tl;dr:You want to "check that this person has internalized the feedback and will begin to make changes." (1) Ask them if they understand the feedback and urgency. (2) Intentionally create space and pauses to give them time to respond. (3) Ask them to reflect back what they heard. (4) Ask open coaching questions e.g. “okay, given this feedback, what are you planning on changing to be able to meet these expectations?” (5) Identify next steps.
tl;dr:Lara lists recently published resources for managing in a time of crises, including "Managering through terrible times," "Handling the emotional weight of 1:1s" and "When your manager isn’t supporting you, build a Voltron." Additionally listed are resources to build resilience and tactical templates.
tl;dr:"If you have a teammate coming to you questioning their worth and effectiveness, I want to equip you with a framework that will help this teammate recognize their successes and impact." Lara discusses the BICEPS framework that covers: Improvement, Choice, Equality / Fairness, Predictability and Significance. As well as some questions you can ask your teammate e.g. In the last year, where have you created more clarity or predictability for people?
tl;dr:Lara provides a "delegation template" that prompts the manager to describe, in one sentence, the outcome they want to see, as well as 3 phrases to complete when delegating: (1) "I will support you by…" - aim for 2-5 actions on how to provide support. (2) "You should reach out to me when…" - how and when the report should connect with you. (3) "This will be a success when…" - make this measurable and time-boxed.
tl;dr:“As a leader… if you spend all your time trying to stamp out fires, you’ll never be able to look ahead, strategize, or actually grow and evolve.” Lara walks us through the Eisenhower Matrix, which maps importance and urgency, and how that defines which tasks to delegate.
tl;dr:"It’s a lot harder to notice the magic of particular phrases or approaches when you see someone do it." Lara suggest developing this skill by noticing how other leaders speak. What do they say? How do they say it? Watch how they change the direction of the conversation, pause the conversation, decrease tension, create clarity, push back, etc... Lara suggests sitting in on meetings you normally wouldn't e.g. product or sales to pinpoint 3 new techniques or phrases that you can then start experimenting with.
tl;dr:Look at the patterns that come up in these 1:1s to identify what is proving dreadful i.e. how do you speak to each other? What topics do you cover? What’s the timing of your meetings? Which patterns bother you? Then you can reset your 1:1s by “designing your alliance” articulating what each person expects from the relationship, agreeing on how you’ll work together, and being clear about your boundaries. Lara explains in detail.
tl;dr:Managers have been softening negative feedback during the pandemic to avoid adding pressure to teammates. This can be detrimental to growth, and feedback can become difficult to understand. Lara suggest 4 things: (1) Learn how to bottom-line. (2) Focus on the facts first. (3) Tie all feedback to business outcomes. (4) Filter peer feedback for bias.
tl;dr:(1) Questioning or doubting new plans, decisions and processes matter. (2) Avoiding or being constantly checked out. (3) Fighting. (4) Bonding, or discussing issues with peers. (5) Talking about leaving the company or role. Lara provides a tactic to help counter each.
tl;dr:Assuming that outcomes are documented, clear, measurable and visible to all, lead the team through an exercise to generate a responsibilities document together. Lara illustrates this here. You're listing roles in the team and their responsibilities. If the team continues to feel stuck, coaching them using "truly curious open questions," while drafting a list of what folks need.