Clarification

If you are still confused, the following is an analogy for a progress meeting. Progress meeting are similar to a coach’s meeting with his/her athlete during practice. In my younger years I competed in riding competitions. These events are timed and each round gets more difficult so getting through the course quickly and with the fewest mistakes is critical. This was serious business... My coach and I would meet prior to the event to create a plan based on the type of obstacles and the horse I was riding. After each round we would meet again to assess my status, the horse’s status and the course. We would revise our plan based on the current situation to improve our time and win the event.

I was committed to winning by executing the plan that the coach and I had designed. The coach was committed to winning despite not riding the horse. He was watching and had a different perspective. He also had a lot of knowledge and experience. I never did figure out what the horse was up to. In this sense, these meetings were like a progress meeting; the employee is committed to making progress and executing on their goals. The manager has aligned with the goals and accountabilities of the employee and certainly has a perspective of what is getting accomplished.

These meetings with my coach, which the horse attended sometimes, were an opportunity to share perspectives and assess with real data where we were given our goal of winning. This is just like the conversation that takes place between managers and employees during progress meetings using the Keyne Method. Right after our meeting I got back on the horse and we went back into the arena and started jumping. That is the essence of a progress meeting between manager and employee. I do recommend that you do not actually go jump in the work place after a progress meeting – you may feel like it however - I recommend against it.   

Learn more about Progress Meetings and the Keyne Method >>