Show Me “The Money”!
Let us assume that you are the boss of a 63-person IS/IT department, or a 111-person engineering department, or a 37-person hotel housekeeping department. Let us further assume that you buy into my idea of organization-as-Cathedral-devoted-to-human development.
And let’s also assume that I’m your boss.
And let’s assume we are commencing my annual review of your performance.
Want to guess my first and primary question, to which we will dedicate 50% of the entire review?
Here it is:
Please describe for me in exacting detail the top 5 examples of growth on the part of your staff. Among other things, on a scale of 1 to 10, describe where every person who works for you was at the beginning of the year (Mary was a high-potential “5”), and where they are at the end (Mary is a clear “7”).
(If I am interviewing outsiders for a VP slot, I’ll ask, “Please tell me in some detail the best 5 examples of people you ‘grew’ in your current job. In the job before that.” Again, we will spend about 50% of the interview on this question, or some close kin.)
The point is, if you subscribe to the “cathedral model” of organization-human development, then individual Adventures in Growth are at the top of your accomplishments list.
(Incidentally, I’ll also ask you, again concerning named individuals, about the Brick Wall case of no progress or even regression.)
You are the boss.
You are in the human development “business.” So “show me the money”—the best cases of your success and the details of your approach.