Posted on December 05, 2016

Let’s begin today with a 1-item quiz.  Not to worry:  the quiz is anonymous.  No need to have studied.

1.Which one of the following have you heard most often?

I can’t believe I didn’t get an ‘Outstanding’ rating on my performance review. I know I earned an ‘Outstanding’ because:

1  I was on time every day!

2  I never called in sick!

3  I have perfect attendance!

4  I work hard!

5  I have a good attitude!

If you answered, with a sigh, ‘All of them, unfortunately’ you are correct and advance immediately to the Lightening Round.  (The sigh was optional.)

It is remarkable how often employees report that timeliness, attendance, effort and attitude define top performance.  They don’t.  What they define is what we refer to as ‘the price of admission’:  the basic behaviors required for employment.  Said more directly, most employers pay their people to show up to work everyday, ideally on time, ready to work for the entire shift, able to meet their daily goals, and to do so with some enthusiasm and a positive demeanor.  While an individual needs to be employed to be considered ‘outstanding’ – hence the need for good attendance, for example – the price of admission behaviors are only the beginning. One must build on them to be considered ‘outstanding.’

The performance conversation quickly becomes more challenging when the price of admission – in addition to timeliness, attendance, effort and attitude – is error-free, high quality work performed efficiently.  This is often where a significant disconnect becomes evident between those delivering reviews and those receiving them.  Worse, this is where many delivering reviews are often stumped when asked, ‘How can I achieve an Outstanding rating if outstanding performance is what you expect from us?’

As we say in Oakland, California, hella question. But one resolved if the conversation is shifted from ‘performance’ to the much more important and much more elegant concept of contribution.  For we believe it’s not about timeliness, attendance, effort, attitude or even ‘performance,’ per se, but about what an individual contributes to the organization.  That’s where the action is and where an organization has the opportunity to make significant gains.

As you consider the concept of contribution, new, exciting possibilities emerge.  It will no longer be about showing up on time.  That’s a basic requirement, should one be interested in getting paid.  Instead, people may begin to think about what can be done to contribute to the organization.  Doing the job well, again, is what organizations pay for.  But adding value by seeking improvements, teaching/mentoring others, bringing forward ideas to enhance service and/or product quality – now that’s potentially outstanding.  Not everyone will or can do these things, in addition to performing the job well, but isn’t that precisely the point?  Being truly outstanding at work is not for everyone. It should be rarefied air.

We know that, for some, we’re advocating a quantum shift.  But don’t you think it’s time to move away from the traditional concept of performance, especially if it doesn’t produce the results you need?  And wouldn’t it be amazing if you never, ever heard again, ‘But I was here every day! On time, too!’

Think contribution. It has the power to improve the performance of your organization. It’s got legs.

Have a good week.