PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT

Corporate performance management - for employee performance management in businesses and organisations - training tips beyond systems to people

Performance Management requires us to reconcile caring for and developing our people with ensuring that departmental and organisational aims are achieved. Managing performance requires us to strike a balance between compassion and accountability.

We need to be caring and compassionate if, for example, an employee needs help and encouragement to get through difficulties or challenges. On the other hand we need to focus on accountability responsibility where, for example, matters of health and safety or essential processes or policies are concerned. 

PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT

Being able to assess situations and adapt our Performance management response is vital to managing people. If we manage people well, we manage performance well too. 

It's important to recognise a fundamental fact: that everyone is capable of exceptional effort, productivity, output, and performance. There is actually no such thing as a person who is in themselves a 'poor performer'. Where people fail to perform in any respect it is generally because of poor Performance management or a flawed organisation.

Understanding this - that everyone is potentially a great performer - is a key to being a great manager of people and performance. Recognising and accepting this principle helps us to focus on helping people to find positive solutions, rather than focusing blame, criticism and recrimination, the traditional resorts of old-style autocratic or incompetent management and organisations.

Sumantra Ghoshal (1948-2004), the humanist management writer and academic, who believed that management should be above all else a force for good, got it right when he said:

"A very different philosophy of Performance management is arising. We are moving beyond strategy to purpose; beyond structure to process, and beyond systems to people.... Asshole management is not inevitable."

Performance management is about people. It's not about systems or processes or rules or computer systems. It's about people.

Getting the best out of people is not rocket science - it's mostly about helping people to do a great job. 

A big part of what people need from their managers is a clear understanding of what is expected - in other words - explanation and clarification and agreement of performance expectations.

A second big part of what people need from their managers is help in meeting these standards and expectations - which logically requires the manager to first find out what help they need, because it's different for everyone, and if you don't ask then you won't know. So why guess? Ask people what they need. 

A huge proportion of performance problems can be traced back simply to a failure to explain and agree expectations and/or a failure to understand and provide the help that the person needs. These are the responsibilities of the manager - not the employee. Don't assume everything is understood and perfectly within people's capabilities. Instead, take time to explain, check and ask until everyone concerned is happy and sure of what needs doing, why, and how.

Expectations need explaining and agreeing for all aspects of the employee's responsibility and performance - from the most basic standards, to the most open-ended freedoms - yes even freedom is an 'expectation' that must be explained, understood and agreed.

Different aspects of performance, and different tasks and responsibilities, of course need treating in different ways, as do people according to their different levels of experience, knowledge, capability, capacity and confidence.

And just a quick note about performance appraisals and where they fit into performane management: Attending to below-standard performance needs to be handled at the time - do not wait to spring it on people several months later at the dreaded performance appraisal. Make sure you never allow a situation to develop where one of your people could turn round to you and say, "I wish you'd told me at the time - if I'd known about it then I'd have sorted it out..."

Be mindful - performance management more than just a once a year process - it's a continuous activity.

Basic responsibilities and standards of performance management 

Certain expectations of performance are mandatory standards that are (or should be) effectively written into employment contracts, or at least referred to in appropriate operational procedures. Such expectations and standards form part of the 'psychological contract' that exists between employer and employee. Other less firm responsibilities and activities (for instance optional developmental opportunities) of course often also form a part of the 'psychological contract', but basic standards and job requirements are generally non-negotiable. 

You must know what these things are, and you must have a clear commitment from your people that these are 'given's, because we've all got better things to do than fart around sorting out stuff that one might expect to come across in the primary school playground, but not at grown-up work.

In other words, performance management is challenging enough without having to spend time on things that form part of people's basic contract and published standards for doing the job. By implication, this aspect of performance should manage itself. 

So, what if performance needs managing in this area? 

If performance falls short in this area you must revisit the 'psychological contract' and probably the actual employment contract too, so as to clarify basic and non-negotiable expectations as quickly and simply as possible.

But be compassionate and caring. Be creative about the way you handle below-standard performance. Non-negotiable does not mean ruthless or uncaring. Be sensitive. Be firm but be fair!