1. Management Skills for Communicators
MODULE 2: MAXIMIZING THE PERFORMANCE OF YOUR TEAM
Angela Sinickas, ABC
22365 El Toro Road, Ste. 139, Lake Forest, CA TEL: 714/ FAX: 714/

2. Diagnosing and handling performance issues
Aptitude x
Training
x Resources =
Desire
x Commitment =
Performance = Ability x Motivation
Source: Whetten & Cameron
© 2016, Sinickas Communications, Inc.

3. When to coach or when to counsel people with a performance problem
Coaching (“I can help you do this better): the manager passes on advice/information or establishes standards or expectations for a staffer who generally already knows there is a problem
Counseling (“I can help you recognize that a problem exists”): usually stemming from attitudes, personality clashes, defensiveness and other emotional situations
Source: Whetten & Cameron
© 2016, Sinickas Communications, Inc.

4. Principles for providing negative performance feedback
Focus on:
Behavior, not the person: “Your copy has 6 grammatical errors,” not “You’re careless”
Observations, not judgments: “Texting while I’m talking with you makes me feel you’re not fully listening to me,” not “How rude can you be?”
Specific, recent examples, not abstraction about past behavior: “In the meeting today, you said…,” not “Why are you always such a goofball during serious discussions?”
Their suggested solutions, don’t give advice: “What ideas do you have for fixing this?” not “Starting today, I want you to….”
Bite-sized chunks, not laundry lists: Deal with one issue in a discussion, not several or the person will tune out
Providing value, not just releasing your own frustrations
© 2016, Sinickas Communications, Inc.
Source: Whetten & Cameron

5. What do your employees want from work?
Don’t guess, ask them!
The most meaningful incentives will depend on an employee’s values: family, health, economic security, wealth, personal development, challenge, expertise, achievement, advancement, recognition, fame, loyalty, responsibility, friendship, affection, integrity, self-respect, freedom, etc.
Source of potential values: Blessing White
© 2016, Sinickas Communications, Inc.

6. Possible worksheet for assessing a job’s fit with an individual’s values
Importance to the employee (1-5)
Current job’s fulfillment of values (1-5)
Alternate job’s fulfillment of values (1-5)
Friendship 1 4 2
Family 5
Adventure 3
Freedom
Achievement
Responsibility
Wealth
Current job scores “11” for this person’s most important values; alternate job would score “17”
© 2016, Sinickas Communications, Inc.
Worksheet inspiration: Blessing White

7. Potential incentives for motivating communication staff
Working on a cross-functional task force
Presenting a report to senior leaders
Working in a different country
Taking a lead role in a new project
Praising work in front of a senior leader
Working from home some days
Submitting their work for industry awards
Providing more autonomy in decision-making
Professional development, tailored to the individual
Asking them to speak at a professional conference
Asking them to develop a new communication approach
Put them in charge of organizing a leadership event
© 2016, Sinickas Communications, Inc.

8. The COP model of peak work experiences
Being highly Competent at skills and behaviors that you spend most of your time doing (e.g., being at the 90th percentile of a peer group)
Working in an Organization that needs and values those skills and behaviors
Having Passion for doing those skills and behaviors (e.g., you lose all sense of time when you’re “in the zone”)
All 3 must be present at the same time for the peak experience of empowerment and engagement—where you go from good to great
Source: Zenger & Folkman
© 2016, Sinickas Communications, Inc.

9. The COP model of peak work experiences
Organization needs
Competency
Sweet Spot
Passion
Source: Zenger & Folkman
© 2016, Sinickas Communications, Inc.

10. The COP model of peak work experiences
Organization needs
Competency
Without passion for doing what you’re good at and what the organization needs, work is boring and the person is miserable
Source: Zenger & Folkman
© 2016, Sinickas Communications, Inc.

11. The COP model of peak work experiences
When you don’t feel your organization needs what you’re good at and feel passionately about, the person feels unappreciated and will likely not be paid as well as they could be in a different organization that does value those skills
Competency
Passion
Source: Zenger & Folkman
© 2016, Sinickas Communications, Inc.

12. The COP model of peak work experiences
When your competency is low on the type of work that you feel passionately about and the organization needs, the person will be motivated, but will not perform well without additional training and development—or might never perform well
Organization needs
Passion
Source: Zenger & Folkman
© 2016, Sinickas Communications, Inc.