workplace culture
Feedback that Deloitte has collected
from its regular pulse surveys so far show
that employees are responding positively
to the new approach. The final version
of Deloitte’s performance system may
change as the company continues to ask
for feedback from employees and analyzes
the overall results.
“People didn’t like the forced ranking
system that we used previously; however,
people get attached to having an overall
rating, and it does involve a shift in
mindset,” said Winkler. “Initiating the
conversation by focusing on people’s
strengths anchors the conversation from
a different starting point.”
FOCUS ON A VISION
An expert at building world-class cultures,
Cameron Herold, author of Double
Double and former chief operating officer
of 1-800-Got-Junk, talks about the importance
for organizations to create a vivid
vision that paints a picture of where their
organization is going. The CEO looks forward
three years into the future and writes
down what they want their organization
to look like, and drafts a focused, detailed
vision that is then circulated to the team
for input. The statement should be read
aloud at quarterly team meetings, and reviewed
when selecting what projects to
pursue each year.
DELIVERING FEEDBACK
A company’s culture greatly influences
how performance feedback is delivered
and how frequently. Companies with
open cultures deliver performance
feedback fluidly, in real time through
on-the-job coaching and peer-to-peer
feedback. The focus is on continuous improvement.
By training managers how
to deliver feedback to increase employee
morale, this builds a compelling culture
that inspires productivity and trust.
SHIFTING THE SYSTEM
So how do organizations transform from
the outdated method of ratings and annual
reviews towards a system built on an
inspiring culture? Shifting the mindset to
embrace frequent, candid feedback that
supports each individual to reach their
personal and professional goals is how
others, like Deloitte, have accomplished
the change. HR can train managers to develop
their coaching capability, and should
encourage all employees to provide candid
feedback to everyone they work alongside.
Herold suggests that the best way to
recognize employees is to do it frequently
and publicly.
“Look to find things employees are
doing well and things that demonstrate
living the company’s core values – and
praise employees often and publicly,” he
said. It is also important for managers
not to wait to give constructive feedback
to employees.
“Coach them early and often, and focus
on what they are doing well to raise their
skills and confidence,” said Herold. ■
Susan Power is owner and CEO of Higher
Talent Inc.
36 ❚ SEPTEMBER 2016 ❚ HR PROFESSIONAL