Creating High Performers - 2nd Edition: 7 Questions to Ask Your Direct Reports

Creating High Performers offers managers certainty and a step-by-step process to answer the following: 1) What should I provide to direct reports? 2) Am I doing this well? 3) Why is underperformance happening? and 4) What actions should I take to improve performance?

The 7 Questions are an easy-to-use foundation for a conversation leading to targeted, effective performance management and coaching. Real-life stories experienced by the author as a manager or coach illustrate the value of each question.


Additions in this 2nd edition include:

1. An expanded discussion of why and how the traditional model for supervision is failing
2. A clear definition of a proposed new role of supervisor (people manager) to meet the needs of today's workforce, including a listing of what products or outcomes a people manager should be delivering
3. How to restart and build a strong working relationship with employees
4. Follow-up questions for each of the 7 Questions to clarify what's possibly missing that could lead to improved performance
5. Why it is essential to ask the 7 Questions in the context of current performance, i.e., whether it exceeds, meets or falls below expectations
6. An expanded discussion on how to discern whether poor performance is a Can't Do or Won't Do Problem and how to solve it
7. A new chapter on how the six ways to employ the 7 Questions for improved organizational performance
8. An expanded Troubleshooting chapter based on challenges/questions of managers trained and coached on the 7 Questions method.

This book brings clarity and method for those new to managing others. For experienced managers, it offers a new approach to overcoming the ill effects of old practices. It details how to shift to a new role and establish the trust this new method requires. For both, it offers a way to gain greater satisfaction from managing others and to add more value to your organization.