Thoughts from The 100: Using Key Result Areas to Drive Performance
Last time I shared thoughts about how to keep employees motivated. (My thoughts on this important topic also are described in my new book, “The 100: Building Blocks for Business Leadership.”) Providing clear feedback is another important aspect for achieving motivational magic. It’s also important to set expectations from day one and to give frequent informal feedback in between formal reviews.
A good talent management system looks forward, provides clear and objective performance standards and encourages team members to state when he or she needs training or different tools to reach goals. At Intertech, we use Dale Carnegie’s Key Results Areas (KRAs) as a template for talent management. Four key questions guide us:
- What is the purpose of my job? The answer should be extremely simple, such as “selling our services.”
- What do I need to do to make it happen? For someone in sales, the answer might be “Call 100 potential clients every day.”
- What tools do I need to be successful? For a sales person, training in phone skills or negotiation techniques might be in order.
- How do I know when results have been achieved? As in the sales example above, reaching a specific dollar amount would be an objective measure of goal achievement.
Like any journey, arriving at your desired destination is much easier with a clear map to guide you. Think of KRAs as employee guideposts to make the journey more productive and satisfying for them and you.