All:
I started listening before I was promoted to Supervisor. I feel it let me hit the ground running, and it allowed me to introduce some new processes to the company. Thank you.
I guess it's unusual, but I'm using a computer (low tech approach) for my version of One On Ones. As a new manufacturing supervisor, I meet with my 2 group leaders daily to discuss, and document, yesterday's above average and below average performance of our team of 20 with pen and paper. On Monday, I summarize last week's notes on a computer. Tuesday and Wednesday, we sit down as a group of 3 (supervisor (me), 1 group leader and the employee) with the computer print out, and I take hand written notes on the forms. On Thursday or Friday, I update the computer notes based on our group discussions, save them to the next week and start over. The weekly reviews are used to prepare quarterly reviews, and the quarterly review details should be the base for the next yearly performance reviews.
My version of a One On One is currently a weekly performance review. The meetings only last about 15 minutes. I take 5 minutes to hit quantitative and qualitative performance review items if they stand out from average: Quantitative…attendance, productivity, etc, and Qualitative…Judgment, Reliability, etc. The employee then has time to help us round out the details that stood out in their week. We spend the last 5 minutes going over anything we're still tracking/improving from their last review. The format seems effective at improving poor behavior. Unfortunately, it doesn't do much to increase average behavior or maintain greatness.
I know I'm missing the mark, and I'm not really improving the relationships.
This is a new process, and it's a new job for me. I speak first to give them something to talk about. It leads to their notes or thoughts, and we identify issues and new ways to approach problems from their feedback. My notes are all scored on an average and standard deviation against the rest of the team for the week. I think it shows me who's doing their job, who's standing out as a potential super star and who needs help. Right or wrong, I'm compelled to quantify and compare data.
If you've made it this far, thank you for reading and letting me organize my thoughts in a meaningful way.
If something in my note obviously stands out, and you have time, I'd like to hear your thoughts.
Thank you again,
-Cantus
My own experience
My own experience with One on One is that the best way to do them is to stick to the format religiously. I know it is a little awkward at the beginning but it gets a lot better.
Who is the O3 for?
BLUF: Make the One on One about your direct, not collecting data.
Disclaimer: I am not a manager and have not conducted O3s myself.
Mark has said that the purpose of O3s is to build relationships and the way to do that is make the O3 about the direct. This includes making the first 10 minutes "their time" and letting them talk about anything they want. Then your 10 minutes is for passing on information they need and to asking questions so you know what they need. Then the last 10 minutes is about their future.
It sounds to me like you have created "Professional Updates" from your directs. These are about the Manager, and work when initiated by the direct report. They are a substitute for O3s when the Manager doesn't initiate them.
If your goal is building relationships you have to remove data collection out of the O3s and replace it with time for your directs to talk to you. Collecting your data in this manner may be efficent but it will not help make your team more effective in the long term. Remember, you are the boss and will get the data you want. So use the O3 to further your relationship building goal, and find another way to collect data to further your other processes.
Canyon R
Reboot
Go back to basics. Follow the format: http://www.manager-tools.com/2005/07/the-single-most-effective-manageme…
They get the first 10 minutes. Whatever they want to talk about. It's about them. It's not a status update (schedule one of those separately if you need it).
(One last point: notice the clever beginning of the podcast...they model the start of the O3 by bantering about their weekend. Post-modernist self-referentiality at the launch of Manager Tools...)
John Hack
You are NOT doing One-on-Ones ...
... so it is no surprise that you are not getting O3 results. From experience, you can't finesse these, or add a few minutes of chit-chat to an existing meeting. Create separate meetings, and follow the format. They are not primarily about the daily business, they are abo ut the relationship.
You should eliminate the "performance reviews" where you and the lead gang up on the employee. They sound like torture to me, no wonder they are only marginally helpful. Perhaps implement the feedback model. You and the leads should identify the good and bad behaviors that lead to good and bad performance, and use feedback to encourage the good and reduce the bad.
These Aren't One On Ones
Thank you all for the replies.
You're right. These aren't One On Ones. Although it was the original inspiration to sit down with everyone regularly, it's definitely not how I implemented them. And, please, don't worry about anyone getting confused over the name (except me), they're just called our "Weekly Meeting."
Many people come prepared with notes about what they've done last week, what they want or need now, and where they want to be over the next few weeks or months. I'd like to have something else in place before I stop the meetings.
I will start actual One On Ones with my leaders using the form, and I'll look into the Skip Level meetings too. I have a lot to learn, and I should have applied the proven method before modifying it.
Thanks again,
-Cantus