Don’t rush through reviews
Employees who walk into Russell’s office for their personal development review shouldn’t expect to stay at the receiving end of the table. Instead of rushing through the process, he uses their assessments as a quid pro quo opportunity, opening his ears to their criticisms so he can improve, too.
“That’s another one of those old-school approaches: a superior fills out an assessment, you go into a room for 15 minutes and the superior tells the employee what they did bad and good, and that’s the end of it,” Russell says. “It’s got to be much more than that. There’s got to be open dialogue, not just a one-way assessment.”
But it’s not as easy as simply asking them to evaluate you. Thanks to the innate hierarchy of corporations, you have to create an environment where they feel comfortable pointing out their boss’s flaws.
“Humbling yourself goes a long way,” he says. “People are typically nervous sitting across from a superior. When you let that person know that you don’t know it all, you’ll generate an openness.”
You can tell employees frankly that you welcome their feedback. Russell, for example, opens the meeting by saying the review is as much about their improvement as his own. But that won’t erase the apprehension if employees are scared to point out a superior’s weaknesses or prepared to only play defense and justify their job.
They’ll be more likely to follow your initiative than your invitation, so you have to set a pace that shows you’re receptive to criticism.
“One of the biggest things to do is get somebody to relax, because a review is worthless if they’re intimidated,” Russell says. “One thing that you can do is point out things that you know that you need improvement on yourself.”
When they hear you admit that you don’t know everything, they’ll see you as a leader who’s willing to learn and eager to improve. If you take the first crack at yourself, they won’t be as intimidated to offer their observations.
Russell reiterates to employees that he relies on their support because he rose through the organization so quickly, riding the wave of a series of acquisitions. Most recently, for example, he held the position of senior vice president of Armor Holding Inc.’s Ground Vehicle Survivability Division. So he had already proven himself capable of running a billion-dollar business by the time BAE acquired Armor in 2007.
Still, he realizes that the experiences and observations of his employees can make him an even better leader as the company grows. Taking the time to hear employees’ praises and criticisms is a small price for the payoff: the opportunity to improve yourself and your leadership style.
“I just may not have as much experience as somebody else who’s been doing this for a lot longer,” Russell says. “I would be foolish not to take the advice of a bunch of smart people around me.”
How to reach: Security & Survivability, BAE Systems, (513) 881-9800, (800) 697-0307 or www.baesystems.com/sss
