Got Drama? Act 3

by Bill Collier

Here we are, in Act 3 of a three-part series on eliminating – better yet, avoiding – workplace drama.

In Act 1, we dug into your company’s culture and management team.

Act 2 offered tips on dealing directly with drama queens of both genders.

Now let’s look at assigning measurables throughout your company.

Sales manager: “Larry, how many customers did you call on last week?”

Larry the Slacking Salesman: “Well ...” As expected, Larry launches into his typical weekly story, laced with excuses.

Sales manager: “Larry, we intentionally made this box on the scoreboard small so a story won’t fit. I just need to know how many customers you visited.”

Now, we all know that simply introducing numbers won’t cure all your ills. But the absence of numbers creates a void that is often filled with excuses and drama.

Here are two questions you should ask about every function in your operation:
1. How can we measure successful results in this job?

2. How can we measure the activities that lead to successful results in this job?

Some jobs have outcomes that easily and naturally can be measured. For instance, sales. Not much doubt there.

But question No. 2 requires us to dig deeper. Note that the sales manager in the example above tracks sales calls. That’s a measurable activity that leads to success in the job.

If the focus is strictly on outcomes, who knows where the discussion will lead? A question such as “Why did you miss last month’s sales target?” is begging for excuses.

Results are in the past. “Last month’s sales target” is, well, last month. It’s too late to do anything about it.

Activities are now. Tracking activities in real time gives employees and managers an opportunity to make adjustments before it’s too late.

Setting activity targets – by baking them into the job description – provides guidance for the employee. And it gives managers a tool for training and coaching sessions.

This combination of measurable outcomes and activities serves as an accountability  system that holds drama at bay.

“You’re not doing a good job” is vague at best. Even your best, nondramatic employees are likely to push back at such an assessment.“You’re at 89% and your target is 92%” is specific.

But what if the role’s outcome is difficult to measure?

Ask lots of open-ended questions of the people doing the work. Define the activities. If numbers elude you for both the results and the activities, perhaps the job’s activities become a checklist, where simply accomplishing those tasks is the deliverable.

This leadership stuff isn’t easy. There are no quick fixes. Every suggestion and solution I’ve offered requires diligent effort and patience. Stay the course. Drama belongs in the movies, not in your workplace. n

Bill Collier is the St. Louis-area coach for The Great Game of Business. He works with organizations that want to improve financial results, engage their employees and create a winning culture. He can be reached at 314-221-8558, GreatGame.com/stl, ggobstl.com or billcollier@greatgame.com.