Consider what percentage of the full meaning of communication is derived from verbal communication? Para-verbal (such as the tone of voice)? Non verbal (such as gestures)? Various research provides percentages that vary, but the general consensus is that the Verbal — the words — count only for approximately 10%, the para-verbal for 40% and the non verbal for 50%.
KUBA refers to a four-step process everyone can use to make their communication more effective and influential. When you consider engaging in communication you should take a moment and think through the KUBA process and the intention of your communication. Do so from the receiver’s perspective as well as your own.
In today’s complex world there is a plethora of business and people challenges. If one discipline, one school of thought, or one grandiose solution was the panacea for all, we would all adopt it in a heartbeat.
Unfortunately, such a single, powerful solution does not exist. If one thinks there is such a solution, it is likely that this person is part of the problem rather than part of the solution! When scanning and looking at trends worldwide, it seems that many current challenges are a bunch of C’s. C is for Complexity. Competitiveness. Change. Customer-Centric. Creativity. Collaboration. Culture. So many common challenges that make the top list of critical consideration in the management of 21st century organizations. No pun intended toward our healthcare professionals, but to illustrate the immensity of the previous C list, we could almost call it “C. Difficile”!
In the last decade we saw our share of leaders taking some liberty with financial practices and fundamental business rules. Some of them are in jail with a lot of time to rethink their choices; others are probably enjoying their gains with large hope that their choice won’t come back to haunt them.
For most employees, performance management systems are much different than what they’re used to, and before getting started, employees should complete training in the three phases of the performance management cycle: planning, performing, and reviewing.
One of the best things about a performance management program — no more lengthy, formal meetings. Rather, successful organizations make conversations about performance plans a regular, if informal, event as projects are being carried out. Such conversations and ongoing coaching are excellent tools for managing people. Further, it’s in the context of such conversations that barriers to progress are discovered. In other words, if you really want to make your program strong, you must exercise it regularly.
Once the top priorities are defined, the executive team establishes specific measures for those priorities. These metrics are incorporated into the senior executives’ performance objectives. Using the performance management system, accountabilities cascade down to the next level where managers discuss with their bosses specific goals and accountabilities that align with corporate goals. Managers then do the same with their direct reports, translating departmental goals, all the while maintaining alignment with corporate goals.
More companies are using 360-degree multirater tools for performance management. These are surveys completed by those around you — supervisors, peers, direct reports and sometimes vendors and customers. There are two major problems with this approach. First, it’s too time consuming. Especially when several performance appraisals are due at the same time, it becomes a logistical nightmare.
Annual performance review. Employee appraisal. Job evaluation. Whatever your company calls it, this process, most often perceived as the domain of the human resources department, can conjure up equal parts angst, confusion, and distrust. And that’s just on the manager’s side of the desk. Why is this? And why are employees anxious about the review process? It could be they feel reviews are arbitrary, and they have no real input or that their contributions are meaningless.
What type of leaders will you need to support your organization’s future and longevity? How many will you need for various key positions? Where’s the talent in the organization that can be accelerated to meet succession demands? These are key questions that need to be answered when you develop and implement succession management solutions. The answers to these questions are relevant as long as they take into consideration the business strategy and objectives that leaders will have to meet, the growth or diversification that the organization will face, and the current state of the talent compared to what will be required.
