Welcome to a brand new episode of Voice Activated: Tuning Employee Insights At Work. Our host Sean Fitzpatrick, CEO of TalentMap, is joined by Christopher D. Lee, Managing Director at Storbeck Search, to discuss how leaders can build genuine listening cultures through structured, regular dialogue.

What You’ll Learn:

How to implement the "Performance Conversations Method" for regular, structured employee check-ins
The Three Essential Questions framework for productive employee discussions
Why separating performance improvement from compensation discussions leads to better outcomes
How to prepare both managers and employees for meaningful feedback conversations
Why treating employees as individuals, not just performers, unlocks human potential

Dr. Christopher D. Lee is the Managing Director of Storbeck Search and a seasoned HR professional who has served as CHRO for five institutions, including William & Mary and Virginia's Community College System. With over two decades of experience in higher education leadership and human resources, he is also a Marine Corps Lieutenant Colonel and acclaimed author of "Performance Conversations," pioneering a revolutionary approach to employee feedback and development. Dr. Lee is known for his groundbreaking work in transforming traditional performance management systems into dynamic, conversation-based approaches that build trust and drive results.

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Highlights and YouTube Chapters:

[00:00] Introduction
[01:38] A Better Way to Listen
[05:14] Goodbye Ratings, Hello Conversations
[09:34] The Speed of Trust
[13:49] The Three Magical Questions
[20:32] The Magnificent Seven
[27:51] Customize by Culture
[29:59] Prepping Employees, Too
[36:05] Anonymous Feedback and One-On-One Talks
[39:55] Why Star Leaders Don’t Need Scripts

Quotes:

“The performance conversations method is a series of brief, structured conversations about things that matter the most; a planned series of conversation at some interval. And those intervals, I would recommend, are between four and sixteen weeks, depending upon two factors.”
“The Performance Conversation Method manages both the person and the professional because you cannot manage me if you don't know me. Giving this feedback to Chris yields different results than providing the same feedback to Sean, due to the people involved and the relationship.”
“Great leaders create great employees. So it's a series of plain conversations.”
“You cannot manage me if you don't know me. That's what relationship and rapport is important.”

Episode Resources:

Christopher D. Lee on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cdleephd/
Storbeck Search on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/dsg-storbeck/about/
Performance Conversations: https://www.amazon.com/Performance-Conversations-Productivity-Confidence-Appraisals/dp/158644669X
Sean Fitzpatrick on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sean-j-fitzpatrick/?originalSubdomain=ca
TalentMap Website: https://talentmap.com/

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