WHAT ABOUT DEVELOPMENT PLANS? Opinions vary on this, but we’ve grown skeptical about the value of separate development plans, in part because those plans can distract staff members’ attention from pursuit of their substantive goals. When a staff member does have specific development goals, though, one option is to include them in a “key development areas” section at the end of her annual goals. This will remind both of you to revisit her progress in these areas while keeping the onus on the employee to drive herself forward. Here’s an example: Goal 4: Key Development Areas 1. Refine my meeting-running skills. 2. Learn our database software thoroughly so I can better spot opportunities for using its features. 3. Improve my ability to advise activists on strategy, incorporating more nuance and less one-size-fits-all advice. — : 2691-2701
PROGRESS: THE STRONGEST MOTIVATOR One multiyear study found that progress is the strongest motivator of performance. The authors, Teresa M. Amabile and Steven J. Kramer, wrote in “What Really Motivates Workers” (Harvard Business Review, January-February 2010, pp. 44–45, “On days when workers have the sense they’re making headway in their jobs, or when they receive support that helps them overcome obstacles, their emotions are most positive and their drive to succeed is at its peak. On days when they feel they are spinning their wheels or encountering roadblocks to meaningful accomplishment, their moods and motivation are lowest. . . . Making progress in one’s work—even incremental progress—is more frequently associated with positive emotions and high motivation than any other workday event.” Growth Don’t let your best employees get bored, and don’t make them go elsewhere to continue to grow in — 15: 3231-3241
way. Comfortable in charge. The best managers see their authority as simply one more tool for getting things done. It’s neither something that makes them nervous nor something that they lord over others. — 58: 4206-4208
You’re most likely to reach the right decision if you welcome what others have to say, while simultaneously remembering that it may be your job to make the final call. What’s more, your staff members are most likely to support decisions where they feel the decision-making process was fair. In this context, fairness means that when decisions affect them, staff members have a chance to be engaged by giving meaningful input on the issues. Fairness also means that staff members not only hear about the outcome of a decision, but about the rationale behind it in much the same way that judges often issue written opinions explaining the reasoning behind their decisions. — 58: 4214-4220