Here is what non-confrontational talent review really causes
I have a director reporting to me that has received “meets expectations” for four years.
Three months into managing her, and I cannot believe the dumpster fire that is her team. I’m shocked at how BADLY she has been allowed to perform. 76% attrition rate and she takes 18 months to fill a single role. Entry level people on her team are expected to do the work of a product manager because she doesn’t actually have an operational hold on anything. No backlog, sprint planning or basic project management. Audits happening left and right because she passes the buck.
No strategy.
No roadmap.
No team plan.
No one year vision.
No talent development.
Nothing.
And here is what it causes: I now have to clean up every other manager’s mistake. Because THEY didn’t have the balls to deliver hard feedback and hold someone accountable, I have a choice: continue or put her feet to the fire. Turns out, her previous managers KNEW this was a problem. But they did nothing.
Her team is now working with dysfunction as the NORM. Bad habits are part of the culture. So, to clean this up means that people will see change as a bad thing. Sprint planning is suddenly too much, and they never had to do it before so why now? Why do they need to join PI planning if they never had to before?
And now, she is on a coaching plan. Dun dun dun! I’m now the bad manager who came in and suddenly she is underperforming. This never happened before, so it must be because Twizzletots is in charge!
If you are a manager in any capacity, hear this:
Learn how to have hard conversations. Practice giving feedback. Practice accountability. Practice setting a standard and then being honest when people fall short. Don’t just give a “meets expectations” if someone has considerable issues that are simmering under the surface.
Give feedback the WHOLE YEAR so that you aren’t pressured to give a “meets expectations” or “satisfactory” because you feel guilty about not delivering a message all year.
Stand up and f****** LEAD. Because I’m in the process of firing this person, when she should have been fired a year ago. I’m in the process of cleaning up years of bad culture and practice. And I’ll do it - but Jesus Christ - hold your leaders accountable.
Rant over.
comments
Directors with terrible track records are able to hold their seat for YEARS because people above don’t have the stones to verbalize what matters and hold people accountable.