World of Work: Remembering The Future

I was asked last week to provide a reference for a former team member. I enjoy putting these together — when we work together every day our conversations tend to focus more on output and ‘performance’. Those themes also tend to dominate internal review processes in a lot of organisations. Writing a reference tends to focus a lot more on the relationship I had with that individual.

I have a standard process for putting them together — I start by writing down the first things that spring to mind when I think of that person. I search for the work they did in the systems we use to record and track workflow. Finally, I search for email conversations I had with them to see if anything stands out or jogs my memory.

While it’s important to consider whether that person was meeting expectations, the connection they establish with the rest of their team governs whether they will be successful in the future. The picture that reveals itself when I look back on someone’s time in our team is one of how they worked, rather than what they did. I can see how they supported other people, how they communicated, and how their motivation affected their work. It’s helpful in that it reminds me what my job is — to create and maintain an environment where motivated individuals come together and support each other.

There are occasions where I’m asked to provide a reference for someone where our experience was less than positive. I try very hard to produce something constructive — because an individual hasn’t been successful with us doesn’t mean they won’t be successful elsewhere. Someone who has issues with, say, timekeeping is not necessarily being disrespectful. Something has happened or is happening in that person’s life to create that behaviour, and this shouldn’t be the arbiter of their future opportunity.

We come back to the idea of focusing on capability rather than performance. Not what this person did in the past, but what they will be able to do in the future. Not concealing the other factors that blocked their success, but indicating how to make them successful in the future.

Fortunately, having to communicate about negative experiences is a rare occurrence. There’s a bittersweet aspect to saying “This person was fantastic and I had a great time working with them, I’m sure you will as well”.

My attention turned to how I could make these positive reflections on capability part of my ongoing relationships with members of the team. Existing biases toward performance management or rigid annual appraisal mechanisms shouldn’t stop us from having a conversation about capability that looks to the future instead of the past. Here are three things I’m going to try when working with my team:

Be aware of the environment — changes in personal or professional circumstances, or wider social issues, will inevitably impact capacity. Take some time to talk about what’s happening around us, as well as what’s happening with us.

Review relationships, not just output — relationships with the wider team and organisation are part of our working environment. The relationship between a team member and a coach, manager, or leader can often be overlooked. Make the time to check the health of this relationship: Is everyone getting what they need? Are our current practices fit for purpose?

Frame success as a collaboration — if a team member misses an objective or exceeds expectations, it’s a result of the system they work in as well as their actions. Make sure that personal contribution remains essential, but remember that it doesn’t write the whole story.