What is the good conversation?
"The good talk" is a term you hear more and more these days. This term refers to the conversations you, as an employee, have with your manager about your own development. The good conversation often replaces the three standard conversations in the traditional interview cycle .
Why have the good conversation?
Young employees in particular want to continue to grow and develop continuously. For them, this is often even one of the most important employment conditions when looking for a job. Because personal development is so important and the job market is in demand, organizations must do more and more to find and retain good people. The good conversation is very important here. Many organizations still work with a traditional annual cycle. They have three interviews per year: at the beginning of the year a goal interview, halfway through the year a progress interview and at the end of the year an assessment interview. Many employees find this method of assessment exciting and uninspiring. That is why more and more organizations are switching to a new way of assessing , including 'the right conversation'. Because organizations are increasingly focused on agility, flexibility and self-management, employees are expected to have more control and responsibility. In the new way of assessing, people are much more central and employees are given much more control over their own development. For example, they are responsible for setting goals and continuously request (360 degree) feedback from people they have worked with.
What are the characteristics of the good conversation?
The good conversation is about employee development. Personal attention is the key to success here. The good conversation is held several times a year. At least four times a year, but preferably more often. In this way you can make timely adjustments when the employee stands still in his/her development or needs adjustment. The good conversation assumes two-way traffic from both the employee and the manager.
How to have the right conversation (tips).
A good conversation doesn't come naturally to you. We'd like to give you 4 tips to get you started on the right conversation:
1. Set the agenda of the good conversation together
Good preparation is half the battle. What are you going to talk about during this conversation? What does the employee want to discuss and what does the manager want to discuss? This ensures efficiency and prevents you from forgetting things.
2. Multitasking means screwing up
Make sure all your attention is on the conversation. Put your phone away and don't think about other things.
3. Ask for feedback
Ask for feedback on your performance. Preferably to several people. That way you get a good picture from different angles of what goes well and what doesn't and you can make timely adjustments. In the Treams Feedback Toolkit you can read all about the stages you go through to achieve a mature feedback culture. Including exercises, tips and workshop formats.
4. Make yourself vulnerable
The basis for good conversation is psychological safety: a sense of security and trust. By making yourself vulnerable and sharing difficult things, you set a good example. A good example follows. If you dare to make yourself vulnerable, chances are the other person will do the same. This way, you can go into much more depth during the conversation.
How digital support helps have the right conversation
For a good conversation, interest and depth in the employee is an important prerequisite. So you ask the right questions. But apart from conversation techniques, the input for the conversation is at least as important. The good conversation is about something. Feedback and goals are valuable forms of input. Gathering input, preparing for conversations and looking ahead to opportunities are components in the employee development process. They are not separate parts, but they interlock. A central, digital environment where everything comes together is a super important tool for this.
The Treams platform brings together all input for good discussions and all follow-up steps. This way you get the best out of your people!