Performance Management Flashcards
The ‘building blocks of effective performance management are:
A vision to stretch and motivate the organisation
* A set of performance measures and targets
* Ownership of the targets
* Performance Review
* Motivation to encourage and support staff
Main Features of Performance Management
how managers and team leaders work effectively with those around them.
* how individuals work with their managers and with their teams.
* how individuals can be developed to improve their knowledge, skills and expertise and their levels
of competence and performance.
Good performance management will:
achieve sustainable improvements.
* promote the concept of continuous improvement.
* act as a lever for change.
* enable expectations to be defined, so that employees know what doing a good job means.
* enable employees and their work to be evaluated both informally and formally.
* increase the motivation and commitment of employees, by enabling them to recognise how they
contribute to the achievement of organisational objectives.
* encourage employees to accept responsibility for their own learning.
* enable individuals to develop their abilities, increase their job satisfaction and achieve their full
potential to their own benefit and that of the organisations as a whole.
* enable individuals to agree improvement plans and methods of implementing them with their
managers, jointly reviewing training and development needs and agreeing on how they should be
satisfied.
* assist in empowering people – giving people more scope to take responsibility for and exercise
control over their work, providing the opportunity to contribute to the development of team plans
and put forward ideas and suggestions.
* enable the setting of SMART targets.
* identify the resources needed to meet organisational objectives.
* enable organisational, team and individual plans to be developed.
* identify the information and data collection systems needed to monitor whether targets are being
met and identify organisational risks.
* encourage employees to uphold core organisational values.
* enable an organisation in the private sector to maintain a competitive edge.
Responsibilities of top-level (senior) managers
Understand the situation in which the organisation is operating.
* Be very aware of external factors such as markets and Government Policy.
* Building relationships with others, very often involving senior staff in other organisations.
* Make strategic decisions about the long-term future of the organisation.
* Providing a vision for the future.
* Briefing the organisation.
* Identify the need for major organisational changes and re-structuring.
* Use detailed information and data for decision making
Responsibilities of middle (departmental) managers
Have a specialised understanding of a specific part of the organisation.
* Lead and manage the staff in their department and promote Health and Safety.
* Carry out the decisions made by top-level management.
* Set performance targets to meet organisational and departmental objectives.
* Make operational decisions based on the role of their department using departmental data.
* Make medium term decisions.
* Provide performance information to senior managers.
Responsibilities of junior managers and first-line supervisors
Build teams and encourage commitment and creativity.
* Motivate team members to perform in the workplace.
* Manage conflict in the workplace.
* Induct new staff into the workplace.
* Follow organisational and departmental procedures and policies.
* Plan day to day work efficiently.
* Manage and promote Health and Safety at Work.
* Work with costs and budgets.
* Work to meet performance objectives.
Personal effectiveness tools and techniques include:
being clear about the responsibilities attached to the role and the limitations of power and
decision making.
* being clear about the objectives and targets of the team, so that resources, staff time and skills
are not wasted.
* understanding the wider aims and purpose of the organisation so they can contribute, both as an
individual and manager.
* prioritising tasks and drawing up a personal work plan; the work plan should be reviewed on a
regular basis so that it remains relevant.
* keeping time logs to ensure that time and energy are not wasted on trivia or non- productive work,
which does not contribute to the achievement of organisational objectives.
Formal Staff Appraisal Schemes \ Role of ‘One to One’ Appraisal
Enables a manager to reinforce information and guidance given during day to day supervision.
* A formal appraisal process enables managers to use past performance as the basis for improving
future performance to aid the meeting of both individual and team targets.
* Reminds employees of the importance of their own contribution to organisational objectives.
* Identifies the current performance of an employee, including strengths and weaknesses.
* Provides guidance to help employees improve.
* The actual appraisal meeting can aid motivation through the setting of SMART objectives and the
provision of positive feedback within a formal setting.
* Enables managers to identify if employees are interested in promotion or expanding their skill
levels in another part of the organisation.
Features of an effective ‘one to one’ appraisal interview include:
careful preparation by both manager and employee.
* the manager ensuring that the necessary data is available so there is no ‘guess work’. This should
include notes taken at the previous appraisal and any changes which have occurred to the job of
the employee, such as new duties.
* a clear structure to achieve productive discussions and the productive use of time.
* the creation of a supportive atmosphere by the manager, no interruptions and a comfortable and
quiet room. The manager should also remember the importance of body language, tone of voice
and the words used.
* good and positive feedback and praise is given where appropriate.
* encouragement of self-appraisal on the part of the employee who should ‘do most of the talking’.
* no surprises or criticism, which have not been raised earlier as part of the day to day supervision.
If there are, it would suggest that the manager has not been doing his/her job properly
The advantages of 360 degree appraisal include:
- helping employees see their ‘blind spots’ - things which others know about them which they did
not know. - discovering a ‘blind spot’ can be valuable in relating to people in the future.
- providing a broad picture of the employee’s strengths and weaknesses.
- providing information on the quality of relationship.
- helping senior managers to assess their staff and identify ways in which they can help.
- employees generally like 360 degree feedback; as more than one view is involved, they take things
less personally and are more likely to take ‘on board’ what’s being said. Constructive criticism is
more easily accepted and more likely to result in real changes in behaviour. - identifying a development need if similar comments are received from a range of people.
- helping employees become aware of the importance of developing a range of competencies so
that they, as managers, can be successful now and in the future
Disadvantages of 360 degree feedback include:
hat the feedback given may not always be honest or frank; for example, subordinates may feel
unsure about making comments unless the organisation has a very open culture and customers
and other stakeholders may not wish to become involved in the process.
* being an emotional ‘roller-coaster ride’ for some participants.
* finding giving or receiving feedback stressful which reduces the benefits.
* the process becoming very bureaucratic if a number of feedback reports need to be analysed and
collated. In some organisations up to 8-10 people can be involved in the process.
* those providing comments wishing to change their mind.
Reasons for poor performance can include:
work being delegated without the necessary information.
* the employee not having the ability needed to do the job.
* the employee possessing insufficient skills.
* external factor(s) beyond the control of the employee eg poor materials and decisions being
made in other parts of the organisation.
* the employee being provided with incomplete or incorrect information so that the wrong action is
taken.
* poor team work within the work unit.
* conflict with the workplace possibly including bullying and harassment.
* the employee having the wrong attitude eg is a poor team player where team work is important
or has an unfriendly attitude towards customers.
Actions a manager can take to deal with poor performance:
Act as soon as the problem becomes evident. Failure to act quickly may lead other staff to believe
that mediocre or under-performance is acceptable.
* Explain to the employee, why and how their performance is unsatisfactory.
* If appropriate, undertake confidential informal counselling with the employee to identify causes of
the problems which are contributing to the under-performance.
* Explain to the employee what is required of them in the workplace and the objectives and targets
they are expected to meet.
* Identify solutions with the employee so that a way forward can be found by agreeing the
performance required and the targets to be met.
Where poor performance continues to be a problem, then it may be necessary to take more formal
action using the organisation’s Disciplinary Procedure. Someone who persistently performs poorly,
places additional pressures on other staff, and they have a right to expect that action will be taken.
The main features of a good disciplinary procedure are:
It follows good practice guidelines laid down in employment law.
* It shows leadership in letting staff now how they should be contributing towards the operation of
the organisation.
* It provides a clear ‘pathway’ for managers to follow.
* It enables problems which arise and which it has not been possible to overcome with guidance
from the line manager to be dealt with fairly and consistently.
* It demonstrates to the organisation that persistent poor performance or gross misconduct will be
taken seriously.
* It is written down and staff are made aware of its existence so have access to guidance on
conduct.
Role of ‘One to One’ Appraisal
Enables a manager to reinforce information and guidance given during day to day supervision.
* A formal appraisal process enables managers to use past performance as the basis for improving
future performance to aid the meeting of both individual and team targets.
* Reminds employees of the importance of their own contribution to organisational objectives.
* Identifies the current performance of an employee, including strengths and weaknesses.
* Provides guidance to help employees improve.
* The actual appraisal meeting can aid motivation through the setting of SMART objectives and the
provision of positive feedback within a formal setting.
* Enables managers to identify if employees are interested in promotion or expanding their skill
levels in another part of the organisation.
* Enables the identification of training and development needs in terms of the meeting of individual,
team, department and organisational objectives.
* The provision of a set process gives managers and employees the ‘space’ in which to discuss
confidential issues which might not otherwise be raised during the working day, such as stress,
family problems, job related problems and allows employees to discuss their perception of their
training and development needs.
* In the private sector the outcomes of the staff appraisal process is often used to provide the basis
for a fair rewards system.
