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Content
Performance Management and Development of Employee and the Company run simultaneously.
The performance appraisal system in vague in MTNL is incongruent with performance driven, mission-oriented and, participative work environment and enabling culture. It is paternalistic, top down, autocratic mode of management which treats employees as possessions of the company. Manager annually writes his opinions. Most of the time, the appraisal reflects what the manager can remember; this is usually the most recent events. Almost always, the appraisal is based on opinions as real performance measurement takes time and followup to do well. Managers lack skill in providing feedback and often provoke a defensive response from the employee. Staff member whose performance is under review often becomes defensive. Whenever his performance is rated below the benchmark, or less than the level at which he personally perceives his contribution, the manager is viewed as punitive. Disagreement about contribution and performance ratings can create a conflict ridden situation that festers for months. Most managers avoid conflict that will undermine work place harmony. In today’s team-oriented work environment, it is also difficult to ask people who work as colleagues, and sometimes even friends, to take on the role of judge and defendant. It is harmful to performance development; damages work place trust, undermines harmony and fails to encourage personal best performance.
If the true goal of the performance appraisal is employee development and organizational improvement, consider moving to a performance management system. Performance management
starts with how a position is defined and ends when you have determined why an excellent employee feels disgruntled in the company and starts looking elsewhere. Within such a system, feedback to each staff member occurs regularly. Individual performance objectives are measurable and based on prioritized goals that support the accomplishment of the overall goals of the company. The vibrancy and performance of the
company is ensured because you focus is on developmental plans and opportunities for each staff member. Performance Feedback In a performance management system, feedback remains integral to successful practice. The feedback, however, is a discussion. Both the staff person and his manager have an equivalent opportunity to bring information to the dialogue. Feedback is often obtained from peers, direct reporting staff, and customers to enhance mutual understanding of an individual’s contribution and developmental needs. (This is commonly known as 360 degree feedback.) The developmental plan establishes the organization’s commitment to help each person continue to expand his knowledge and skills. This is the foundation upon which a continuously improving organization builds. Staff will feel better about participating and the performance management system may even positively affect - performance.
For Performance Management and Development in the General Work System
Define the purpose of the job, job duties, and responsibilities. Define performance goals with measurable outcomes. Define the priority of each job responsibility and goal. Define performance standards for key components of the job. Hold interim discussions and provide feedback about employee performance, preferably daily, summarized and discussed, at least, quarterly. (Provide positive and constructive feedback.) Maintain a record of performance through critical incident reports. (Jot notes about contributions or problems throughout the quarter, in an employee file.) Provide the opportunity for broader feedback. Use a 360 degree performance feedback system that incorporates feedback from the employee's peers, customers, and people who may report to him. Develop and administer a coaching and improvement plan if the employee is not meeting expectations.
Definition of Employee Performance Management
Jul 09, 2011 0 comments Recommend (0)
Successful employee performance management includes goal setting, timely feedback, communication and measured success. This allows employees to better identify what their management and organization expects from their performance and allows them to feel more connected to the success of the company. According to John M. Kamensky, Senior Fellow, IBM Center for The Business of Government, and Associate Partner, IBM Global Business Services, "the first ingredient is committed leadership---top-down and bottom-up." Without the buy-in from the leadership team, successful performance management becomes impossible.
The Facts
Employee performance management involves setting clear company and personnel expectations and providing timely feedback. Successful employee performance management will allow your employees to complete their job functions to the best of their ability.
Significance
Successfully managing your employees' performance will increase profitability and job satisfaction. By providing concise expectations, your employees will understand what you anticipate of their performance and will aid in their career advancement. According to University of California, Berkeley when you link individual performance with the company's overall goals, employees better understand how their efforts contribute to the organization's objectives and vision.
How
Begin employee performance management immediately. Set clear and measurable expectations, and make sure the employees understand how and when their performance will get measured. Have the employee come up with an action plan for success themselves, as this will yield a higher commitment. Employees that have created a plan geared toward their individual abilities will increase job performance. Help employees strengthen their plan with pieces they may have missed by adding your own additional team-minded objectives.
Coaching
Coach your employees to success through motivating and timely feedback. Employees will strengthen their performance when constructive criticism is given; along with ideas on improvement. Equally important, recognize your employee for a job well done. Celebrate their successes one on one and in front of their peers. Constant communication becomes the key component of making performance management successful.
Tips
Check in with your employees on a regular basis to obtain their feedback on the task and their performance. Address their concerns and encourage them to problem solve their issue themselves. Remember, when employees create a solution to their own problem, success becomes probable. Make this another opportunity to praise the tasks they do well.
Introduction
An effective performance management process sets the foundation for rewarding excellence.
By linking individual employee work efforts with the organization’s mission and objectives, the employee and the organization understand how that job contributes to the organization. By focusing attention on setting clear performance expectations (results + actions & behaviors), it helps the employee know what needs to be done to be successful on the job. Through the use of objectives, standards, performance dimensions, and other measures it focuses effort. This helps the department get done what needs to be done and provides a solid rationale for eliminating work that is no longer useful. By defining job-mastery and career development goals as part of the process, it makes it very clear how the current position supports employee growth and the additional opportunities the employee needs to explore. Through regular check-in discussions, which include status updates, coaching, and feedback, it promotes flexibility, allowing you and the employee to identify problems early and change the course of a project or work assignment. By emphasizing that an annual appraisal should simply be a summary of the conversations held between you and the employee during the entire cycle, it shifts the focus away from performance as an “annual event” to performance as an on-going process.
An effective performance management process, while requiring time to plan and implement, can save you and the employee time and energy. Most importantly, it can be a very effective motivator, since it can help you and the employee achieve the best possible performance.
Concepts & Definitions
Performance Management - Definition
The campus carries out its mission through the individual and collective contributions of its employees. To do their best, staff members need to know that those contributions will be recognized and acknowledged. Performance Management is one of the key processes that, when effectively carried out, helps employees know that their contributions are recognized and acknowledged. Performance management is an ongoing process of communication between a supervisor and an employee that occurs throughout the year, in support of accomplishing the strategic objectives of the organization. The communication process includes clarifying expectations, setting objectives, identifying goals, providing feedback, and evaluating results.
Managing Employee Performance – The Cycle
Overseeing performance and providing feedback is not an isolated event, focused in a performance assessment or evaluation. It is an ongoing process that takes place throughout
the year. The Performance management process is a cycle, with discussions varying year-toyear based on changing objectives. The cycle includes Planning, Checking-In, and Assessment.
To begin the planning process, you and your employee review overall expectations, which includes collaborating on the development of performance objectives. Individual development goals are also updated. You then develop a performance plan that directs the employee's efforts toward achieving specific results to support organizational excellence and employee success. Goals and objectives are discussed throughout the year, during check-in meetings. This provides a framework to ensure employees achieve results through coaching and mutual feedback. At the end of the performance period, you assess the employee's performance against expected objectives, as well as the means used and behaviors demonstrated in achieving those objectives. Together, you establish new objectives for the next performance period.
Guiding Principles
Performance Expectations = Results + Actions & Behaviors
Results are often measured through the use of objectives and standards Actions and Behaviors can be measured through the use of performance dimensions.
Written, verifiable mutually understood performance expectations:
Serve as an objective basis for communicating about performance Enable the employee to differentiate between acceptable and unacceptable results Increase job satisfaction because employees know when tasks are performed well Inform new employees of your expectations about job performance Encourage an open and trusting relationship with employees
Performance Expectations = Results + Actions & Behaviors
To perform well, employees need to know what is expected of them. The starting point is an up-to-date job description that describes the essential functions, tasks, and responsibilities of the job. It also outlines the general areas of knowledge and skills required of the employee an employee to be successful in the job.
Performance expectations go beyond the job description. When you think about high quality on-the-job performance, you are really thinking about a range of expected job outcomes, such as
What goods and services should the job produce? What impact should the work have on the organization? How do you expect the employee to act with clients, colleagues, and supervisors? What are the organizational values the employee must demonstrate? What are the processes, methods, or means the employee is expected to use?
In discussing performance expectations an employee should understand why the job exists, where it fits in the organization, and how the job's responsibilities link to organization and department objectives. The range of performance expectations can be broad but can generally be broken into two categories:
Results (The goods and services produced by an employee often measured by objectives or standards) Actions & Behaviors (The methods and means used to make a product and the behaviors and values demonstrated during the process. Actions and Behaviors can be measured through performance dimensions.)
Performance expectations serve as a foundation for communicating about performance throughout the year. They also serve as the basis for assessing employee performance. When you and an employee set clear expectations about the results that must be achieved and the methods or approaches needed to achieve them, you establish a path for success.
Finalizing Performance Expectations
Put Expectations in Writing
A written summary of your discussions during the planning process serves as a record of your mutually understood expectations. Putting expected results (objectives and standards) and expected actions/behaviors (performance dimensions) in writing is useful when
Allocating resources, Discussing budgets, and Prioritizing programs.
Mutually developed written expectations also help focus feedback and minimize ambiguity when it is time to assess results.
Verify Expectations
Performance expectations should be verifiable. Early in the performance management cycle, you, with input from the employee, should identify how and where evidence about the employee's performance will be gathered.
Measurable (quantitative) expectations are the easiest ones to verify. Frequently, however, expectations cannot be put into measurable terms easily or accurately. At this point, consider developing qualitative expectations, which can generally be made verifiable by spelling out the criteria to be fulfilled, behaviors to be demonstrated, and/or target dates to be met. Specifying how performance expectations will be verified at the time the responsibility is assigned helps employees keep track of their progress and makes check-in meetings and performance status updates much more focused and efficient. There are many ways to verify performance; some of the most common are:
Specific work products (tangible evidence that can be reviewed without the employee being present) Reports and records, such as attendance, safety, inventory, financial records, etc. Checklists that can be completed by a client or supervisor listing specific, observable criteria that need to be met in order for an expectation to be considered complete. Criteria usually require a “yes” or “no” answer, such as: “implement a new program by [x] date.” Direct observation Rating scales that define, as precisely as possible, behaviors at different levels of performance (behaviorally anchored rating scales). Commendations or constructive or critical comments received about the employee's work
Creating Development Goals
Managers and employees should work together to create development plans as part of the annual performance management process. The plan can focus on skills aimed at job mastery or combine job mastery with professional development skills.
Job mastery skills are those that are necessary to successfully perform one's job. Professional development skills are the skills and knowledge that go beyond the scope of the employee's job description, although they may indirectly improve job performance.
Development plans commonly include classes, but can also include elements such as crosstraining and special project participation.
Performance appraisals, performance reviews, appraisal forms, whatever you want to call them, let's call them gone. As a stand-alone, annual assault, a performance appraisal is universally disliked and avoided. After all, how many people in your organization want to hear that they were less than perfect last year? How many managers want to face the arguments and diminished morale that can result from the performance appraisal process? How many supervisors feel their time is well-spent professionally to document and provide proof to support their feedback - all year long? Plus, the most important outputs for the performance appraisal, from each person's job, may not be defined or measurable in your current work system. Make the appraisal system one step harder to manage and tie the employee's salary increase to their numeric rating. If the true goal of the performance appraisal is employee development and organizational improvement, consider moving to a performance management system. Place the focus on what you really want to create in your organization - performance management and development. As part of that system, you will want to use this checklist to guide your participation in the Performance Management and Development Process. You can also use this checklist to help you in a more traditional performance appraisal process. In a recent Human Resources Forum poll, 16 percent of the people responding have no performance appraisal system at all. Supervisory opinions, provided once a year, are the only appraisal process for 56 percent of respondents. Another 16 percent described their appraisals as based solely on supervisor opinions, but administered more than once a year. If you follow this checklist, I am convinced you will offer a performance management and development system that will significantly improve the appraisal process you currently manage. Staff will feel better about participating and the performance management system may even positively affect - performance. Preparation and Planning for Performance Management Much work is invested, on the front end, to improve a traditional employee appraisal process. In fact, managers can feel as if the new process is too time consuming. Once the foundation of developmental goals is in place, however, time to administer the system decreases. Each of these steps is taken with the participation and cooperation of the employee, for best results. Performance Management and Development in the General Work System
Define the purpose of the job, job duties, and responsibilities. Define performance goals with measurable outcomes. Define the priority of each job responsibility and goal. Define performance standards for key components of the job. Hold interim discussions and provide feedback about employee performance, preferably daily, summarized and discussed, at least, quarterly. (Provide positive and constructive feedback.) Maintain a record of performance through critical incident reports. (Jot notes about contributions or problems throughout the quarter, in an employee file.) Provide the opportunity for broader feedback. Use a 360 degree performance feedback system that incorporates feedback from the employee's peers, customers, and people who may report to him. Develop and administer a coaching and improvement plan if the employee is not meeting expectations.
Immediate Preparation for the Performance Development Meeting
Schedule the Performance Development Planning (PDP) meeting and define pre-work with the staff member to develop the performance development plan (PDP).
The staff member reviews personal performance, documents “self-assessment” comments and gathers needed documentation, including 360 degree feedback results, when available. The supervisor prepares for the PDP meeting by collecting data including work records, reports, and input from others familiar with the staff person’s work. Both examine how the employee is performing against all criteria, and think about areas for potential development. Develop a plan for the PDP meeting which includes answers to all questions on the performance development tool with examples, documentation and so on.
The Performance Development Process (PDP) Meeting
Establish a comfortable, private setting and rapport with the staff person. Discuss and agree upon the objective of the meeting, to create a performance development plan. The staff member discusses the achievements and progress he has accomplished during the quarter. The staff member identifies ways in which he would like to further develop his professional performance, including training, assignments, new challenges and so on. The supervisor discusses performance for the quarter and suggests ways in which the staff member might further develop his performance. Add the supervisor's thoughts to the employee's selected areas of development and improvement. Discuss areas of agreement and disagreement, and reach consensus. Examine job responsibilities for the coming quarter and in general. Agree upon standards for performance for the key job responsibilities. Set goals for the quarter. Discuss how the goals support the accomplishment of the organization's business plan, the department's objectives and so on. Agree upon a measurement for each goal. Assuming performance is satisfactory, establish a development plan with the staff person, that helps him grow professionally in ways important to him. If performance is less than satisfactory, develop a written performance improvement plan, and schedule more frequent feedback meetings. Remind the employee of the consequences connected with continued poor performance. The supervisor and employee discuss employee feedback and constructive suggestions for the supervisor and the department. Discuss anything else the supervisor or employee would like to discuss, hopefully, maintaining the positive and constructive environment established thus far, during the meeting. Mutually sign the performance development tool to indicate the discussion has taken place. End the meeting in a positive and supportive manner. The supervisor expresses confidence that the employee can accomplish the plan and that the supervisor is available for support and assistance. Set a time-frame for formal follow up, generally quarterly.
Following the Performance Development Process Meeting
If a performance improvement plan was necessary, follow up at the designated times. Follow up with performance feedback and discussions regularly throughout the quarter. (An employee should never be surprised about the content of feedback at the performance development meeting.) The supervisor needs to keep commitments relative to the agreed upon development plan, including time needed away from the job, payment for courses, agreed upon work assignments and so on. The supervisor needs to act upon the feedback from departmental members and let staff members know what has changed, based upon their feedback. Forward appropriate documentation to the Human Resources office and retain a copy of the plan for easy access and referral.
Managers cite performance appraisals or annual reviews as one of their most disliked tasks. Performance management eliminates the performance appraisal or annual review as the focus and concentrates on the entire spectrum of performance management and development issues. Employee performance development, training, cross-training, the provision of challenging assignments and regular performance feedback are included in an effective performance management system.
Performance Management And Employee Development (E)
What is the right approach of manager to performance management? How to encourage performance? How to deal with underperformance? Posted: May 2010
W T
hat is the performance? This term is frequently used in the business and has many
interpretations. In essence the performance represents the job well done and achievements according the defined target. The performance management is the relationship between the manager and employee, with the focus on:
he performance management has multifunctional importance. It
recognizes individual contribution and gives opportunity individual development of employees. It contributes to organization by achievement of targets and continuous growth. The performance management is opportunity for organization to recognize the contribution of employee and to respond through reward programs.
Systematic planning of business tasks Setting of desired targets Giving the feedback Establishment of common understanding Development of employee's capabilities
Essentially, the performance management has multifunctional importance. It recognizes individual contribution and gives opportunity individual development of employees. It contributes to organization by achievement of targets and continuous growth. The performance management is opportunity for organization to recognize the contribution of employee and to respond through reward programs. Performance management enables recognition of direct link between performance and reward. There are several key areas that are the scope of performance management system: First area is the review of achievements versus predefined targets. This part is done through the monitoring systems, review meetings and through the direct supervision Second area is to identify what has not been done. Even if the main goal is achieved, it is possible that there are still some areas or part of job that are not completed or they require further improvement.
Third area is creation of development plans and direction of employees toward defined targets. The purpose of this phase is to provide continuous improvement of the processes and to enable more effective and efficient growth of the company. The performance management process is composed of following elements:
Setting of targets – Key Performance Indicator ( KPI ) Review of KPI during the periodical review meeting Individual Development Plan ( IDP ), setting and implementation on the annual level.
In order to bring maximum from every employee, the manager makes successful his people, his company and, after all, himself. The Fishbone Diagram can be used for assessment of KBIs.
Performance Management & Employee Development
A. Performance Management
We help clients build performance management systems that result in better performance, greater efficiency, and increased revenues. And we have been doing this since the early 1970’s. We design and implement systems that include job specific behaviorally based approaches, job family criteria and expectations, department/unit based competencies, organization wide competencies, and training to support all of the above. With some clients we have linked team based performance management with broader empowerment systems. With other clients we have used self evaluation as one component of the performance management process. Now we are seeing renewed interest in management by objectives as a way to link individual performance to the organization’s strategic planning efforts. Whatever the process, we consistently maintain our knowledge and expertise so that you can save your company money.
B. Coaching
Coaching is more than just professional development for a single person. It is a way to help managers and leaders work more effectively within their organization, thus benefiting the entire company. Effective coaching starts with a careful job analysis to help the coach understand the unique needs of the business. The second step is to assess the strengths and weaknesses of the individual to be coached. The third step is development planning, where we create an action plan for the coaching to follow. The fourth step is the coaching itself which usually occurs over a six to nine month period. The end result is a stronger, more effective leader who can help the organization meet its goals.
C. 360 Degree Surveys
In the past several years, 360 degree surveys have seen a huge increase in popularity. These surveys provide feedback to individuals on how their supervisors, peers, and direct reports see their performance. The idea is simple: if people know how they are performing, they can learn from it. There are two types of 360 surveys: written and verbal. Written surveys ask multiple questions about and provide quantitative scores on a person’s performance on specific dimensions such as team effectiveness or decision-making. Verbal surveys do much the same thing, but allow people to offer more specific feedback about an individual. One of the most useful questions is, “If you could change one thing about this person, what would it be?” We help you figure out what kind of 360 degree survey will work best for your organization. Then we help you interpret the survey and use it in coaching and development for your people.
D. Training
Our training philosophy is that adults must be treated as adults. With that in mind, we design our training to include a combination of lecture, discussion, case studies, individual exercises, and small group exercises. We arrange the room to encourage interaction. We take five minute breaks every hour or so. We use lectures to present material that is then practiced and debriefed. We use team assignments as appropriate. All workshop participants receive high quality handouts, usually in a three ring binder, and we always make our electronic material
available to participants. We engage in several training engagements every year, ranging from four hour workshops to five-day offsite training retreats. In our 35 years of experience developing and delivering effective training, we have conducted hundreds of training seminars created over 70 training modules that are on hand and ready to be customized and delivered. These modules cover the range of: employee selection processes, employee performance appraisal and performance management systems, productivity programs, management and organization development topics. To see a complete list of our training modules, click here.
E. Interpersonal Communications
The most common complaint we hear from people in our client companies is that they want to “improve communications.” What they usually mean is that they want themselves and their colleagues to provide better performance feedback to each other, make decisions faster, and solve problems together. People also want to hear a clear and compelling direction for the organization and how they contribute to the effort. We help organizations, teams, and individuals improve their communications in all of these areas. We facilitate retreats to help people talk about vision and strategy, coach managers to run more effective meetings, and help structure organizations so that employees get good feedback regarding their performance. The result is that everyone in the organization pulls in the same direction.
The performance appraisal system in vague in MTNL is incongruent with performance driven, mission-oriented and, participative work environment and enabling culture. It is paternalistic, top down, autocratic mode of management which treats employees as possessions of the company. Manager annually writes his opinions. Most of the time, the appraisal reflects what the manager can remember; this is usually the most recent events. Almost always, the appraisal is based on opinions as real performance measurement takes time and followup to do well. Managers lack skill in providing feedback and often provoke a defensive response from the employee. Staff member whose performance is under review often becomes defensive. Whenever his performance is rated below the benchmark, or less than the level at which he personally perceives his contribution, the manager is viewed as punitive. Disagreement about contribution and performance ratings can create a conflict ridden situation that festers for months. Most managers avoid conflict that will undermine work place harmony. In today’s team-oriented work environment, it is also difficult to ask people who work as colleagues, and sometimes even friends, to take on the role of judge and defendant. It is harmful to performance development; damages work place trust, undermines harmony and fails to encourage personal best performance.
If the true goal of the performance appraisal is employee development and organizational improvement, consider moving to a performance management system. Performance management
starts with how a position is defined and ends when you have determined why an excellent employee feels disgruntled in the company and starts looking elsewhere. Within such a system, feedback to each staff member occurs regularly. Individual performance objectives are measurable and based on prioritized goals that support the accomplishment of the overall goals of the company. The vibrancy and performance of the
company is ensured because you focus is on developmental plans and opportunities for each staff member. Performance Feedback In a performance management system, feedback remains integral to successful practice. The feedback, however, is a discussion. Both the staff person and his manager have an equivalent opportunity to bring information to the dialogue. Feedback is often obtained from peers, direct reporting staff, and customers to enhance mutual understanding of an individual’s contribution and developmental needs. (This is commonly known as 360 degree feedback.) The developmental plan establishes the organization’s commitment to help each person continue to expand his knowledge and skills. This is the foundation upon which a continuously improving organization builds. Staff will feel better about participating and the performance management system may even positively affect - performance.
For Performance Management and Development in the General Work System
Define the purpose of the job, job duties, and responsibilities. Define performance goals with measurable outcomes. Define the priority of each job responsibility and goal. Define performance standards for key components of the job. Hold interim discussions and provide feedback about employee performance, preferably daily, summarized and discussed, at least, quarterly. (Provide positive and constructive feedback.) Maintain a record of performance through critical incident reports. (Jot notes about contributions or problems throughout the quarter, in an employee file.) Provide the opportunity for broader feedback. Use a 360 degree performance feedback system that incorporates feedback from the employee's peers, customers, and people who may report to him. Develop and administer a coaching and improvement plan if the employee is not meeting expectations.
Definition of Employee Performance Management
Jul 09, 2011 0 comments Recommend (0)
Successful employee performance management includes goal setting, timely feedback, communication and measured success. This allows employees to better identify what their management and organization expects from their performance and allows them to feel more connected to the success of the company. According to John M. Kamensky, Senior Fellow, IBM Center for The Business of Government, and Associate Partner, IBM Global Business Services, "the first ingredient is committed leadership---top-down and bottom-up." Without the buy-in from the leadership team, successful performance management becomes impossible.
The Facts
Employee performance management involves setting clear company and personnel expectations and providing timely feedback. Successful employee performance management will allow your employees to complete their job functions to the best of their ability.
Significance
Successfully managing your employees' performance will increase profitability and job satisfaction. By providing concise expectations, your employees will understand what you anticipate of their performance and will aid in their career advancement. According to University of California, Berkeley when you link individual performance with the company's overall goals, employees better understand how their efforts contribute to the organization's objectives and vision.
How
Begin employee performance management immediately. Set clear and measurable expectations, and make sure the employees understand how and when their performance will get measured. Have the employee come up with an action plan for success themselves, as this will yield a higher commitment. Employees that have created a plan geared toward their individual abilities will increase job performance. Help employees strengthen their plan with pieces they may have missed by adding your own additional team-minded objectives.
Coaching
Coach your employees to success through motivating and timely feedback. Employees will strengthen their performance when constructive criticism is given; along with ideas on improvement. Equally important, recognize your employee for a job well done. Celebrate their successes one on one and in front of their peers. Constant communication becomes the key component of making performance management successful.
Tips
Check in with your employees on a regular basis to obtain their feedback on the task and their performance. Address their concerns and encourage them to problem solve their issue themselves. Remember, when employees create a solution to their own problem, success becomes probable. Make this another opportunity to praise the tasks they do well.
Introduction
An effective performance management process sets the foundation for rewarding excellence.
By linking individual employee work efforts with the organization’s mission and objectives, the employee and the organization understand how that job contributes to the organization. By focusing attention on setting clear performance expectations (results + actions & behaviors), it helps the employee know what needs to be done to be successful on the job. Through the use of objectives, standards, performance dimensions, and other measures it focuses effort. This helps the department get done what needs to be done and provides a solid rationale for eliminating work that is no longer useful. By defining job-mastery and career development goals as part of the process, it makes it very clear how the current position supports employee growth and the additional opportunities the employee needs to explore. Through regular check-in discussions, which include status updates, coaching, and feedback, it promotes flexibility, allowing you and the employee to identify problems early and change the course of a project or work assignment. By emphasizing that an annual appraisal should simply be a summary of the conversations held between you and the employee during the entire cycle, it shifts the focus away from performance as an “annual event” to performance as an on-going process.
An effective performance management process, while requiring time to plan and implement, can save you and the employee time and energy. Most importantly, it can be a very effective motivator, since it can help you and the employee achieve the best possible performance.
Concepts & Definitions
Performance Management - Definition
The campus carries out its mission through the individual and collective contributions of its employees. To do their best, staff members need to know that those contributions will be recognized and acknowledged. Performance Management is one of the key processes that, when effectively carried out, helps employees know that their contributions are recognized and acknowledged. Performance management is an ongoing process of communication between a supervisor and an employee that occurs throughout the year, in support of accomplishing the strategic objectives of the organization. The communication process includes clarifying expectations, setting objectives, identifying goals, providing feedback, and evaluating results.
Managing Employee Performance – The Cycle
Overseeing performance and providing feedback is not an isolated event, focused in a performance assessment or evaluation. It is an ongoing process that takes place throughout
the year. The Performance management process is a cycle, with discussions varying year-toyear based on changing objectives. The cycle includes Planning, Checking-In, and Assessment.
To begin the planning process, you and your employee review overall expectations, which includes collaborating on the development of performance objectives. Individual development goals are also updated. You then develop a performance plan that directs the employee's efforts toward achieving specific results to support organizational excellence and employee success. Goals and objectives are discussed throughout the year, during check-in meetings. This provides a framework to ensure employees achieve results through coaching and mutual feedback. At the end of the performance period, you assess the employee's performance against expected objectives, as well as the means used and behaviors demonstrated in achieving those objectives. Together, you establish new objectives for the next performance period.
Guiding Principles
Performance Expectations = Results + Actions & Behaviors
Results are often measured through the use of objectives and standards Actions and Behaviors can be measured through the use of performance dimensions.
Written, verifiable mutually understood performance expectations:
Serve as an objective basis for communicating about performance Enable the employee to differentiate between acceptable and unacceptable results Increase job satisfaction because employees know when tasks are performed well Inform new employees of your expectations about job performance Encourage an open and trusting relationship with employees
Performance Expectations = Results + Actions & Behaviors
To perform well, employees need to know what is expected of them. The starting point is an up-to-date job description that describes the essential functions, tasks, and responsibilities of the job. It also outlines the general areas of knowledge and skills required of the employee an employee to be successful in the job.
Performance expectations go beyond the job description. When you think about high quality on-the-job performance, you are really thinking about a range of expected job outcomes, such as
What goods and services should the job produce? What impact should the work have on the organization? How do you expect the employee to act with clients, colleagues, and supervisors? What are the organizational values the employee must demonstrate? What are the processes, methods, or means the employee is expected to use?
In discussing performance expectations an employee should understand why the job exists, where it fits in the organization, and how the job's responsibilities link to organization and department objectives. The range of performance expectations can be broad but can generally be broken into two categories:
Results (The goods and services produced by an employee often measured by objectives or standards) Actions & Behaviors (The methods and means used to make a product and the behaviors and values demonstrated during the process. Actions and Behaviors can be measured through performance dimensions.)
Performance expectations serve as a foundation for communicating about performance throughout the year. They also serve as the basis for assessing employee performance. When you and an employee set clear expectations about the results that must be achieved and the methods or approaches needed to achieve them, you establish a path for success.
Finalizing Performance Expectations
Put Expectations in Writing
A written summary of your discussions during the planning process serves as a record of your mutually understood expectations. Putting expected results (objectives and standards) and expected actions/behaviors (performance dimensions) in writing is useful when
Allocating resources, Discussing budgets, and Prioritizing programs.
Mutually developed written expectations also help focus feedback and minimize ambiguity when it is time to assess results.
Verify Expectations
Performance expectations should be verifiable. Early in the performance management cycle, you, with input from the employee, should identify how and where evidence about the employee's performance will be gathered.
Measurable (quantitative) expectations are the easiest ones to verify. Frequently, however, expectations cannot be put into measurable terms easily or accurately. At this point, consider developing qualitative expectations, which can generally be made verifiable by spelling out the criteria to be fulfilled, behaviors to be demonstrated, and/or target dates to be met. Specifying how performance expectations will be verified at the time the responsibility is assigned helps employees keep track of their progress and makes check-in meetings and performance status updates much more focused and efficient. There are many ways to verify performance; some of the most common are:
Specific work products (tangible evidence that can be reviewed without the employee being present) Reports and records, such as attendance, safety, inventory, financial records, etc. Checklists that can be completed by a client or supervisor listing specific, observable criteria that need to be met in order for an expectation to be considered complete. Criteria usually require a “yes” or “no” answer, such as: “implement a new program by [x] date.” Direct observation Rating scales that define, as precisely as possible, behaviors at different levels of performance (behaviorally anchored rating scales). Commendations or constructive or critical comments received about the employee's work
Creating Development Goals
Managers and employees should work together to create development plans as part of the annual performance management process. The plan can focus on skills aimed at job mastery or combine job mastery with professional development skills.
Job mastery skills are those that are necessary to successfully perform one's job. Professional development skills are the skills and knowledge that go beyond the scope of the employee's job description, although they may indirectly improve job performance.
Development plans commonly include classes, but can also include elements such as crosstraining and special project participation.
Performance appraisals, performance reviews, appraisal forms, whatever you want to call them, let's call them gone. As a stand-alone, annual assault, a performance appraisal is universally disliked and avoided. After all, how many people in your organization want to hear that they were less than perfect last year? How many managers want to face the arguments and diminished morale that can result from the performance appraisal process? How many supervisors feel their time is well-spent professionally to document and provide proof to support their feedback - all year long? Plus, the most important outputs for the performance appraisal, from each person's job, may not be defined or measurable in your current work system. Make the appraisal system one step harder to manage and tie the employee's salary increase to their numeric rating. If the true goal of the performance appraisal is employee development and organizational improvement, consider moving to a performance management system. Place the focus on what you really want to create in your organization - performance management and development. As part of that system, you will want to use this checklist to guide your participation in the Performance Management and Development Process. You can also use this checklist to help you in a more traditional performance appraisal process. In a recent Human Resources Forum poll, 16 percent of the people responding have no performance appraisal system at all. Supervisory opinions, provided once a year, are the only appraisal process for 56 percent of respondents. Another 16 percent described their appraisals as based solely on supervisor opinions, but administered more than once a year. If you follow this checklist, I am convinced you will offer a performance management and development system that will significantly improve the appraisal process you currently manage. Staff will feel better about participating and the performance management system may even positively affect - performance. Preparation and Planning for Performance Management Much work is invested, on the front end, to improve a traditional employee appraisal process. In fact, managers can feel as if the new process is too time consuming. Once the foundation of developmental goals is in place, however, time to administer the system decreases. Each of these steps is taken with the participation and cooperation of the employee, for best results. Performance Management and Development in the General Work System
Define the purpose of the job, job duties, and responsibilities. Define performance goals with measurable outcomes. Define the priority of each job responsibility and goal. Define performance standards for key components of the job. Hold interim discussions and provide feedback about employee performance, preferably daily, summarized and discussed, at least, quarterly. (Provide positive and constructive feedback.) Maintain a record of performance through critical incident reports. (Jot notes about contributions or problems throughout the quarter, in an employee file.) Provide the opportunity for broader feedback. Use a 360 degree performance feedback system that incorporates feedback from the employee's peers, customers, and people who may report to him. Develop and administer a coaching and improvement plan if the employee is not meeting expectations.
Immediate Preparation for the Performance Development Meeting
Schedule the Performance Development Planning (PDP) meeting and define pre-work with the staff member to develop the performance development plan (PDP).
The staff member reviews personal performance, documents “self-assessment” comments and gathers needed documentation, including 360 degree feedback results, when available. The supervisor prepares for the PDP meeting by collecting data including work records, reports, and input from others familiar with the staff person’s work. Both examine how the employee is performing against all criteria, and think about areas for potential development. Develop a plan for the PDP meeting which includes answers to all questions on the performance development tool with examples, documentation and so on.
The Performance Development Process (PDP) Meeting
Establish a comfortable, private setting and rapport with the staff person. Discuss and agree upon the objective of the meeting, to create a performance development plan. The staff member discusses the achievements and progress he has accomplished during the quarter. The staff member identifies ways in which he would like to further develop his professional performance, including training, assignments, new challenges and so on. The supervisor discusses performance for the quarter and suggests ways in which the staff member might further develop his performance. Add the supervisor's thoughts to the employee's selected areas of development and improvement. Discuss areas of agreement and disagreement, and reach consensus. Examine job responsibilities for the coming quarter and in general. Agree upon standards for performance for the key job responsibilities. Set goals for the quarter. Discuss how the goals support the accomplishment of the organization's business plan, the department's objectives and so on. Agree upon a measurement for each goal. Assuming performance is satisfactory, establish a development plan with the staff person, that helps him grow professionally in ways important to him. If performance is less than satisfactory, develop a written performance improvement plan, and schedule more frequent feedback meetings. Remind the employee of the consequences connected with continued poor performance. The supervisor and employee discuss employee feedback and constructive suggestions for the supervisor and the department. Discuss anything else the supervisor or employee would like to discuss, hopefully, maintaining the positive and constructive environment established thus far, during the meeting. Mutually sign the performance development tool to indicate the discussion has taken place. End the meeting in a positive and supportive manner. The supervisor expresses confidence that the employee can accomplish the plan and that the supervisor is available for support and assistance. Set a time-frame for formal follow up, generally quarterly.
Following the Performance Development Process Meeting
If a performance improvement plan was necessary, follow up at the designated times. Follow up with performance feedback and discussions regularly throughout the quarter. (An employee should never be surprised about the content of feedback at the performance development meeting.) The supervisor needs to keep commitments relative to the agreed upon development plan, including time needed away from the job, payment for courses, agreed upon work assignments and so on. The supervisor needs to act upon the feedback from departmental members and let staff members know what has changed, based upon their feedback. Forward appropriate documentation to the Human Resources office and retain a copy of the plan for easy access and referral.
Managers cite performance appraisals or annual reviews as one of their most disliked tasks. Performance management eliminates the performance appraisal or annual review as the focus and concentrates on the entire spectrum of performance management and development issues. Employee performance development, training, cross-training, the provision of challenging assignments and regular performance feedback are included in an effective performance management system.
Performance Management And Employee Development (E)
What is the right approach of manager to performance management? How to encourage performance? How to deal with underperformance? Posted: May 2010
W T
hat is the performance? This term is frequently used in the business and has many
interpretations. In essence the performance represents the job well done and achievements according the defined target. The performance management is the relationship between the manager and employee, with the focus on:
he performance management has multifunctional importance. It
recognizes individual contribution and gives opportunity individual development of employees. It contributes to organization by achievement of targets and continuous growth. The performance management is opportunity for organization to recognize the contribution of employee and to respond through reward programs.
Systematic planning of business tasks Setting of desired targets Giving the feedback Establishment of common understanding Development of employee's capabilities
Essentially, the performance management has multifunctional importance. It recognizes individual contribution and gives opportunity individual development of employees. It contributes to organization by achievement of targets and continuous growth. The performance management is opportunity for organization to recognize the contribution of employee and to respond through reward programs. Performance management enables recognition of direct link between performance and reward. There are several key areas that are the scope of performance management system: First area is the review of achievements versus predefined targets. This part is done through the monitoring systems, review meetings and through the direct supervision Second area is to identify what has not been done. Even if the main goal is achieved, it is possible that there are still some areas or part of job that are not completed or they require further improvement.
Third area is creation of development plans and direction of employees toward defined targets. The purpose of this phase is to provide continuous improvement of the processes and to enable more effective and efficient growth of the company. The performance management process is composed of following elements:
Setting of targets – Key Performance Indicator ( KPI ) Review of KPI during the periodical review meeting Individual Development Plan ( IDP ), setting and implementation on the annual level.
In order to bring maximum from every employee, the manager makes successful his people, his company and, after all, himself. The Fishbone Diagram can be used for assessment of KBIs.
Performance Management & Employee Development
A. Performance Management
We help clients build performance management systems that result in better performance, greater efficiency, and increased revenues. And we have been doing this since the early 1970’s. We design and implement systems that include job specific behaviorally based approaches, job family criteria and expectations, department/unit based competencies, organization wide competencies, and training to support all of the above. With some clients we have linked team based performance management with broader empowerment systems. With other clients we have used self evaluation as one component of the performance management process. Now we are seeing renewed interest in management by objectives as a way to link individual performance to the organization’s strategic planning efforts. Whatever the process, we consistently maintain our knowledge and expertise so that you can save your company money.
B. Coaching
Coaching is more than just professional development for a single person. It is a way to help managers and leaders work more effectively within their organization, thus benefiting the entire company. Effective coaching starts with a careful job analysis to help the coach understand the unique needs of the business. The second step is to assess the strengths and weaknesses of the individual to be coached. The third step is development planning, where we create an action plan for the coaching to follow. The fourth step is the coaching itself which usually occurs over a six to nine month period. The end result is a stronger, more effective leader who can help the organization meet its goals.
C. 360 Degree Surveys
In the past several years, 360 degree surveys have seen a huge increase in popularity. These surveys provide feedback to individuals on how their supervisors, peers, and direct reports see their performance. The idea is simple: if people know how they are performing, they can learn from it. There are two types of 360 surveys: written and verbal. Written surveys ask multiple questions about and provide quantitative scores on a person’s performance on specific dimensions such as team effectiveness or decision-making. Verbal surveys do much the same thing, but allow people to offer more specific feedback about an individual. One of the most useful questions is, “If you could change one thing about this person, what would it be?” We help you figure out what kind of 360 degree survey will work best for your organization. Then we help you interpret the survey and use it in coaching and development for your people.
D. Training
Our training philosophy is that adults must be treated as adults. With that in mind, we design our training to include a combination of lecture, discussion, case studies, individual exercises, and small group exercises. We arrange the room to encourage interaction. We take five minute breaks every hour or so. We use lectures to present material that is then practiced and debriefed. We use team assignments as appropriate. All workshop participants receive high quality handouts, usually in a three ring binder, and we always make our electronic material
available to participants. We engage in several training engagements every year, ranging from four hour workshops to five-day offsite training retreats. In our 35 years of experience developing and delivering effective training, we have conducted hundreds of training seminars created over 70 training modules that are on hand and ready to be customized and delivered. These modules cover the range of: employee selection processes, employee performance appraisal and performance management systems, productivity programs, management and organization development topics. To see a complete list of our training modules, click here.
E. Interpersonal Communications
The most common complaint we hear from people in our client companies is that they want to “improve communications.” What they usually mean is that they want themselves and their colleagues to provide better performance feedback to each other, make decisions faster, and solve problems together. People also want to hear a clear and compelling direction for the organization and how they contribute to the effort. We help organizations, teams, and individuals improve their communications in all of these areas. We facilitate retreats to help people talk about vision and strategy, coach managers to run more effective meetings, and help structure organizations so that employees get good feedback regarding their performance. The result is that everyone in the organization pulls in the same direction.
