4 Ways to Use the Impact Grid

In my previous articles, I introduced the Impact Grid, discussed the importance of measuring Performance, and the criticality of practicing and aligning to the values of your organization. If you haven’t yet read those articles, I would strongly encourage you to go over them to help understand the nuances of evaluating Performance and Values.
 
Now that we understand how the Impact Grid works, let's look at how we can benefit or maximize the IMPACT from putting the Impact Grid into action. 
 
SELF-REFLECTION
The easiest and most basic way to begin using the Impact Grid is to first use it as a self-assessment tool. The beauty is that this doesn’t have to be solely about work. Maybe you feel something is missing in your life, you feel a calling to help in your community, connect deeper in your faith, or you want to put energy in building your family legacy.
 
Regardless of the purpose, begin by defining what success looks like in your ideal future state. How would you measure success? Describe and create examples of the Values you feel are essential to reach that higher purpose.
 
Plot yourself on the grid about where you stand on achieving the Performance results you identified and how well you are living the Values that you highlighted. Be honest with yourself. If you asked another person, and if they had the courage to speak truth to you, where would they place you? 
 
Which quadrant are you in? Where do you need to focus more… on your Performance or Values? Based on this assessment, create a specific action plan focusing on just 1 to 3 areas of growth. Make sure it is specific, measurable and time bound.
 
I suggest you find an accountability partner or a coach/mentor that can help you stay accountable to encourage your ownership in the process.
 
360 TEAM
This is one of the more powerful uses of the Impact Grid as it requires full transparency and vulnerability. You must be truthful to yourself and to others.
 
The 3 Pillars of Impact are the backbone as you must possess the Courage to Challenge, you need to Expect Excellence in yourself and others, and you must Empower Others to provide you with feedback, accountability, and guidance.
 
Each teammate starts by plotting themself on the Impact Grid and then proceeds to plot their team members as well, based upon their assessment of them. When considering Values, these should be universal definitions and standards for your team. The examples may be specific to your team versus what other teams in your organization experience.

However, Performance is complicated because it not only is specific to the position /role of your team members, but it is also relevant to the expectations that leadership has of them personally.
 
After the initial plotting of the team members, you now engage your teammates and see where they plotted themselves. The benefit begins to emerge as discussion occurs about the performance criteria for the individuals and where discrepancies exist and why. They gain understanding that the metrics are different, but alignment happens as communication leads to clarity.
 
Now, everyone knows where they stand, and they understand that they need to move to be a Person of Impact. Individuals create their own action plans, but also share them with the larger team to validate the plans will help them grow, are focusing on the right areas, and are visible to create a support and accountability network.
 
The focus should not be on where they are, but on the journey to get them where they need to be.
 
LEADER DRIVEN
As the name implies, this is a tool that is managed and driven by the leader. The leader plots their team on the Impact Grid based upon their observations and performance assessment.
 
The risk is that this happens in a vacuum without bringing in perspectives of others on the team who may work more closely or at least have different interactions and relationships than you would have as their manager.
 
The important component is the communication between the leader and the team member to align the expectations of Performance and Values but also on how they are measuring up to those expectations.
 
While this approach keeps it as a 1on1 framework, the relationship potential by having these conversations focusing on their development can be enormous for their own growth, but for the growth of the leader as well.
 
Establishing a regular meeting cadence focusing on their future state, reinforces the potential of the team member and how it connects to their WHY.
 
SETTING EXPECTATIONS
I won’t belabor this topic as it has been sprinkled throughout the other three benefits. But I do want to point out the importance of having clarity around expectations. This is typically a major point of failure where people are misaligned on expectations either through assumptions or poor communication.
 
Expectations need to be specific to the person. Expectations also can be specific to the position/role. Expectations also exist for the team as a whole. Expectations can exist for the team as a whole or to become part of the team. Within the team, expectations can change for each position/role. Finally, each individual within a position can have different expectations due to varying experience, capability, skill sets, etc.
 

The Impact Grid can be as complex or as simple as you make it. What’s also true is the Impact you get from using the Grid is based upon what you put into it. Embracing the benefits of the Impact Grid will create lasting impact Beyond Today.

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