Moments that matter What you say and do makes a difference
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Contents Introduction Moments that matter Moment #1: Onboarding Moment #2: Unstaffed Moment #3: Low performance Moment #4: Stress or crisis Moment #5: Lack of growth Moment #6: No promotion Moment #7: New project manager? Moment #8: Offboarding
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Introduction
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Introduction There are moments that may be defining for a whole career – that have an influence on whether we choose to stay in or leave the organisation we work for. E.g. the onboarding we receive when we start, how purposeful our time is put to use when we are unstaffed, the leaders we work for, the way things are handled if we get stressed or experience a serious crisis. It is in these situations that what we say and do can have a huge impact. In a matrix organisation with a multitude of leadership roles, it may be difficult to know when and how to act. Getting it wrong or missing the moment increase the risk of loosing valuable talent and damaging our brand. As a people business, those are high costs that we should avoid.
With this small guide we wish to provide you with inspiration on how to navigate these crucial moments. We have collected 9 of the moments we encounter the most. If you have more and are in doubt about how to approach them, then seek advice with your service line leader or HR. We hope this will make you feel well equipped for navigating the moments that matter. Deloitte Consulting Management
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Moment #1 Onboarding Situation: Onboarding talent. Service line leader actions • Ensure the appointment with a talent manager in due time before the talent starts. • Arrange meetings with all the new talents. • Follow up with the talent manager to make sure that an onboarding plan is established. • Follow up with the talent manager on the execution of the onboarding plan.
Talent manager actions • Greet and welcome the talent on the first day. • Create an onboarding plan for the first three months together with the talent, i.e. specify who the talent should meet and which activities should be pursued. • Strive to find the right balance so that the talent will meet all relevant colleagues and leaders, but at the same time will not take too much time from, e.g., senior leaders. • Meet frequently with the talent during the first three months to make sure that the talent is off to a good start.
Project manager actions • Check in with the new talent to make sure that he/she is off to a good start. • Allocate extra time to introduce the talent to the tools, methods and ways of working that the talent does not know. • Offer frequent guidance and feedback.
Talent actions • Take steps to meet with the talent manager when needed. • Actively take responsibility for seeking out the people who can help introduce the talent to the business, who can help clarify questions, etc.
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Moment #2 Unstaffed Situation: The talent is unstaffed. Service line leader actions • Responsible for staffing the talent. • Keep an overview of internal tasks and proposals. Coordinate with the talent manager which activities the unstaffed talent should take on. • Inform the staffing manager in HR about which activities the talent has been assigned to. • Make sure to inform the talent manager when the talent is staffed.
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Talent manager actions • Check in with the service line leader to see, which internal activities the talent should dedicate his or her time to. • Advise the talent on what he or she can do to get staffed. • Discuss the next staffing with the talent and inform the service line leader about the talent’s wishes. • Create a plan together with the talent on what he or she should spend his or her time on while unstaffed. • Follow up with the service line leader on the staffing possibilities for the talent to ensure progress. • Ensure that the talent spends unstaffed time according to the plan by following up frequently. • Inform the service line leader if the talent does not spend time according to the plan.
Project manager actions • Inform the talent manager and service line leader in due time if the talent’s time on a project will be reduced.
Talent actions • Inform the talent manager and service line leader if he or she is soon to be unstaffed. • Create a plan together with the talent manager on how to spend the time while unstaffed. • Keep the talent manager in the loop on the progress made on the plan and inform the talent manager if the talent has agreed to engage in activities outside the plan.
Moment #3 Low performance Situation: The talent is showing low performance. Service line leader actions • Follow up on the talent manager and advice him/her on how to support the talent. • Decide whether a performance improvement plan (PIP) should be made. • If the service line leader sees a need for a PIP, he/she involves HR. • Keep track of the utilisation of the talent and how his/her time reports match the forecast. Inform the service line leader if there are any reasons for concern. • Conduct a meeting together with HR if a layoff is necessary.
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Talent manager actions • Immediately informs the service line leader if a talent displays low performance. • Make sure that EPRs are created on the talent’s project(s). • Continuously follow up with the project manager on the talent’s performance. The talent manager should always have a sense of the talent’s performance. • Evaluate whether the low performance may be due to stress/a crisis. • Make sure that constructive feedback from the project manager is taken seriously by booking the talent after the project and going through the feedback.
Project manager actions • Escalate low performance to the talent manager. • Ensure ongoing feedback to the talent on his/her performance. • Document feedback and low performance in EPR. • Provide a grade to the talent that actually reflects his or her performance.
Talent actions • Take responsibility for ensuring that an EPR is created on the project. • Try to improve performance based on feedback received from the project manager and coaching from the talent manager.
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Moment #4 Stress or crisis Situation: The talent is close to getting stressed, is already stressed or is in another serious crisis. Service line leader actions • Contact HR as early as possible in the process. • Together with HR define which initiatives are necessary to get the talent back on track. • Overall responsible for staying in touch with the talent and making sure that appointments are kept.
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Talent manager actions • Seek guidance with the service line leader and HR immediately if 1) in doubt about the well-being of the talent and/or if 2) specific symptoms of stress/a crisis have been spotted. • Stay close to the talent and keep updated on his/her well-being, both personally and workwise. • Support the downscaling of assignments and responsibilities of the talent. Seek advice with the service line leader if needed. • Contribute to defining a suitable solution and creating a step-by-step plan to reach it. • Participate in meetings between the talent, the service line leader and HR if desired by the talent.
Project manager actions • Inform the service line leader and talent manager in case signs of stress/a crisis are spotted.
Talent actions • Has the responsibility of telling his/her talent manager about symptoms of stress/a crisis.*
* Often talents may ignore or deny such symptoms over a long period of time and if/when they finally approach a leader about them, the symptoms could be quite serious. It is therefore very important to involve HR as quickly as possible – even if the talent tries to downplay the situation and feels uncomfortable with the idea of involving more people in the situation.
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Moment #5 Lack of growth Situation: The talent’s development has plateaued on the project and as a consequence, the talent feels demotivated. Service line leader actions • Make a final decision on whether the talent should continue on the project. • Responsible for the preparation and execution of the plan if the talent is to be rolled off the project. • Take the necessary dialogues with the project manager and the project partner to onboard a new person on the project.
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Talent manager actions • If the talent manager assesses that there are development opportunities in the current staffing that the talent does not see, coach the talent to see and exploit these opportunities. • If this is not the case, the talent manager should escalate the need for new staffing to the service line leader. • Pay particular attention to lone staffing that does not match the talent’s competences and interests. Especially if the staffing runs over a longer period. • In the recommendation to the service line leader, the talent manager should consider both the development needs of the talent and the needs of the business. • The talent manager cannot make promises about a new staffing and should therefore be careful not to over-promise in the communication with the talent.
Project manager actions • Try to adjust the talent’s role to match skills, interests and development aspirations. • Assess the overall business potential in retaining the talent on the project versus rolling off the talent.
Talent actions • Involve the talent manager in finding a solution to the challenge. • Try to adapt own role in the project together with the project manager to make it more interesting and stimulating.
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Moment #6 No promotion Situation: The talent in not promoted as expected. Service line leader actions • None.
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Talent manager actions • Provide feedback to the talent on what it takes for him or her to raise his or her performance and thus increase the probability of being promoted next year, however, without giving any promises of promotion. • Prepare a plan together with the talent to increase the probability of promotion next year. • Update the service line leader on status and plans.
Project manager actions • None.
Talent actions • Seek feedback from and sparring with the talent manager and make a plan that can support the talent’s development towards promotion.
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Moment #7 New project manager? Situation: The cooperation between the talent and the project manager is strained. Service line leader actions • Make the final decision on whether the talent should continue on the project. • Make a plan for rolling off the talent from the project if needed. • Take the dialogue with the project manager if the talent is to be rolled off.
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Talent manager actions • Collect data to clarify whether the talent’s reasons for dissatisfaction seem reasonable. • Spar, mediate or try to get the talent staffed on something else. • Weigh a recommendation to the service line leader regarding the full business impact, i.e. can the staffing be continued if there is a short time left on the project or would we risk losing the talent?
Project manager actions • Try to solve the challenges together with the talent.
Talent actions • Discuss the situation and challenges with the talent manager. • Try to solve the challenges directly with the project manager. • If possible, provide feedback to the project manager. • Document feedback from the project manager in upward feedback.
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Moment #8 Offboarding Situation: Offboarding talent. Service line leader actions • In cooperation with the talent manager consider whether there are special considerations to be taken in connection with the resignation. • Conduct exit interview (HR also always conducts an exit interview). • Share key messages from the exit interview with the talent manager.
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Talent manager actions • Inform the service line leader, project manager and HR of the termination. • In cooperation with the service line leader consider whether there are special considerations to be taken in connection with the resignation.
Project manager actions • Initiate a dialogue with the talent manager and service line leader regarding rolling off the talent from the project.
Talent actions • Hand in resignation to the service line leader.
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