One of our very valued team members once observed to me that she thought it wasn't exactly fair that 10% of the annual review was dedicated to "management practices" but that 50% of her time was actually dedicated to being a manager.
While I tried to justify that other, quantifiable components of her review were, in fact, a measurement of good management, I've come to the conclusion that she was more right than I.
Let's face it, one can get maximum review points for being under budget, but still be a horrible person. It is possible to bring a project to successful completion (short term) and invest a minimum of care in one's team.
On annual reviews, informal conversations and succession planning - how do we evaluate good leadership? Here are a few suggestions:
As much of a fan as I am of quantifiable results and deltas, let us also be comfortable with making quality judgments on an individual's leadership characteristics. Not everything can be stated in numbers.
Let's evaluate and reward our leaders for time that they spend with their teams.
We all recognize that communication is key to success, and like time spent with teams, this is observable. Reward managers for strong communication skills that build professionals and advance team members.
The ability to delegate, compromise, negotiate and coach are all signs of strong managers - let's reward those.
Genuine care and concern for the work team - often we seem to be afraid to acknowledge these great qualities, but we shouldn't. Let's be human
One of the best ways to grow strong leadership - is to recognize and reward strong leadership.
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My book, "Courageous Questions, Confident Leaders" is available on Amazon Kindle
Great post, Brent. You are so right about doing a better job rewarding leadership skills. These "soft skills" are often dismissed and not taken seriously in many organizations. Great leadership skills are what separate the top performing organizations from the mediocre.
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