“Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.”
Philippians 2:3 NKJV
Hello,
Welcome to the 30th and final episode of Season One of A New Order of Things!
Happy Holidays to all of you. Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah and have a safe and sane New Year!
I want to thank you. Whether you have been listening since Episode one hit the web, or this is your first listen. You are all amazing!
Never let anyone tell you different.
In late November Charlie Munger passed away. For those of you who have been listening for a while, you have heard me reference Mr. Munger somewhat regularly.
Mr. Munger was 99 when he passed. He was long time friend and cohort of Warren Buffet and together these two friends created one of the greatest investment organizations in history.
I cannot emphasize enough how important it is for you, if you are interested in the things we discuss here on A New Order of Things, that you study Charlie’s ideas.
Probably his greatest collection of knowledge was in the 2005 book: Poor Charlie’s Almanac: The Essential Wit and Wisdom of Charles T. Munger.
Stripe Publishing just re-released the book this month (December) and from experience, I will tell you there is no finer publisher than Stripe. The quality of the binding and paper, detail of the interior, font and layout takes me back to books from the 40s and 50s, of which I have quite a few.
Buy this book!
Rest in Peace Mr. Munger.
This podcast has been a great experience (lots of learning and trial & error), and I am very excited for Season 2 hitting podcast players early next year.
For Season 2 we will be bringing back Talk’O Tuesday. I’ve already scheduled some guests and I am looking for more. Interested in being on the show? Email or DM me.
Episode 29, our first episode devoted to Q&A was a success and we will be continuing the Q&A formats next year. Have any questions or comments you would like to have answered, by me, yours truly, you can submit questions via interesting@eddiekillian.com, the podcast and my LinkedIn pages, and X (you know, formerly Twitter). All the links are in the show notes.
How can individuals and organizations proactively identify signs of “Drift” before it leads to significant consequences?
Employee drift refers to the gradual deviation of an employee’s performance, behavior, or engagement from the desired standards or expectations.
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) can play a crucial role in identifying and reacting to employee drift. Here’s how an organization can utilize KPIs for this purpose:
- Establish Clear Performance Metrics:
- Define clear and measurable KPIs that align with the organization’s goals and objectives.
- These KPIs should cover various aspects of employee performance, such as productivity, quality of work, and adherence to deadlines.
- Regular Performance Monitoring:
- Implement regular performance monitoring mechanisms to track employees’ progress against established KPIs.
- This can involve regular performance reviews, feedback sessions, or automated tracking systems.
- Set Thresholds and Targets:
- Establish performance thresholds and targets for each KPI. This helps in identifying when an employee’s performance starts to deviate from the expected standards.
- Thresholds can be used to trigger early intervention when performance falls below a certain level.
- Use Leading Indicators:
- Include leading indicators in your KPIs. These are metrics that can provide early signals of potential issues.
- For example, if attendance or participation in team meetings starts declining, it could be a leading indicator of disengagement.
- Collect 360-Degree Feedback:
- Incorporate feedback from peers, subordinates, and managers into KPI evaluations. Multiple perspectives can provide a more comprehensive view of an employee’s performance.
- 360-degree feedback can reveal aspects of behavior and teamwork that may not be evident through individual KPIs alone.
- Implement Employee Surveys:
- Conduct periodic surveys to gauge employee satisfaction, engagement, and well-being.
- Include questions that directly or indirectly assess factors contributing to employee drift, such as job satisfaction, work-life balance, and career development.
- Utilize Technology:
- Leverage technology to automate the collection and analysis of KPI data. This allows for real-time monitoring and quicker identification of performance issues.
- HR software, performance management tools, and analytics platforms can be valuable in this regard.
- Provide Continuous Feedback:
- Implement a culture of continuous feedback. Regularly communicate with employees about their performance, providing constructive feedback and addressing any concerns promptly.
- Continuous feedback allows for timely corrections and prevents issues from escalating.
- Offer Training and Development:
- If KPI data indicates a skill gap or decline in certain competencies, provide relevant training and development opportunities.
- Proactive measures to enhance employees’ skills can prevent performance drift and contribute to overall job satisfaction.
- Establish Intervention Plans:
- Develop intervention plans for employees who consistently fall below performance standards.
- These plans may involve coaching, mentoring, additional training, or reassignment to roles better suited to their strengths.
By integrating these strategies, an organization can use KPIs not only to identify employee drift but also to react proactively, fostering a culture of continuous improvement and employee development. Regularly reviewing and refining KPIs based on organizational goals and employee feedback is essential to ensure their effectiveness in addressing employee drift.
Paul Graham from his July 2013 blog titled “Do Things that Don’t Scale” opens with the following:
“Sometimes the right unscalable trick is to focus on a deliberately narrow market. It’s like keeping a fire contained at first to get it really hot before adding more logs.”
This same idea holds true in change management. As I have mentioned before, McKinsey and Co have reported for 15 years in a row that change initiatives fail 70% of the time.
There are many reasons for all of this consistent failure, but one of them is a lack drilling into a narrow “market”.
Drift is multifaceted…
Well, I think we have done a good job of offering up some ideas on drift and change initiatives. In Season 2 we will continue to dive deeper into these ideas of bureaucracy-busting leadership, and their reasoning, and look into real-world observations and how we can ensure these drive us to excellence. We will also look into how they affect our creativity, our lives, and our businesses and organizations.
I am adding Q&E time in future episodes and creating some episodes completely devoted to answering questions from you, the listener. So, send me your questions!
You can submit questions via interesting@eddiekillian.com, the podcast and my LinkedIn pages, and X (you know, formerly Twitter). All the links are in the show notes.
Links to all the quoted resources are in the show notes and in the transcript on my website, Eddiekillian.com
Join me in Season 2 as we continue to travel the path of what is difficult, perilous, and uncertain as we explore introducing A New Order of Things.
I am your host, Eddie Killian. And this concludes Season One.
Eddie Killian 