The rhythms of Kelli Burns’s skip-level meetings follow a simple and reliable formula.
First, the chief information security officer and senior vice president at healthtech company Accolade includes in every meeting invitation a reminder that this is the employee’s time to discuss anything they’d like.
“I want to be their biggest advocate,” Burns said of her approach to meeting with team members outside of her department. “This requires trust to be present to make these meetings productive.”
Next, Burns’s not-so-direct reports can expect some variation of the following questions:
What are you most proud of since our last conversation?
How could you have done something better or differently?
On a scale of one to ten, how would you rate your overall engagement?
The first item allows Burns to recognize their achievements, she explained, with the second gently nudging the employee she’s meeting with to become more aware of their position within the organization.
“As for the last question, if I hear anything below a six, I want to dig deeper and see if there is anything we can do to increase it,” Burns said. “It is critical as a leader to gain trust in these meetings for successful outcomes.”
By building relationships with employees throughout the company, Burns is able to leverage her leadership position to grow trust, invite new perspectives and gather information that helps her be more strategic when making decisions.
Skip-level meetings also help managers proactively fight against the potential of feeling isolated or disconnected from their workforce. By getting direct exposure to lower-level employees, Burns said, leaders can guide the organization more effectively, while relating with employees in ways that allow them to feel more engaged with the company’s mission.
Built In Seattle met with Burns to learn more about her approach to skip-level meetings.
Accolade connects the widest array of personal health data and programs to present a single point of entry to the most effective health and benefits resources, using a unique blend of compassionate advisors, clinical experts and intelligent technologies.
What are the characteristics of a productive skip-level meeting?
The ability to build connections and listen with thoughtfulness is a key component of a productive skip-level meeting that can increase an employee’s engagement. I had a skip-level a few months ago with an employee who said they didn’t love what they did. The rest of our time was spent talking about what they like to do and what energizes them. As a result, we were able to take his strengths and what he was passionate about and enable him to move to a different department. This new role has really excited him, and he’s doing well. Every time I meet with my teams, I encourage them to let me know if they want something different.
The ability to build connections and listen with thoughtfulness is a key component of a productive skip-level meeting.”
Why are skip-level meetings important to you?
Skip-level meetings are essential to understanding the pulse of the organization and how our employees feel. They help remove barriers and roadblocks, allowing the person’s engagement to increase and allowing us to move more quickly as a business. It is also a pleasure to get to know people on a personal level. I love working with people from different backgrounds and interests. We become stronger as a team as a result.
