Get your idea out there
The first thing you need to do when considering a major change in your organization is to show that you have a plan to implement it and be able to show why that plan is needed. DeVito had to show his people that a better performance evaluation system was something the company had to have in order to be successful.
“You have to be honest with people,” DeVito says. “You have to have a plan. You have to be able to demonstrate to them that you truly believe in this yourself. You have to show confidence. You then have to be technically sound enough to create a dialogue so that you can explain to them very clearly how they and their department will be involved.”
As great as you think your idea might be, it should never go straight from your imagination to official company policy. It might be a revolutionary idea that will change the world. But it still needs to be bounced off a few other people and kicked around in a couple meetings, at least, to make sure it’s the right thing to do.
“You can’t ever believe that everything you believe is the only right way to go,” DeVito says. “Someone once said, ‘You learn the most after you believe you know everything there is to know.’ I’ve always tried to keep that in mind. There’s always a danger that when you believe you’re right, you’re not. So I think you always listen to people who have a different approach.”
DeVito met with each of his department heads and explained what he planned to do and why he believed it was crucial to have a uniform performance evaluation system.
“I wanted to make sure that I did hear from them,” DeVito says. “You can’t always have complete consensus.”
You’re not asking for approval to make a move with your business. Rather, you’re showing your leaders respect and showing the employees who work for you respect by demonstrating that you value their opinion in helping you to make the business successful.
DeVito knew that some people had grown used to doing things their way and were comfortable with the evaluation process as it was. But he felt there were others who were seeking change.
It was this dichotomy that DeVito wanted to erase.
“You have a number of people that are fully aware that they haven’t been working to their capacity or effectively,” DeVito says. “So they are fearful of the process. You have a large number of employees that ask, ‘Why did it take so long? Now I will finally be recognized for the contributions that I make to the company.’ Then the widest range is a group of people who are clearly open to evaluation but need to be shown that the evaluation will be objective and fair. Those are the challenges.”
DeVito explained to company leaders that a streamlined evaluation protocol would make the company even better and that it was worth the effort to implement it. He wanted them to be part of the solution and be part of making it work, rather than bystanders who just did what they were told.
“We created an environment in which they had some input into the strategy,” DeVito says. “We also admitted to them they would have more authority, but each of us would have to accept absolute responsibility for our decisions and our actions. So they were willing and ready at that point to assume more responsibility and to take more responsibility for their actions. That was a good mix and a good way for them to have some input into the emerging strategy and changing culture.”
