the estimate costs of replacing an employee vary from 6 to 9 months of an employee’s salary to approximately 1.5 times their annual salary and 75% of people who leave their jobs do so because of their manager, it makes business sense to approach this area of running your business or team by going in prepared.

As a leader you’ll no doubt be aware of much of the narrative that’s been floating around in the last few years about employee experience and well-being. Expressions like, “I want to keep working from home remotely, the great resignation, quiet quitting and employee burnout are just a few.

In my experience what I know to be true is money is not everything and you as the leader can make the difference. The nature and way in which employees depart an organisation can vary regardless of the circumstances, Australian HR Institute (AHRI) refers to it as the push and pull factors and here are my top 5:

1.?????? Some do leave for money and if you can’t match it then wish them well and keep the relationship intact so the door is open for conversation down the track – I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen employees leave for their perception of greener pastures to return some months or years later having recognised the value of the team they worked with

2.?????? Some leave for a promotion they perceive is not on offer where they currently work and here it’s your job as the leader to work out what you can leverage in development or growth opportunities to counter money

3.?????? Poor or changing nature of relationships with leaders and this is often true if you’ve experienced a restructure/s across this year

4.?????? Toxic workplaces - that one rests with leadership and if you're doing 1:1's and regular check-in's, you should be able to pick this up

5.?????? Sometimes it is just life circumstance and those unexpected changes that come up for all of us like a move of residence and leaving to reduce their commute or a life moment changes the view and reorders values and priorities like an unexpected illness or death in the family for example. Like my first example above, as the leader, if you’ve exhausted every option available to you to try and retain the employee then leave the door open for a return if those circumstances settle and/or change in the future. Remember, some of the longest lasting friendships you can make in life might just be at work and a network you can turn to is invaluable in every career journey.

YOUR ROLE AS THE LEADER

It’s really not rocket science to be a great leader, and the recipe is pretty straight forward.

Your team and the employees that make up that time have a basic need from you as a leader:

"They want to be visible, seen and heard"

As a leader, you are the one who demonstrates and role models what is acceptable and what is not aligned to the company values and principles.

The cost of employee attrition for companies can absolutely be measure on the balance sheet and you should always remember:

“Team members feel the pinch”

As leaders if you don’t give actionable feedback, how do your direct reports understand direction, expectations and goals? Here’s six areas you should look to cover off for planning out your employee conversations before the year end:

1.?????? Are you prepared to facilitate improvement: Actionable feedback helps individuals and organisations identify areas where they can make positive changes. It provides clear guidance on what needs to be done differently to achieve better results.

2.?????? Are you clarifying expectations: It helps set clear expectations and standards for performance or behaviour. When feedback is specific and actionable, people have a better understanding of what is expected of them, reducing the chance of confusion and ambiguity.

3.?????? Are you heading into the conversation motivated and engaged: Do your homework well before the meeting so you communicate constructive feedback to motivate the individual by highlighting their strengths and offering a path for growth or improvement. And here’s the magic, when people see a clear path to progress, they are more likely to be engaged and motivated to work towards their goals.

4.?????? Are you prepared to foster 2 way communication: Every employee conversation you have should include actionable feedback within a framework of open and honest communication. By doing this, you are directly embodying a culture where individuals feel comfortable sharing their thoughts and ideas, as they know that their input will be used constructively.

5.?????? Are you looking to support individual development: Actionable feedback helps employees develop their skills and competencies, it guides them in the right direction, allowing for continuous growth and learning. Providing and receiving actionable feedback strengthens trust and collaboration and as the leader, it is your job to address issues constructively with each employee so they are aligned and can work with the team towards common goals.

6.?????? Are you addressing mistakes and promoting a culture of accountability: In every business, every team, every project or program, there’s always going to be mistakes, missed targets or unmet goals. The difference you can make as a leader is facing into what is often a robust conversation so the individual, team and organisation can learn from the mistakes and make the necessary adjustments to performance, policy, structures and workflows so the mistake doesn’t happen again.

When feedback is specific, it becomes easier to identify the root causes of problems and take steps to prevent them from recurring and employees and teams are more likely to take ownership of their performance or actions and create tools and mechanisms for self-assessment and self-improvement.

Ultimately, the actionable feedback you deliver in employee conversations is instrumental in achieving desired outcomes for a business. It serves as a catalyst for positive change and helps individuals and organisations reach their objectives more effectively.

The optimum environment for employee conversations is face to face so look at your calendar and prioritise setting appointment times so you can make this happen.

I know some people struggle with face to face and it really is practice and repeat.

If you find this happening to you, try using a piece of paper as the focus point to remove feeling overwhelmed with eye-to-eye contact. Using a physical object or piece of paper as part of three-point communication not only helps to ensure clarity and accuracy but also provides a multi-sensory approach to information sharing, which can significantly enhance the overall effectiveness of communication.

So that’s my wrap on quarterly and employee conversations and let me know what you think in the comments below. Tell me what works and doesn’t work for you and of course if you need help in this area, reach into my team at Jessie Grace #employeeconversations #quarterlyconversations #employeeexperience #leadership