In an interview with Business Insider, consultant and ex-Netflix chief talent officer Patty McCord recommends managers use the six-month exercise. It’s a seemingly simple three-step process.
Step 1:
Determine what your team needs to accomplish in six months that it is not currently doing.
Step 2:
Think about what needs to be done differently from what’s happening now.
Step 3:
In order for those goals to happen in six months, what would employees need to know how to do?
And here comes the brutal conclusion: If your team doesn’t have the necessary experience and skills, you may have to ready the pink slips.
There are benefits to this strategic approach. First, you’re fostering a culture that’s always forward-facing, which can be particularly great for startups that must adapt quickly to change. It also will quickly reveal your top employees — the people who are most knowledgeable and continuously honing their skills. You can easily identify talent so you can curate the next generation of leaders.
What about those employees that don’t quite make the cut? Sure it might be easier to let someone go if they show continuously poor performance. But what if the star employee from Q1 and Q2 just doesn’t have the skills to properly contribute to the goals for Q3 and Q4? That seems a bit shortsighted and quite unfair.
Could there be an alternative for companies? I propose considering training instead of termination. Obviously the choice relies upon many factors, including each individual’s history, experience, and potential. But a loyal employee who’s proven themselves in the past shouldn’t be instantly dismissed based on a six-month vision if they have the gumption to step up and educate themselves to optimize their future contributions.
What’s happening six months from now is absolutely important. However, what’s the vision for next year? Five years from now? More? Just how we advise our job search candidates to have a set vision for one, five, and 15 years out, so too should businesses. If you cut ties with talent too soon, you could meet tomorrow’s goal but miss the bigger picture. Be sure to look at the situation from all angles before making any decisions.
