Sometimes our smart and productive employees struggle to meet our expectations, and it’s not clear why. In some of those cases, the answer is to use your HED:
All employees need some direction to be effective. The Hierarchy of Employee Direction (HED) shows the various types of direction we all need and how they relate to each other.
Starting at the top, and working our way down:
Observe and Act
Observe and Act is the holy grail. This is where the Magic happens, and the best work often comes from here. When someone is observing and acting they see what needs to be done and they do it. They don’t need hands on, they work to solve the problems they see, and they do it effectively – like Magic! If every employee could do this all the time we would be unstoppable. But in order for this nirvana to happen, all the direction below needs to be in place.
Day to day
Day to day interaction and conversation. How well this is done influences how much observe and act you get. It consists of 1 P and 4 Cs:
Praise
You need to let people know when they get things right, especially as a result of Magic. Do you get sick of people complementing your work? We tend to get more of what we reward, so if you’re getting something good, reward it.
Context
If a person has no idea what’s going on, they can’t provide help that is relevant. Context is the news, what’s happening, which way the organizational wind is blowing, etc.
Coaching
Everyone struggles with something, and coaching is where you can provide the help they need.
Collaboration
Many (Most? All?) problems benefit from collaboration, either within a group or without – but it often needs some help to happen. Discussing ideas & alternatives, or bringing in folks from other areas.
Correction
Mistakes or missteps need to be dealt with as quickly as possible. Waiting just diminishes the impact of any correction, and creates resentment.
Performance Reviews
Performance reviews are an important step because they are one of the ways the fit between the employee and the role can be improved. It sets expectations and plans for the future, and often contains items easily forgotten in the day-to-day – but someone in Magic will remind you if you’ve let them know in the past.
Job Description
The job description provides duties, responsibilities, sanction and boundaries.
All of these are important, but it’s their absence that causes problems.
Duties & responsibilities define deliverables and what others can rely.
Sanction and boundaries define how, when and where the employee can operate.
Company Mission & Vision
Company mission and vision provide purpose. Why are we here? Why is my job here? This is also very important, often overlooked, and like the job description conspicuous in its absence.
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