I have mentioned skip-levels a few times in prior articles. Today we’re going to take a closer look at skip-levels and how they can benefit you as a leader. Skip-level meetings are literally what the name implies. It’s a meeting between a senior leader and their indirect reports, literally “skipping a level” in the conversation.
Why hold skip level conversations? It’s an opportunity to connect with employees across different levels of your organization. These meetings can provide insight into thoughts and feelings you may be unaware of. Or they can give you unfiltered feedback on the leadership team. Skip-levels can help alleviate negative perceptions, address the rumor mill, or to just generally get to know people better. I also use my skip-level sessions as opportunities for growth and development. We review areas where my team wants to learn and grow, identify their career aspirations, and discuss what the leadership team can do to assist.
Before you start…
I have always found the reactions of staff to skip-levels to be very interesting. When I came into a new organization and started conducting skip levels, I heard a lot of fear and concern leading up to these conversations. As a senior leader talking to the most junior managers in my organization, they were afraid of the “why” behind these meetings. Why was I scheduling a one-on-one meeting with them without their direct leadership involved? Many had never held a conversation with a member of senior leadership on their own. Others had only had negative experiences where they were corrected or “in trouble.”
So, it’s important that you let your direct reports know that you are holding these sessions and why. Particularly if these sessions are something that you’re introducing for the first time. Your team can help alleviate fear, advise the team members on what to expect, and help you set a tone that encourages open discourse. It’s also a good idea to give advance notice before you start sending off meeting invitations. Knowing in advance helps to limit fear, and the team can start thinking of topics to discuss.
Of course, usually after the first meeting, and certainly after having 2 or 3, the team members become more relaxed and comfortable with these sessions. They begin to understand and appreciate why I spend time and energy on these meetings. I have even had members of my management team (or sometimes their direct reports) ask me when I was scheduling the next skip-level sessions because they were excited for the feedback and the opportunity to connect. While not everyone has the same reaction, I certainly had team members who looked forward to their skip-level time.
Holding your skip-level
There are a few basic guidelines that I always set for my teams.
- I want them to treat it like an open forum where they can speak candidly with me without fear of reprisal. I tend to use the adage of “I can’t fix things if I don’t know something is broken.”
- While their skip-levels are not confidential in the strictest sense, I treat these conversations as sensitive and private. I let them know that I will not relay any of their feedback to someone else by name (unless requested), but I may summarize feedback for coaching others.
- In these sessions, I am not there to correct or coach. While I am happy to provide advice or guidance if desired, that is not the purpose. I am not holding these meetings to replace or preempt their own leader.
Because these team members are not my direct reports, and calendar space is usually at a premium for everyone, I aim for skip-levels about once per quarter. Of course, this may vary depending on team size and what is going on in your organization. For example, when the number of indirect reports I had more than tripled, I had to re-evaluate my schedule and spread things out a bit so I could ensure everyone had dedicated time. Adjust your frequency and meeting length to fit your world. I strongly recommend that these fit some sort of regular schedule. This helps prevent them from being a one-off session or something that happens so erratically that team members feel they are in response to company events instead of something you care about holding on your own.
Possible Topics to Keep on Reserve
What I cover varies throughout the course of the year. Most of the meeting time I leave open for my team member to talk about whatever they wish, but I almost always have a topic or two in my pocket to discuss. These topics help facilitate the conversation if the person I’m meeting with doesn’t have agenda items of their own. My common topics are:
- How are things with the team? How is everyone doing with workload / stress level of the team? Are they having any challenges?
- If there is a new tool, process, or change I will usually take a few moments to ensure there aren’t any questions or concerns about it. Getting feedback from the source is critical!
- How are things going with their current manager? Are they happy with the frequency of coaching? Are they getting the help they need? Is there something they wish they had more of?
- The “magic wand” question… if I could wave a magic wand and change/fix anything – what would they have me fix? Are there any creative ideas on how to make the work easier, make our environment more enjoyable, or problems that need addressed?
- Career aspirations (particularly for someone tenured in their current role). Are they happy? What would they like to do? Are they seeking advancement or a change to a different type of work?
- On this topic we usually spend time talking about what it takes to get from point A to B. We may talk about training opportunities, how to increase visibility to others, project ideas, or other things that can help prepare them for a move.
And finally…
Just like the one-on-ones with your direct reports, be sure to take notes! These prove to be critical as there is usually a considerable time gap between the skip-level sessions with each individual. You don’t want to forget what you spoke about last time! These notes also help you summarize feedback across multiple people, take actions on possible projects, or identify problem areas to tackle.
Skip-levels may not always be the easiest things to conduct, particularly if you are a more introverted leader or talking with very timid team members. But the relationship you build and the feedback you receive is invaluable to building a loyal and engaged organization.
