Getting honest feedback, not as easy as it seems

Posted on March 9, 2007 by Rick Turoczy

Online feedbackEverybody loves positive feedback.

But, sometimes, positive isn’t necessarily honest. Or it’s honest, by simply dodging the real issues.

Q: How did I do on my project?

A: Have you been working out? You look great!

Lifehacker points us (“Learn the truth about yourself by conducting an online survey“) to one potential answer: an insightful post by Roman Rytov, guiding us on how to solicit honest feedback.

(English isn’t Roman’s first language (although he generally uses it better than I do), so you may have to re-read some of the stuff. But genius, my friends, knows no language.)

Roman provides a number of good tips for getting at that honest feedback, like using an online survey tool to gather the feedback. (That sounds interesting!) And allowing people to respond anonymously.

My paraphrase of his invaluable tips:

  1. Keep it short.
  2. Allow anonymous responses.
  3. Only ask applicable questions.
  4. Only ask people you know.
  5. Only ask questions that predicate action.
  6. Restrict answers to quantitative responses.
  7. Set a deadline for responses.
  8. Track who responds and who doesn’t.
  9. Take the responses to heart.

And, of course, the one unspoken tip to be inferred from this guidance: take responsibility for your own reviews. The topic about which I rant, again and again and again.

But don’t take my word for it. (Or my synopsis, for that matter.) Read Roman’s entire post, entitled “How to find [inconvenient] truth about youself?“

Posted in Feedback, Honesty, Kumquat, Performance, Review | 4 Comments

Reviews, scheduled or ad hoc? Yes

Posted on March 8, 2007 by Rick Turoczy

Current review processIf I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a million times: You need to be reading David Maister’s blog. It always gets me thinking. And, quite often, he hits on a topic that causes the folks here to descend upon his site like vultures. Only nice vultures. If there is such a thing. What’s an animal that acts like a vulture, only it’s nice? Anyone?

I’m sorry. Where was I?

Ah yes. There was another one of those posts today, entitled “The Three-Month Rule.” (Update: Link fixed.)
In it, Maister argues:

Plans and reviews ought to be conducted on a once-every-three-month cycle.

Claiming that a year is too long–and 30-days is too short–to be effective. To be truly worthwhile, he argues, these plans and reviews should follow a 90-day lifecycle, a three-month rule.

This has More than a living’s Toby Lucich, descending upon the post, honing in on the topic of reviews. Like a nice vulture. Raven. Kestrel? Whatever.

Toby writes:

The 3-month rule has merit when you are the person monitoring (i.e. manager), but not when you are the person doing the work (performer).

And there is the interesting distinction: perspective. The manager versus the managed. The boss versus the employee.

But you see, they’re both right. From their own perspectives.

The manager has the right to develop a predictable, scheduled review cycle for her employees. The employee has the right to receive immediate feedback from his peers and superiors without having to wait 90 days, one month, or two days.

But, you see, the real crux of the issue–as I see it–is “Who is in control?” And that, my friend, is neither the manager nor the employee.

From the manager’s perspective, immediate feedback and review is difficult to manage, at best. She doesn’t have the tools at her disposal to manage this process. The organization is not structured to support this kind of ad hoc review cycle. And even if the manager were able to thoroughly review each employee thirty seconds after a project completed, she wouldn’t be able to do anything with that information until the company said it was valuable.

The company controls the calendar.

From the employee’s perspective, the immediate feedback is something on which he can take immediate action. It has intrinsic value to the employee from a personal and professional level. Striking while the proverbial iron is hot. But it has little value from the perspective of the company. Again, in that ad hoc mode, the company is not structured to manage that type of feedback. They can’t do anything with it.

“Sure sure. That’s great. Come see us in a six months. During annual reviews.”

Why is this process so broken?

Oh, now you see it. Like it was coming up Broadway. Rick’s on his soapbox again to bang that drum.

It’s broken because the wrong party is in control of the situation.

The employee should be driving this process. Not the company. Not the manager. The employee. Another thing I’ll say a million times: the only constant is you, employee.

But the company needs to provide the structure for the employee to manage this process. That is the corporation’s contribution: giving the employee and the manager the ability to manage this process more effectively. Whenever it needs to occur.

Think I’m crazy? Think this “employee in charge of his/her own career” is an impossible dream? I’d love to hear it.

And, thank you, as always, David and Toby for keeping me thinking. And serving up softballs for my rants.

Posted in Accountability, Career, Corporate Culture, Goals, Kumquat, Review | 1 Comment

Dear Newbie – Risk Management Rules for your Budding Career

Posted on March 8, 2007 by Toby Lucich

Mitigating riskInherent in every conversation I’ve every had about change – aging, career shifts, marriage, parenting, promotions – is a greater or lesser concern over the risks that come with something new. Ah, FUD. It’s not that we don’t want to change and grow, just that it comes with so much fear, uncertainty and doubt.

Since “Buck up Little Camper, It will work itself out!” seems trite, I thought I’d share this instead. I came across this great list originally from RiskMetrics Group, and thought, “Isn’t this of interest for all considerations of risk?” (Obviously, my answer was yes.)

  • There is no return without risk. Rewards go to those who take risks.
  • Be transparent. Risk should be fully understood.
  • Seek experience. Risk is measured and managed by people, not mathematical models.
  • Know what you don’t know. Question the assumptions you make.
  • Communicate. Risk should be discussed openly.
  • Diversify. Multiple risks will produce more consistent rewards.
  • Show discipline. A consistent and rigorous approach will beat a constantly changing strategy.
  • Use common sense. It is better to be approximately right, than to be precisely wrong.
  • Return is only half the equation. Decisions should be made only by considering the risk and return of possibilities.

While this was intended for a professional audience that dwells on statistical probabilities and financial exposures, I wondered how one might this guidance to the risks we take in our professional careers? As much as I love the note from the boss, I think this might be an equally useful list to give out to new hires.

Imagine – (go on!) –

  • Telling that all-knowing, idealistic 24-year old that they really don’t have to know everything today. That they can ask questions, be up front about what they don’t know. How much faster would their ascent be if they could feel comfortable asking obvious questions?
  • What if it was explained that expertise and diversity BOTH were important aspects of a professional toolkit? That your company valued the discipline to learn over the narrowly pertinent content that they are being held accountable for today (and maybe one-day only).
  • What if this permission was granted someone that had been in their job for 10 years? What if we asked them to commit to the cause again, taking on new risks and potential rewards?
Posted in Career, Diversify, Reward, Risk, Transparency | 1 Comment

I have a confession to make

Posted on March 8, 2007 by Rick Turoczy

KumquatI wanted to let you in on this. Because I like you.

If you’ve been reading any of the entries at More than a living, you’ve seen us championing the value of good, solid feedback.

We love criticism. And we love discussion. Because it makes us better. We don’t know everything. As much as we like to claim that we do.

You’ve also seen us griping about the fact that there is a lack of meaningful feedback in today’s work-a-day world.

So we started searching for a solution.

Seems straightforward, doesn’t it?

Well, it wasn’t.

We didn’t find anything even remotely close to what we wanted. We found a lot of ways to quickly provide useless, watered-down feedback. Or ways to quickly populate a document with staid responses. Or ways to make it easier on the HR department. But nothing quite met our expectations.

So we continued to search. Still, no dice.

And then, we saw an opportunity.

So, in our typical “see a problem, own a problem” fashion, we’ve decided to try and solve it.

Will we do any better than anyone else? Who knows? It may be a complete trainwreck. But we have to try.

We’re calling that solution Kumquat. And if you’re interested in helping, participating, and criticizing, we’d love to hear from you.

Posted in Kumquat | 5 Comments

Potty Training, College, and Other Tasks You Should Tackle Yourself

Posted on March 7, 2007 by Toby Lucich

BabyUgh.

If you have (had) a little person in your home, you know what potty training is all about. This is a crazy mix of hope, anxiety, and sense of pending loss as your little person flirts with the idea of leaving diapers behind for a bold and independent new world. As easy as diapers are for traveling, bedtime, and landing on when they fall down, little people need to eventually move on.

Which leads me here: at some point, people need to step up and take over tasks others have fulfilled for them in the past. Diapers, wiping, picking out clothes, tying our shoes – all these things eventually come into our repetoire as we age and mature. You may not have moved out of your parents house yet (even if you’re 45), but that doesn’t mean you can dodge your professional responsibilities forever. At some point, you must become parent to your child – because you do this for yourself.

When I think about the application of this line of thinking to career management, it makes me grin (bathroom analogies often do). Wiping the smirk, we must at some point become accountable for the aspects of our life/career. You probably have blowhards in your cubicle farm, always lecturing about how they are overworked and underappreciated (I hope this isn’t you, but there is hope – read on!). These folks are never fully appreciated until they are gone, and love to share about the good-old-days and “before your time”.

All this whining? Sounds like a daycare full of three-year-olds instead of adults:

“Somebody change me!”

“I’m not getting enough attention!”

“I want what [insert name] has, not the [toy or responsibility] that I have in my hands.”

“Our boss loves you more than me.”

So you can imagine my mental model, thinking about all the overgrown, diaper-wearing babies walking the floor, drinking coffee and hanging by the copier/scanner/stapler machine. I’m inclined to think it may simply be too late for them when they hit that 5th anniversary in the same role, crying in the same beer. Hell, I’m thinking that 6 months of agony and suffering in a dirty diaper is good cause to get moving.

Step up. Move forward. Push ahead. It’s not too late. Whip that career into shape.

Just like college, your parents/boss/mentor/HR can’t do the learning for you that must occur for you to mature as a professional. This is your life, your career – can you imagine anyone being in a better position than you to plan it out, to measure its progress? How useful is the learning represented by an “A” when your roommate wrote your papers?

Working hard at what we do, which includes managing our career, is what makes us knowledgeable resources down the road. All that whining? It’s because there are too few meaningful bits of wisdom to be shared, so you get water-cooler reruns.

A simple formula for growth – work on being the mentor you haven’t found yet.

So you can’t answer all your own questions – so what? At least you’ll be asking them, and seeking out those that can answer them when you can’t find the answer yourself. And the worst case is – you may never answer to the professional challenges you face, which may simply be the markings of high aspirations.

Posted in Can vs. Should, Growth, Meaning, Mentoring | 3 Comments

Assholes 101

Posted on March 7, 2007 by Toby Lucich

AssholeWhen I get together with former co-workers, we rarely talk about old colleagues we loved, instead favoring stories about the ones who made us want to commit hara-kari in our cubicles.

You know, that guy who verbally abused his wife on the phone every day for all to hear. The manager who treated her team like a personal cage match, or the one who took pictures of herself working in the office at 2am and posted them on the company fridge. The creepy dude who charged an “erotic massage” on his corporate credit card. The overstressed team lead who was either crying, yelling or catatonic.

Yeah, those people.

Bob Sutton’s new book, The No Asshole Rule, zeros in on the worst offenders — “those who deliberately make co-workers feel bad about themselves and who focus their aggression on the less powerful.”

His Asshole Rating Self-Exam lays out some of the harbingers of doom, or you can read more about what he has to say on his blog.

Yes, it’s common sense — assholes make for toxic workplaces, lowering employee satisfaction, retention and productivity. But how many assholes do you work with that management ignores, or worse, rewards? What can you do to deal with these jerks outside of quitting, swallowing your anger (or one too many drinks)? Maybe Rick, who’s reading Bob’s book can tell us…

If all else fails, you could always nominate your favorite asshole for a new reality show.

Posted in Assholes, Career, Corporate Culture, Management, Workplace | 2 Comments

Quit treating your career like a poorly run meeting

Posted on March 7, 2007 by Rick Turoczy

Just along for the rideI was just over reading a bit of Scott Berkun’s recommendations for running meetings when I got one of those cold sweats.

No, it wasn’t because I was reliving 99.9% of the meetings I’ve ever attended when I was on the corporate side of the desk. (Now that I’m on the consulting side of the desk, meetings are much more structured and well run. And I’m not just saying that to kiss up. I actually think it’s because the people are cognizant that they’re getting charged for my time.)

No, the cold sweat was coming from one of those not-so-nice epiphanies. One of those realizations that makes you slightly ill.

Most of us–me included–manage our careers like poorly run meetings.

You know the drill for the meeting.

We show up. Probably late. Throw in our two cents. Don’t really listen to anyone else. Doodle in the margins. Have sidebar conversations. And end up leaving late. Only to be late to our next meeting. Where the whole sick cycle starts again. And then we carp about how bad meetings can be.

Now, think about you career in a similar fashion.

We show up. Probably late. Throw in our two cents. Don’t really listen to anyone else. Spend time on our own interests. Talk to some co-workers. End up leaving late. Show up the next morning, late, where the whole sick cycle starts again.

Same exact problem. Participating in a broken cycle. Just along for the ride. Going with the flow. Not rocking the boat.

What’s the secret to solving both of these issues?

Taking control.

Simple as that.

Taking control of the meeting. Not allowing others to derail it or disrespect it. Respecting the others who are participating. Actually listening.

Makes a much better meeting.

Our careers are no different.

We need to take control. Instead of just being along for the ride. Take responsibility for our careers. Because no one else is going to do it. The only constant is you.

I’m going to start trying to do a better job in that regard. I’m hoping you’ll help keep me in line.

Posted in Career, Responsibility, Wrong | 3 Comments

Tired of working for tyrannical despots?

Posted on March 6, 2007 by Rick Turoczy

Tired of working for a tyrannical boss?Well, today is the day to get out from under that thumb. Or that iron fist. Or whatever.

Today, March 6, 2007, is the first annual Democracy in the Workplace Day!

What’s a Democratic Workplace, you ask with genuine interest and childlike curiosity?

Well, take a look at WorldBlu’s list of the Most Democratic Workplaces 2007.

Who made it? Among the organizations that made WorldBlu Most Democratic Workplaces 2007 premier list were Great Harvest Bread Company, GE Aviation’s Durham Engine Facility, Honest Tea, 1-800-GOT-JUNK, Equal Exchange, Linden Lab (makers of the Second Facility Life virtual reality world), Zingerman’s Community of Businesses, SRC Holdings Corporation, Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, i-Free, and Threadless.

Read more at the WorldBlu blog or download the PDF.

Posted in Change, Corporate Culture, Democratic, Workplace | Leave a comment

Please welcome Amy Winkelman

Posted on March 5, 2007 by Rick Turoczy

Or don’t. But she’s going to be posting here, now. So, I thought I should introduce her.

Toby and I think she makes a sterling addition to the team. And we’re hoping you agree.

Amy and I have worked together, off and on, over the past–what, Amy?–seven or eight years?

She’s a brilliant product manager with a diverse history. Stanford alum. And she has some impressive HR chops, to boot.

Interested in more? Well, you can read Amy’s first More than a living post, entitled “Working on the Information Assembly Line,” or you can take a look at her LinkedIn profile. Or you can ask me.

Please join us in welcoming Amy to More than a living.

Posted in More than a living | 2 Comments

Working on the Information Assembly Line

Posted on March 5, 2007 by Toby Lucich

Cogs in the machineThe report on the rise of small businesses noted in Rick’s recent post got me thinking about why people leave or avoid corporate jobs in favor of something more personal. Many of us aren’t interested in working for large globo-corp companies that may be headquartered far away, staffed by thousands of employees you’ll never know, with a mission that may be tough to directly connect to your daily activities. The supposed “security” of these large employers is an illusion we just don’t buy into anymore.

Nobody dreams of being employee #10,239. Today’s knowledge workers in large companies can spend their day taking data from someone, doing something with it, and giving it to someone else — without any personal connection to the final product, customer or result.

I recently interviewed a candidate to replace me before I left my product management job at a mid-sized software company. He had been laid off by our area’s largest technology employer (along with hundreds of his marketing colleagues). It was shocking to hear this smart guy tell me what he actually did there — spending all of his time on an activity that was only one of many I was responsible for. He was one step in a huge workflow, with a narrowly focused job in a niche of a niche. It was like a 21st century assembly line of information, and he handled step 16 of 212. Yes, he was paid well, and I heard the benefits and stock options were great. And he and his co-workers all got laid off in one fell swoop.

What can employees do to ensure they don’t get stuck in a highly specialized role, not gaining (or losing) skills that broaden their capabilities? And with the rise of small businesses, as well as technology, tools and communities to support independent workers, how will these mega companies entice top talent to work there?

Posted in Career, Corporate Culture, Develop, Employment, Growth, HR, Motivation, Talent | 4 Comments