O3 Quality Goals

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified)
in
Manager Tools Trinity

What quality goals have people used for improving the one on ones they hold with their directs?

I was promoted into a new position a little over 4 months ago. My directs are all managers themselves, some of them used to report to me in my old role and others used to report elsewhere. I took the opportunity of starting O3s with my directs to 'refresh' my existing O3s.

I have been using the O3 quantity goal that MT suggests, 80% each week (and then month) scheduled and held for 30m. I hit just over 90% for January. I feel like I'm good on quantity now (though I'll keep tracking it for a while -- probably until I have my directs roll out O3s). I am thinking that now is time to set some quality goals. I brainstormed a few ideas, but haven't fallen in love with any yet:

  • % of O3s that I prep for 10 minutes beforehand
  • % of O3s that last more than 30 minutes (occasionally I've had some that seemed to drag on)
  • % where I ask one of the questions at the bottom of the MT O3 form (Alternatively, one of the questions in Ben Horowitz's suggestions at http://bhorowitz.com/2012/08/30/one-on-one/)
  • % where we talk about the future (my directs tend to take 20-25 minutes, so I usually have to rush even to get my few minutes, let alone talk about the future)

At the moment I'm leaning towards the first: 10 minutes prep before each O3. But I'd like to hear what other people might have used in the past, either for themselves or those they've coached on rolling out O3s.

I also checked the MT Trinity Rollout Emails, but didn't see anything on O3 goals.

Also, for a bit more context, after about 3.5 months I rolled out the MT feedback model, right now I'm trying to increase the quantity of positive feedback I give each day using the MT poker chip method.

 

Submitted by Matt Palmer on Wednesday February 13th, 2013 10:05 pm

It depends, to some degree, what you're trying to get out of your O3s.  Since I'm sticking with the simple stuff, I only care about whether the relationship is being built.  I always feel like I'm getting good O3s when the conversation feels natural the whole way through.  When the conversation stalls and we end up staring at each other awkwardly for 3 seconds (that feels like a week) until one of us serves a new topic into play, I figure that's not doing so well for the relationship.  So, count the awkward pauses!