Performance Management Revised
Companies have long participated in time-consuming performance reviews that have not yielded any clear improvements in performance.
I was coaching a senior executive at an International Company with the remit of supporting him and the organisation for him to step into his next career advancement. I was given a report that included areas of development recommended after an assessment had been carried out.
The senior executive’s manager wanted me to support him to create a stronger relationship with his peers and when we dug deeper it became apparent that this whole assessment was initiated by his boss who had heard that this relationship wasn’t working effectively.
It appeared that after three years there was hardly any feedback sessions between my client and his manager. Furthermore the performance review system was completed by my client filling his own objectives prior to the review meeting and my client’s manager had reported that he was resisting feedback! This experience is not uncommon in organisations.
The argument for change
1. Organizations are discovering that their current performance management systems aren’t yielding the ROI they assumed. Just one in five employees strongly agree that their company’s system motivates them. Large organizations spend tens of thousands of hours and tens of millions of dollars on activities that not only don’t work, but also drive out top talent
2. The future of work is being shaped by extraordinary changes in technology, globalization and overwhelming information flow. Workers are asking for something different. They want a coach, not a boss. They want clear expectations, accountability, a rich purpose and especially ongoing feedback and coaching.
What employees are demanding
Over the last decade there is much information and experience from organisations who have approached performance management differently and with success. The data and research suggest that the manager plays a key role to achieving that success.
Employees today demand more from their companies. They want meaningful work and managers who care for them as people and provide ongoing communication, clear work expectations, and opportunities to learn and grow.
There is a better way
To meet these demands, a company’s performance management activities should develop and inspire employees to be at their best as often as possible. Unfortunately, traditional performance management approaches were not built to fulfil the demands of the modern workforce.
Many companies have discovered that their traditional system fails to engage employees because workers see the annual performance review as unfairly subjective, and reviews happen too infrequently to help them improve their performance.
As a result, companies are seeking an alternative that will meet employees’ demands and motivate them to improve performance. The good news is that companies do not need to completely eliminate all of their traditional performance management practices — including performance ratings and reviews. They do, however, need to improve the way in which performance discussions are orchestrated and progress reviews are conducted.
When correctly implemented, performance measurement provides accountability, fairness in evaluation and guidance for how to improve. Igniting this change requires leaders to implement an ongoing performance development approach with managers who know their employees’ strengths and engagement needs.
Further resources
Managers must then use this information to more effectively establish expectations, continually coach and create accountability to ensure both individuals and organizations are well-positioned to reach their goals.
We invite you to attend a free Webinar that describes a strength based approach in communication and relationship building with your colleagues at work.
Taymour Miri – MCC (ICF), Gallup Strength Coach
