The Changing Performance Equation

March 24, 2010

By Larry Borodkin 

For many years, I believed that the following equation made a great deal of sense:  Performance = Motivation x Ability.  If you want to try to help someone perform at a higher level, you need to ensure they are motivated to improve and that they have the necessary skills to get the job done.  As a result, if you want to coach someone to become more successful, you would need to get a good understanding of their motivational level and where any deficits in required skills exist.  For the most part, this paradigm worked well.  However, it always seemed as though there was something missing from that equation.

In a recent article I read, I noticed that the equation mentioned above was modified.  For the better, I would propose.  Now the equation is stated as Performance = (Motivation x Ability) x Environment.  Why is this modification that significant?  Often in a coaching situation we focus too much on the individual without paying attention to the operating environment.  In the last couple of years, PRADCO has started including the individual’s manager and, when possible, the HR Manager.  This has really made the coaching sessions much more effective.  Who is largely responsible for the growth and development of the employee?  It is that employee’s immediate manager.  Also, who can provide additional resources for the employee’s development?  Primarily it would be the HR Manager.  When these two people add their input to the coaching meeting, much more can get done.

 The immediate manager can give many relevant examples that illustrate the employee’s strengths and developmental areas.  This person can often speak of specific critical incidents that the coach on the outside has no way of knowing.  Also, the immediate manager can help the employee prioritize his/her developmental goals. And going back to the modified equation, the immediate manager can provide the supportive environment that the employee needs to grow.  As a coach, it is not difficult to see how much the presence of the manager impacts the coaching session.  The sessions are more meaningful and the manager often picks up some good tips on coaching and how to better relate to his/her employees.

Having the HR Manager involved also brings additional context to the session.  This individual has the ability to bring additional developmental/training opportunities to bear and this can also hasten employee development.  Additionally, the HR Manager can best determine how the individual’s developmental needs are similar/different than other employees in the organization.  In a sense, these individual coaching sessions can serve as a part of a training needs analysis.

Before signing off, I want to stress the importance of the overall organizational environment.  Even if the immediate manager and the HR Manager have the best of intentions, the entire organization must support growth and development.  If the organization will not tolerate “mistakes” as people learn and grow, it will be next to impossible for the employee to take the risks often necessary to develop.  To create a learning culture where individual employees can flourish, all levels of management must be supportive.  If certain pockets of the organization only give employee development lip service and act as roadblocks, the sincere positive efforts of others will likely be hurt.

Employee development really is a team effort – the individual, the immediate manager, the HR Manager, the organizational culture and the consultant.  While the performance equation has gotten a bit more complex, the odds of helping the employee improve are definitely greater.

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Nonprofit Executive Assessment: A Study in Contrasts

March 15, 2010

Over the past few years, I have had the opportunity to work with nonprofit boards and CEO’s as they hire new C-level staff.  Each of these selection assignments is unique but there are some common challenges that emerge as organizations narrow down their applicant pool.

For the last decade or so, nonprofit agencies have said they wanted people with a business mindset.  When a Board Chair, volunteer, or nonprofit professional says this, you really need to dig below the surface.  Often, they mean that they are looking for someone with a good sense of urgency who keeps his/her eye on the bottom line.  It also often leads to a person whose experience may have been predominantly in the for-profit world.  This is where it starts to get tricky.

Many times the person with the extremely high sense of urgency is appealing to an interviewing committee.  Also, this person frequently comes across as passionate and willing to stir things up.   These qualities may indeed be positive but they are only part of the answer.  I remember a phrase from my training (too many years ago) where it was said that a person’s strength, taken to the extreme, can eventually turn and become a liability.  What do I mean by this?  The person with a great sense of urgency may be impatient for process and may get very frustrated working with a Board or committee.

I have frequently seen the independent person described as the change agent who is willing to challenge the status quo.  Independence is a good thing, I agree.  Too much independence can lead to a lack of collaboration and buy-in.  When a nonprofit executive is too independent, the Board can become disengaged.  It is typically a recipe for disaster when the overly independent nonprofit professional believes he/she alone should be setting the strategic direction of the agency.

What can one do in these situations?  You need to step back and describe in behavioral terms what type of leader you are looking for.  In my work at PRADCO, we always have this discussion with the nonprofit entity.  You really need to dig down and agree on what the most critical leadership behaviors are for the agency.  Beyond the description of the leader, it is always vital to have an understanding of the lay-professional relationship in the organization.  Some boards can have 100 members and other may have a dozen or so.   This often impacts the relationship between the C-level executive and the Board Chair.  Some boards may look to the top professionals for fundraising abilities while others may want the professional to be focused mostly on internal operations.

Another challenge with these assessments is that they are typically high profile in nature.  If a COO or a VP of Sales does not succeed, the public is unlikely to know.  If a nonprofit executive fails, is can be in the newspaper or talked about by leaders in the community.  You may ask why a company like PRADCO would want to deal with all of these complexities.  The answer is two-fold.  The challenge is exciting, but more importantly, nonprofit organizations in a certain sense, serve as the conscience of society.  I would hate to think where our society would be if these mission-based organizations did not exist.

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Safety Force Selection

March 9, 2010

By Larry Borodkin

I am lucky enough to have the opportunity to head up our safety force division.  Over the last year or so, many departments have approached PRADCO to handle their testing.  I thought that it would make sense to take a step back and see if our clients had specific reasons for choosing PRADCO.  Some common themes have surfaced:

 1)  Too many departments have been hurt by conducting “traditional” psychological pre-hire assessments,

2)  Generic promotional assessments do not always work, and,

3)  Testing firms have not done enough to learn about the specific cultures of the departments and the communities.

 Let’s talk about these in order.  I wish I had a dollar for every time a Chief has said that their psychological assessments rarely rejected any candidates.  This is not surprising because the old way was to screen for clinical deviancy and leave it at that.  That approach would never suffice for our clients.  While we look for psychological issues, we find out about the person’s motivation, work habits, interpersonal skills and judgment. Thank goodness most people do not show any type of deviancy but this does not mean that they can’t be lazy, have a bad attitude or be rude to the citizens.  These are the types of things we screen for and are most important in communities where strong bonds with the public must be formed.

 I would estimate that in the past 12-18 months, our promotional assessment business has tripled.  I wish I could say it was due to some greater marketing initiative, but I think it has been due to dissatisfaction from Chiefs, HR Directors and local Civil Service Commissions.   Candidates go to classes on how to pass assessment centers and they also know what exercises to expect in many cases.  Also, book tests alone do not necessarily lead to the selection of the best leader.  While they serve a purpose, are they really assessing what people will do or how well they memorize what they should do?  We have proposed individual leadership assessments which the communities have seemed to like.  Instead of focusing on what a person thinks he/she should do, we would rather get a good look at their past behavior on the job and determine how that applies to their future leadership role.  For example, I may know how to handle a coaching session with an employee, but if I am really an impatient and overly aggressive person who shows little concern for others, am I likely to behave in the appropriate manner?   Smart people will know how to answer hypothetical questions!  However, they do not always act on that knowledge.

 Are all police and fire departments the same?  Not really.  They can differ by call volume, type of call, expectations of the citizenry, experience of the police officers/firefighters, etc.  To go into a community and tell them what they need is the epitome of arrogance.  It is much more effective to find out about the culture of the department and the specifics of a community.  An officer may work well in a department with high call volume and may be bored to tears in another where he/she is expected to know every pet’s name in the community!  One type of supervisor may be best for a department where discipline may have been lacking but not appropriate where a softer style is needed.  It all comes down to fit.  Going into a community with a generic profile for a police officer/firefighter or supervisor can lead to some poor results.  I really enjoy having multiple conversations with the Chiefs and HR Directors to find out what will work in their communities.  This level of specificity increases the odds of an effective selection process.   

 Thanks to all the communities that work with us and for those considering using our services in the future.

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Meet Larry Borodkin

March 4, 2010

Larry BorodkinTell us a little about yourself and your role at PRADCO.

Hi!  My name is Dr. Larry Borodkin and I am the Director of Client Development at PRADCO.  I have 15 years’ experience at PRADCO and in the past served as a Human Resources Director for a large Cleveland-based non-profit organization.  In my role at PRADCO, I strive to build relationships with new clients as well as deepen the relationships we have with our current customers.  I also have the privilege of heading up the work with our municipal and safety force clients.  I am very proud that PRADCO works with over 100 departments in the areas of selection and training.  We are able to provide a valuable service to those organizations that protect the welfare of our local communities.  It is always great to hear the phone ring when a local municipal official wants PRADCO to assess a firefighter/paramedic, police officer, dispatcher, sergeant, lieutenant, etc.  I also have the opportunity to work with many of the non-profit CEO’s and Board Chairs in town when they need to select new leadership or develop the skills of their current staff.  We all know and appreciate the important role the non-profits play in Cleveland and we take pride is assisting them in their work.

What do you like best about your job?

I gain the greatest pleasure on the job from the relationships that I build with PRADCO’s clients.  To know that we are adding value to their testing and training efforts means a great deal to me.  I have known some clients for 15 years and the trust that is placed in our professional judgment and expertise is very strong.  When a client calls in with a specific issue or challenge, it is very satisfying to know that they look to us to provide a well-thought-out solution.  Also, even though we may not always think about it, when we recommend people for specific positions, we are providing them with opportunities for greater professional success.

Tell us something about yourself that even your co-workers don’t know.

I do not believe that any of my colleagues know that I was an avid comic book collector.  From before grade school through graduate school, I collected both new and vintage comics.  Any special editions I purchased would be sealed in plastic to ensure that they would be preserved.  Maybe that is where my interest in the safety forces came from!  In my youth, who were the individuals committed to the protection and well-being of society? Batman, Green Arrow, Flash, etc.  Of course, now I realize that it takes much more courage and determination to put oneself in dangerous situations when there are no super powers to rely upon.  I believe these fictional stories helped teach me right from wrong at a very early age and did shape my thinking, to some extent.

What is your favorite travel destination?

Without a doubt, Las Vegas.  My close friends and colleagues definitely know this to be true. I have been there eight times and have already made my reservations for this summer.  In what other city can you see the Eiffel Tower, the Great Pyramid, a live volcano, dazzling water fountains and a pirate battle all on one street!  Talk about efficiency!  Also, one can never get enough of the wonderful Cirque De Soleil extravaganzas.  It may be 110 degrees in August (when my family typically travels), but at least you never have to worry about rain!

What are you currently working on?

I am currently managing multiple municipal client promotional assessments.  Each community has its own unique requirements and it is vital to recommend the right individual for the job.  Also, given the upcoming change in command staff structure in many of our safety force clients, I am developing training modules to ensure future leaders have the skills necessary to succeed.  More on this initiative in one of my next blog entries….

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