121s

Objective

As a leader you will have a communication strategy. Its overall purpose must be to ensure that your organisation’s vision, goals and strategic objectives are communicated to everyone who needs to hear them – and that they are communicated with a frequency and consistency that make it evident that they are serious and authentic. The commitment to deliver such messages to a wide range of staff is a demanding and time-consuming one, but is imperative if strategy and goals are to be credible.

A key element of effective performance is ensuring that all team members’ performances are consistent with the core purpose of their role, and that their objectives support the team’s strategy.

121s are a personal, face-to-face expression of these communication and performance management objectives. They are the recognition that the effective functioning of a business unit depends on strategies which bind the team together as a team, and which also create a foundation for successful one-to-one personal relationships.

121s enable clear and effective communication and performance feedback.

Context

121s are part of your communications and performance strategies, including:

• regular meetings with your immediate direct reports;
• regular communications/updates with all staff via e-mail;
• participation in regular staff meetings – the frequency of these will depend on the scale and geographical structure of the organisation;
• occasional awaydays for direct reports;
• ongoing feedback – written as well as verbal;
• formal annual appraisals.

The 121 takes its place as a key tool in personalising, regularising and standardising communication and performance management.

Challenge

All the members of a team will be aware that their positions depend on both their individual performance and the effectiveness of their relationship with their leader. Some will seek to bend your ear with their particular views and hope to gain disproportionate influence. Some leaders like it this way and play the team discordantly – setting members up against each other and deriving effectiveness from interpersonal tension. The alternative approach is collegiate – you are seen:

• to treat all members of the team equally;
• to accord to each individual equivalent respect for the legitimacy of their opinions;
• to ensure that decision-making processes apply consistently to all team members;
• to encourage healthy and open debate where differences of opinion are respected and debated rigorously, not rancorously.

By utilising 121s on a regular basis, you will provide a structure which meets the need for regular communication and consistent feedback with all your team members on a common basis.

Success

There are four main components of the effective 121.

• A general discussion of ‘how things are going’ – this may sound woolly but the goal is to provide the opportunity to take the temperature of the organisation and particular personal relationships and, most importantly, to allow an individual to raise broad concerns and issues.
• A review of personal objectives – objectives should be set for the year as a whole, and it is unlikely they should each be specifically reviewed on a monthly basis. Nonetheless, the 121 does provide an opportunity for selective review – not least because it is in your own interests that your staff meet their goals, and that performance issues are dealt with promptly.
• A discussion of current specific business issues – these will vary at different points in time. The key here is that you are engaging in the right ones, i.e. those where discussion adds value. The benefits are:
  • your colleagues see you engaging in their area of competence;
  • you can take the opportunity to learn from others’ specific skills and knowledge;
  • you can take the opportunity to reinforce key strategies;
  • you reinforce your approach to problem-solving and decision-making.
• Discussions about the next level of colleagues – i.e. your direct reports’ direct reports. This will lead in many directions but there will be two main benefits:
  • providing you with a regular insight into the performance of the group, which should be central to your thinking about succession planning;
  • counselling direct reports on performance issues they are facing.

It is essential that 121s are followed up by written action points. Such actions should be followed up no later than the next monthly 121.

Pitfalls

If 121s are vital to performance management and communication, then not doing them at all, or doing them inconsistently, will undermine your commitment to excellence on a range of issues. There are three main risks with 121s.

• You regularly cancel 121s or don’t do them at all – to avoid this, you must train yourself to understand that they are as significant as (say) financial monthly reports, whose timely completion by the accounts team is not normally negotiable.
• The 121s lack structure and/or an agenda – this will indicate that they mean little. You should always ensure that the team member is given a list of discussion items.
• The leader glosses over personal performance issues – raising personal issues can be uncomfortable, and avoidance raises the likelihood of sub-optimal performance. So if confrontation is an issue you should consider providing feedback with the HR executive involved.

Leaders’ checklist

• Remember that 121s send an important signal about your commitment to communication and feedback, so organise them on at least a monthly basis, and on a rolling basis looking forward at least six months.
• Allow at least an hour per session – much less time inhibits detailed discussion.
• Make sure that 121s are also scheduled for any colleagues based overseas – for these (who may feel remote) your 121s assume an even greater importance, and for this reason a greater frequency may make sense.
• Prepare for all 121s by making a list of points to discuss to ensure that the 121 has a structure, including a review of action items from the previous meeting.
• If the meeting is likely to include performance feedback, you might want to discuss the issues with your relevant HR executive – personal feedback can be difficult, and rehearsing the issue with an experienced professional allows you to ensure that your concerns are well-grounded, and also to test out the sensitivity and effectiveness of your approach.
• Encourage your direct report to give feedback about you and your role – reciprocal feedback will create an atmosphere of trust, which will in turn facilitate a more open discussion of issues.
• Ensure where possible that the 121 takes place in a private environment and that you won’t be disturbed.