Getting staff to talk frankly

Trevor Throness, 52, is a business coach in Vancouver, Canada. Author of The Power of People Skills, he specializes in helping leaders solve their people problems—from hiring stars to disciplining poor performers.

Leadership Briefings: When you visit an organization, what clues do you look for to assess its culture?

Throness: I look for a passion for the work. Laughter and informality is also a good sign—when they’re taking work seriously but not taking themselves seriously. I also like to see healthy communication and trust, as opposed to stiff and formal communication where people are wearing a mask and not bringing their authentic self to work.

What’s the most important skill that aspiring leaders must master?

The ability to attract and retain “A” players. To do it right, start one year out. Play the long game. Think about whom you’ll need to hire so that when you’re in a pickle, you’ve already contacted those people who can connect you to top candidates. I call it the “virtual bench.” When key seats open up, you can go to your bench to fill them. You want to have rough contingency plans in place.

Do most managers do a good job anticipating their hiring needs?

I don’t think so. Typically, organizations have no HR strategy—no long-term plan to get the right people in the right seats.

What about filling job openings with current employees?

That’s a big part of it. Ask current members of your team, “Where do you need to be in one year?” Figure out who’s promotable. Maybe they need to go up or out. Or maybe they need more coaching and mentoring.

How do you define coaching and mentoring?

As an employee, you might get a performance review once a year or so. But did you have a meaningful conversation about where you need to be in one year and how you can get there? That’s usually something separate.

How can a manager begin such a conversation?

By asking the individual, “What’s going well for you?” Follow up with, “Tell me about a good day. What does a good day look like for you? What does a bad day look like for you?” Then ask the person for feedback on some aspect of their performance. And compare that to your observations of their performance. Finally, end the conversation by asking, “What are our go-forward plans for you?”

What happens if the employee shuts down? How do you get someone to open up?

You need a relationship of trust for that conversation to go well. You can establish trust with active listening. If they feel that you’re there to support them and they believe you are for them and not against them, then that creates trust. They won’t listen to you unless they believe you’re there to help them win.

Can you give an example of active listening?

When someone finishes talking, say, “Tell me more” or ask, “Can you please elaborate?” When you really listen, you keep wanting to know more.

What kind of employees are the most coachable?

If your trajectory in your career is up, you can benefit from coaching. If I throw fertilizer on a dead plant, it can’t help. If you’re making no progress and you’re content with that, you’re not as coachable.