accountability, 131
achievement, versus advancement, 114–115
alienation, of team members, 62–63
appreciation, expressing, 13–14, 90–91, 173. See also recognition
apprenticeship model, for on-the-job learning, 144–145
assessing performance, 99, 107–109, 111–112, 137, 154–155, 172–173
assumptions
about boss’s thinking, 59
challenging your, 49, 72–73, 76
across cultures, 186–188
about weak performers, 55–59, 72–73
autonomy, 58–59
awards. See rewards
bad news. See negative feedback
binary framing, 28–30, 33–34, 36, 38, 40–41, 43
bosses
accountability of, 65, 68–69, 131
assumptions by, about weak performers, 55–59, 77–78
categorical thinking by, 56–58
compatibility between employees and, 51–52
disengagement from, 60
employee performance and, 51, 52, 58–59, 154–155
recognition of employees by, 89–94
reputation of, 61–62
set-up-to-fail syndrome and, 47–79
burnout, 62
categorical thinking, 57–58
check-in meetings, 4, 126, 109, 157, 191, 193
coaching, 85, 100–101, 118, 156–157, 159–161
collaborative mind-set, 86
company goals, 124–125
company values, tying recognition to, 91–92
compensation, 101, 107, 113, 135–145
competence-challenge balance, 137–138
compliments. See positive feedback
constructive criticism, 14–15, 100–101, 119
for experts, 8–9
for high performers, 172–178
for teams, 189–196
See also negative feedback
conversations
with defensive employees, 166–168
feedback (see feedback)
role-playing difficult, 22
with star performers, 173, 176–177
with underperformers, 155–156
about unhealthy boss-subordinate dynamics, 65–70
corrective feedback. See negative feedback
criticism. See negative feedback
cross-cultural feedback, 185–188
cultural issues, 185–188
decision making, about promotions and raises, 113, 114, 135–145
defensive employees, giving feedback to, 163–169
defensive reactions, 19, 20, 30, 33, 60–61, 163–169
defensive strategies, 165
direct reports. See employees
disengagement, 60
documentation of employee performance, 147–149
duration, of feedback, 17
effort, 16
emotions
managing, 20–21
negative feedback and, 165–166
employee records. See documentation of employee performance
employees
accountability of, 131
alienation of, 62–63
assessing performance of, 99, 107–109, 111–112, 137, 154–155, 172–173
autonomy of, 58–59
burnout in, 62
compatibility between boss and, 51–52
cultivating relationship with, 12–13
defensive, 19, 20, 30, 33, 60–61, 163–169
disengagement of, 60
emotional connections with, 15, 18
expectations for, 49, 59, 77, 98–99, 102–103, 109
feedback from, 22
goals of, 98–99, 109, 123–133, 176–177, 179
“in” group and “out” group, 49, 56–58
motivation of, 10, 15, 58–59, 140
new roles for, 137–139, 141, 143–144
performance appraisals of (see performance appraisals)
poor performance by (see under performing employees)
ranking, 101–102
reactions to feedback by, 9–10, 11–12, 15, 33, 163–169
recognition of, 89–94
relationship building with, 12–16
shutting down by, 59–61
strengths of, 118, 120–121, 175
underperforming (see underperforming employees)
employee turnover, 141–142
experts, 8–10
facts, focusing on, 18–19
false consensus effect, 29, 41
feedback
asking for, from employees, 22
asking for repetition of, 183
cross-cultural, 185–188
factual, 18–19
formal, 4, 5–6 (see also performance appraisals)
framing, 28–34
importance of, 3–4
limited time and prioritizing, 181–184
making acceptable, 43
negative (see negative feedback)
positive (see positive feedback)
preparation for, 16–18
reactions to, 9–10, 11–12, 15, 33, 163–169
reframing, 29–30, 41–44, 178–179
rehearsing, 21–22
setting for, 17–18
standardization of, 182
for star performers, 171–179
for teams, 189–196
types, 4–5
when to give, 23–24
fight-or-flight response, 11–12, 18, 20
firing employees. See termination
formal feedback, 4, 5–6. See also performance appraisals
framing
binary, 28–30, 33–34, 36, 38, 40–41, 43
feedback, 28–34
narrow, 28–30, 33–34, 36, 38–40, 43
open, 29–30
restrictive, 28, 33–34, 36, 38–44
frozen framing, 30, 33–34, 36, 41, 43
fundamental attribution error, 29, 39–40
goals
accountability and, 131
attainable versus challenging, 125
company, 124–125
of high performers, 176–179
long-term, 178–179
monitoring progress toward, 126
overcoming obstacles to, 126
personal, 127, 130–131, 174–175
planning for achieving, 125–126
setting employee, 124–125, 127, 131, 132
team, 93–94
high performers. See star performers
“in” groups, 49, 56–58, 62, 63–64
intrinsic motivation, 140
job sculpting, 127–130
location. See physical location, for feedback
managers. See bosses
manipulation, positive feedback as, 15
motivation, 10, 15, 58–59, 140
motives, assumptions about others’, 19
narrow framing, 28–30, 33–34, 36, 38–40, 43
negative feedback
common mistakes in giving, 82
cross-cultural issues and, 185–188
defensive reactions to, 19, 20, 30, 33, 60–61, 163–169
delivering, 18–19, 27–45, 81–87, 100–101, 155–156, 166–168
discomfort over giving, 81–82, 164–166
indirect approach to, 34, 36–39
motivation and, 10
need for, 7–10
phrasing of, 167
ratio of, to positive, 13–14
tone for, 166–167
neutral tone, for negative feedback, 166–167
ongoing feedback, 4–5, 21–22, 98
on-the-job learning, 144–145
open framing, 29–30
organizational values, tying recognition to, 91–92
“out” groups, 49, 56–58, 62–64
output measurement, 108. See also performance measurement
performance, assessing, 99, 107–109, 111–112, 137, 154–155, 172–173
performance appraisals, 4, 5–6
accurate measure of performance and, 107–115
compensation increases and, 101, 107, 135
constructive approach to, 100–101
delivering effective, 97–105
employee goals and, 123–133
expectations for, 98–99, 102–103
focus on weaknesses during, 117–121
holding your ground during, 101–102
input from others for, 109
laying groundwork for, 99–100
ratings and, 101–102
record keeping and, 147–149
of underperformers, 100
performance management, 110–113
performance measurement, 107–115, 137
performance planning meeting, 98–99, 123–124
performance problems, 23, 153–162, 192
performance reviews. See performance appraisals
personal connections, cultivating, 12–13
personal goals, 127, 130–131, 174–175
physical location, for feedback, 17–18
positive feedback
motivation and, 10
for novices, 8–9
pitfalls of, 14–16
ratio of, to negative, 13–14
recognition, 89–94
resentment toward, 15–16
strengthening relationships with, 13–14
for underperformers, 157–158
problems with, 14–16
for underperformers, 157–158
See also positive feedback
project debriefings, 193
proximity, 18
Pygmalion effect, 51
ratings, in performance appraisals, 101–102
recognition, 89–94
frequent delivery of, 90–91
matching award to achievement, 92–93
motivation and, 140
real-time, 142
of star performers, 173
tailoring to individual, 93
of teams, 93–94
tying to organizational values, 91–92
See also positive feedback
record keeping, 147–149
reframing feedback, 29–30, 41–44, 178–179
relationships
cultivating, 12–16
team, 192–193
reprimanding, 85
resentment, toward positive feedback, 15–16
restrictive framing, 28, 33–34, 36, 38–44
rewards
matching to achievement, 92–93
for positive change, 157–158
promotions, 135–145
raises, 135–145
tailoring to individual, 93
role-playing, 22
self-justification, 60–61. See also defensive reactions
setting, for feedback, 17–18
set-up-to-fail syndrome, 47–79
deconstructing, 55–61
intervention for, 65–76
overcoming, 63–76
overview of, 47–48
prevention of, 76–79
reversing, 49–50
self-fulfilling and self-reinforcing nature of, 53–55, 65
teams and, 62–63
skilled incompetence, 165
star performers
assessing performance of, 172–173
goals and aspirations of, 176–179
obstacles to development of, 176
productive feedback for, 4, 171–179
rewarding, 91–93, 114–115, 135–145
strengths and weaknesses of, 172–173
treatment of, 56–58
workload of, 62
stars. See star performers
subordinates. See employees
teams
empowering, 195–196
expectations for, 190–191
feedback for, 189–196
fostering relationships in, 192–193
project debriefings for, 193
recognition of, 93–94
regular check-ins for, 191
set-up-to-fail syndrome and, 62–63
structured reviews for, 191–192
temperate phrasing, 167–168
threat response, 11–12, 18, 20
timing, of feedback, 17, 23–24
tone, 166–167
top performers. See star performers
underperforming employees
assumptions about, 55–59, 72–73, 77–78
causes of weak performance in, 68–69, 154–155
consequences for, 158
giving feedback to, 3, 154, 155–156
helping, 153–162
intervention for, 65–76
performance reviews of, 100
set-up-to-fail syndrome and, 47–79
shutting down by, 59–61
talking to, 155–156