Inspire Star Performance through Meaningful Conversations with Your Team “If you want more top performers on your team, read this book!” ―Jill Konrath, author of SNAP Selling and Selling to Big Companies The performance review is an important part of your job as a manager or coach. But it is only a part. In order to develop team members effectively, you have to be proactive on a daily basis. This means having conversations―and not just about the weather or the game last night. Create ongoing conversations throughout the year that focus on: Developing team members to a higher level of ability - Triggering the insight and inspiration within your team members to grow in new ways - Building the skills that will enable others to accomplish their established goals - Preparing yourself and others for the performance review discussion - Keeping people motivated and moving forward toward the goals Conversations for Creating Star Performers is a vital tool for keeping team members motivated, engaged, and moving ahead every day―not just the days before an annual review. Shawn Kent Hayashi is an executive coach whose clients include Fortune 500 giants, such as American Express, Aqua, Cigna, The Federal Reserve Bank, and Merck as well as small entrepreneurial companies. Shawn Kent Hayashi is an executive coach whose clients include Fortune 500 giants, such as American Express, Aqua, Cigna, The Federal Reserve Bank, and Merck as well as small entrepreneurial companies. Conversations for Creating STAR Performers Go Beyond the Performance Review to Inspire Excellence Every Day By SHAWN KENT HAYASHI The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Copyright © 2012 Shawn Kent Hayashi All rights reserved. ISBN: 978-0-07-177994-4 Contents AcknowledgmentsIntroductionChapter 1 Engaging Star PerformersChapter 2 Conversations for Building AwarenessChapter 3 Conversations for Identifying MotivatorsChapter 4 Conversations for Identifying What Your Team Members Do WellChapter 5 Conversations for Creating Development PlansChapter 6 Conversations for Developing New SkillsChapter 7 Conversations for Getting Back on TrackChapter 8 Conversations for AccountabilityChapter 9 Conversations for Performance ReviewsChapter 10 Conversations for RecognitionChapter 11 Conversations for Succession PlanningChapter 12 Inspiring ExcellenceAppendix Creating Star Performers with a Focus on 24 Vital Skills for SuccessIndex Excerpt CHAPTER 1 Engaging Star Performers Imagine yourself having fun—what comes to mind? Now, consider what causes you to want to perform well at work. Does work triggerthe same emotions that playing does for you? I've asked these questions of hundreds of people. One conversation jumps out atme as I reflect on all the ways people have answered these questions. A bit ofbackground before I share the conversation I had with John as I was volunteeringat an Odyssey of the Mind (OM) state competition. I am a passionate volunteerfor Odyssey of the Mind. OM is a national creativity building competition forteams that are focused on solving long-term and spontaneous problems. On thisparticular day, I was matched with a partner whom I had never metbefore—this was John. He was 20-something and a recent college graduate.In our volunteer role, we were responsible for checking in teams for events andgiving them the details about what they would need next. John had a very casualstyle of communicating, and he often appeared uninterested in whatever he wasdoing. However, after observing him for a while, I realized he really was on topof every detail and knew where each team was in the lineup and what informationthe team needed next. Despite the opposite appearance, he did feel a sense ofaccomplishment in what he was doing. John had the process and pace down pat eventhough he was not projecting himself confidently. His communication and bodylanguage with people did not match the results he was producing. He was a starat the tactical work we were doing, but no one would have thought that during anindividual conversation with him. Sometimes John and I were very busy. Other times there was nothing to do. Thatis when I asked the question, "John, in your work, what causes you to want toperform well?" I could tell from the flash of his smile that he knew his answerimmediately: "When my boss is watching, or when the girl I have a crush on iswatching. The girl I want to date works in the same place I do." I asked, "Ifthey were here today, what would have been different?" He replied, "Oh, ... um,I would have shown that I knew what I was doing, and I would have been morefriendly to everyone who came up to our table for information." Then I asked,"John, when you are working, do you feel the same feelings that you do when youare playing?" He immediately said, "No! Work is work. I am glad when it is timeto go so I can then relax and have fun." In these conversations in which I've asked people what causes them to want toperform well, I've re