When you think about behaviour competency to drive performance, consider the following key behaviour skills, and then ask yourself if you are guilty of making the assumption that your people are aware of and competent in these abilities:
1. Build and Maintain a Core Foundation Linked to Behaviour Based Expectations.
If you lack the clarity of knowing what you believe, you will lack consistency in behaviour that drives peak performance. Take for example the values statement “Integrity, Compassion, Accountability, Respect, Excellence”. From these values, it is necessary to develop clearly articulated behaviour-based expectations to be reflected in individual performance appraisals. Doing so will leave no doubt how people of this organization are expected to treat one another and their key constituents in their daily, accountable behaviour – constantly aligning these values and their resulting behaviours to drive performance.
2. Accept Responsibility and Take Initiative for Performance.
Character competence alone reflected in a core foundation and behaviour-based expectation is insufficient to drive peak performance. Technical competence, the ability to get things done and deliver results, is the opposite side of this proverbial performance coin. The simple adage to drive this behaviour is doing the right thing, the right way, for the right reasons. Do not make excuses, do not blame shift, and do not allow yourself to become a victim to avoid accepting personal responsibility and taking initiative to get things done on the one hand, and managing your behaviour performance on the other.
3. Hold Yourself Accountable.
Behaviour based expectations and taking responsibility precede accountability. Imagine, if you will, what an organization looks like and feels like without accountability – finger pointing, blame shifting, insecurity, double standards, and extremely low levels of trust. How motivated, energized, and engaged in your performance are you likely to be in such an organization? Accountability is a must in order for leaders to hold themselves and others accountable for a culture of mutual respect to drive performance.
4. Pursue Effective Communication.
Stephen R. Covey may have said it best in 7 Habits when he advised that we are to “seek to understand before we demand to be understood.” History is replete with failure in execution in a host of examples from business, politics, health care and the military related to ineffective, incomplete, and unclear communication. We have all been taught that the key to communication is listening. This is true but first you must care deeply in order to listen for effective understanding. Effective communication, as a highly influential trust behaviour, initially requires deep caring and emotional connection as you seek first to understand, before demanding to be understood. ..
CORPORATE HARMONY is grateful to Dr. Michael E. Frisina for his contributions to this entry.
Catherine is the President and CEO of CORPORATE HARMONY, providing virtual solutions for leadership development and organizational culture change. Her leadership and coaching experience as a Project Manager in an ever-changing, fast moving technological organization with unrelenting demands drove her to the realization that a positive mindset and strength-building behaviors are essential for today’s complex and chaotic organizational systems. CORPORATE HARMONY’s virtual platform of programs, coaching and performance measurement, is an innovative online technology of tested proprietary content. The world-class content of CORPORATE HARMONY’s Positive Presence Program develops the skill of ‘Positive Presence’ and the necessary ‘Positive Presence Behaviour Competencies’ for maintaining a positive and energized mindset and increased performance in today’s complex work environment, and leading to a culture of collaboration and connection. Catherine’s vision for Corporate Harmony is to bring the skill of “Positive Presence” to the corporate world as it becomes more complex, ambiguous and chaotic. Catherine is uniquely positioned to impact organizations’ productivity and long term success, with her powerful vision of eliminating bad stress from every workplace around the globe, bringing purpose into the people equation to promote healthy, productive and meaningful work cultures and turn the tide on the neglect of mental health on a global scale. Catherine is author of the book: “CORPORATE HARMONY – The Performance Link for Today’s Modern Organization” Catherine can be reached at: Catherine.Osborne@corporateharmony.ca or go to ‘contact us’ on our website www.corporateharmony.ca. Catherine is available for consultation, and can be reached by 519-695-3407.