Do you remember being assigned group projects in school? There were really only two reactions to being assigned to a group to complete a project or a report. “Great. Someone else can boost my grade,” or “Great..looks like I’ll be doing this entire project myself so my grade doesn’t suffer.” How you react to work groups with collaborative results provides insight into how strong you are as a link in the chain. While most of us may think that we are working for ourselves and that our performance can stand on its own, we are only a cog in the greater machinery of an organization. Our individual performance matters a great deal in contributing to the overall strength of the company. This is the idea of the Performance Principle. If you want to know if you are a strong link in the chain, ask yourself: “Does my performance meet or exceed standards and can I honestly defend my performance record?” Individual performance impacts team performance. Low-performing individuals drag the entire team down. Here are the ways MK works to put the Performance Principle into action.
Setting Clear and Measurable Goals
Organizations need structure to perform well. Everyone must know the expectations for their job so they have focus and direction. Having clearly-stated objectives and measurable goals helps each team member know what they are striving for and also how to get there. This provides structure and helps ensure accountability, that way there is no guesswork regarding what is expected.
Fostering Open Communication
It’s imperative to create an environment where open, honest, and respectful communication is valued and welcomed. An open-door policy for feedback and a duty to act on that feedback is important for fostering trust and building relationships within the company. You are always encouraged to bring your questions of concerns to management if you have a suggestion to improve our processes. Nothing improves if we don’t know about it.
Creating an Environment of Continuous Learning
Change is inevitable. Those who are prepared for it and willing to adapt will come out ahead. MK moved to electronic logs way before the mandates and when those mandates came, we were already miles ahead of the competition. We must always be learning and adapting in order to stay ahead of the game. When individuals learn new skills and push themselves to excel, the team wins. Building resiliency and agility in the face of challenges is what will set MK up for future success.
Challenges to the Performance Principle
Unclear Expectations – You have probably heard the phrase “ignorance is no excuse” before, and it’s true. Expectations are laid out at orientation and they are agreed upon. We don’t expect perfection, but we do expect a good-faith effort to perform at a high level.
Insufficient Feedback – It often happens that employees will let something fester until it becomes a major issue. We would rather address problem or concerns when they arise as opposed to letting something come to blows. We want to help if we can and are always open to your input.
In sum, always strive to be better, to be an asset, to be irreplaceable. If you don’t know how, ask. We want you to be high performers and are always ready to help you get there.