Performance Management…
What is performance management? – it is all about maximising the value of your employees. It is not a single activity, it is every working day forming a continuous cycle. By setting objectives and goals you have a way of monitoring progress. The emphasis is on individual improvement, that leads to greater effectiveness as a team and ultimately as an organisation. Accountability to each other on meeting the goals and objectives keeps everyone moving forward. Performance management brings learning and development and organisation development together.
In a very simplistic form it is:-
Past performance – Objectives – Rating – Judgement – Feedback – Future Performance
However the reality is far more complex. The organisation has to have an administration process to ensure that the management is fair. Employees reactions to the feedback, based on their own personality and perception of their role and performance is unpredictable. Objectives are not often just about tangibles they will be subjective measuring standards of behaviour and learning abilities.
The key to success is the continuous conversation around performance, a good understanding of all of the critical success factors :-
- Expectation
- Motivation
- Skills
- Resources
- Support
These high quality conversations are in the moment, not on annual performance, or the process or about past performance. Focus on some-one strengths and treat it as more of an appreciative enquiry. The team at “Amazing If” use the “Even better if” as a motivational tool and a way of pushing performance to another level.
There are also those awkward conversations that need to be had in order for performance to get back on track. Initially try an exploratory approach, by using powerful questions to get the individual to self appraise.
- What is going on at the moment?
- What do you want it to look like?
- What is important to you?
- What will you do & what do you need?
If there is still no recognition of under performance then you will need to be direct whilst still caring for the person. This technique is called “Radical Candour” by Kim Scott.
Performance Management is about being seen and can be the most rewarding and motivational tool available to any employee and manager.
Please do get in touch for a 90 minute workshop on Performance Management bev@nuggetsoflearning.co.uk
