Performance Management in 2016
In one of our previous blogs we explored how performance improvement can get hampered by arduous, overly complicated or detailed performance management processes. If you can relate to this, or are in any way considering Performance management training courses to ramp up employee productivity and engagement, then this blog is a quick and worthwhile read.
The main thing to remember here is that processes don’t drive up performance, people do. The annual appraisal should never be seen as the answer to employee productivity – the principle behind great employee performance is NO SURPRISES. Nothing replaces the need for managers to have timely, regular discussions with their staff.
This of course still holds true as we rush headlong into 2016, and of course we do need a system to measure performance. Sure, you can guarantee that in any company with an integrated performance management system, SOME employees are not happy. Adversely, if organisations do not use any systems to measure and evaluate performance, MORE employees would be unhappy. The key message is that what gets measured gets done. What gets rewarded gets done best of all. The key is keeping it simple and focused. The best performance management training courses do this.
Traditionally organisations manage people by communicating expectations; i.e. spelling out to people what results we expect and the tasks to be undertaken to obtain them.
The difficulty is that this approach of ‘management by results’ only motivates only high performers. This is because they know what they need to do and can consistently apply the critical work behaviours that enable them to achieve. However the high performers only represent a small percentage of the total workforce.
The other extreme are the ‘low-performers’. We all tend to know who these are. They also represent a small percentage of the organisation’s workforce, yet they tend to take up a significant amount of a managers time through coaching/support.
This is illustrated in the Productivity Bell-curve. Consider a bell-shaped curve. In any larger organisation the performance distribution of both individual employees and teams approximates this curve.
The core performers represent the greatest potential for performance improvement – around 70% of company results are generated here. High performers should not be ignored, but perhaps a different approach is required here given that these people are usually self-driven and motivated to do the best they can.
You simply cannot manage performance without clear measures and expectations.
Performance management in 2016 is being redefined and embraced as an efficient, focused business process that helps improve employee engagement and drives business results and performance management training courses should reflect this new paradigm.
Organisations leading this transformation are redefining the way they set goals and evaluate performance, focusing heavily on coaching and feedback and keeping processes focused and simple.
The days of traditional appraisals and forced ranking are coming to an end; performance management is now a tool for greater employee engagement.
“What gets measured gets done, and what gets rewarded gets done best of all.”
Adalta have been developing and delivering forward-thinking in-house Performance management training courses for many years. We also run Personal productivity training courses to help employees get more done in the time they have by working more efficiently and effectively.
Our courses are delivered predominantly in the North West, Manchester, Cheshire, Birmingham and West Midlands, although we work UK wide. If you want to find out how we can help get in touch or take a look at our Performance Management training / Personal Productivity workshops / personal productivity training pages for more details, or check out our related training courses.