Every employee must know on a monthly basis how she or he is performing according to the supervisor. Saving all the info and “dumping” on the employee at the annual meeting is unfair to the employee, the supervisor, and the organization. Monthly meetings are a must for the health and well-being of all. These monthly conversations will also help the organization progress faster and farther.
Some managers are fearful of what to do and say in a monthly meeting. The following is a “Staff Development Conversation Guide” from North Point Ministries in Alpharetta, GA. All rights to this material belong to them. This is a tool they use to help their supervisors know how to craft these meetings. I appreciate that church sharing their resources.
Goal: Ensure that every employee has routine conversations with his/her boss allowing for a full bilateral dialog about all aspects of the job and permits discussion about the current situation and his/her personal and professional development.
Method:
- Every staff member should have a one-on-one meeting with his or her boss on a monthly basis. Those conversations should be designed to discuss one or more of the items mention in the goal above.
- The following five questions are examples that can be used to capture information, emotion, and foster conversation.
- What are you most excited about right now?
- What’s most challenging?
- What’s bugging you?
- What do you wish you could spend more time one?
- What can I do to help?
- Additionally, here are five questions/statements which can be used periodically to allow conversation around the work environment, personal growth, and the staff member’s future desires.
- What changes, in areas outside of your control, could be made to improve your job?
- Let’s identify specific growth area and develop a plan for improvement.
- Do you feel ready for more responsibility? If so, what type?
- Let’s discuss your priorities for your job for the next 6 months.
- What changes would you suggest to help make our team function better overall?
- Managers should have some written method to capturing critical elements of the conversations and actions that come from each one-on-one meeting.
Lead On!