Implementing a performance management system? Avoid these mistakes!
Companies are adopting performance management systems to help optimise their workforces in this tough economy. Here are some tips on how to do it well - and the traps to avoid ...
Mistake #1: Keeping managers in the dark - communication and training that focuses on the benefits to the manager can help turn resistance and fear into acceptance and excitement.
Mistake #2: Introducing too much change too quickly - focus efforts on a few key outcomes and show success in those areas.
Mistake #3: Creating complex performance review forms - Keep it simple! Approach system configuration with the specific end-user in mind.
Mistake #4: Underestimating change management - dialogue is critical to understanding what could be sabotaging the project, and offers and opportunity for users to take ownership of the process and avoid feeling as though this new way of doing things has been thrust upon them.
Mistake #5: Failing to adequately plan - Get together with peers who have gone through an implementation. Have contingency plans in place for delays, technical issues and end-user resistance.
Mistake #6: Keeping end-users out of the configuration process - allow a representative team of managers and employees to participate in the configuration of the system.
Mistake #7: Failing to ask questions and uncover issues - create a feedback survey and establish a regular forum for suggestions for improvement.
Mistake #8: Not establishing links to business objectives - consistently strive to communicate how the performance management system supports the success of the business.
Mistake #9: Unclear roles and responsibilities - identify everyone in the business who will be needed or affected by the new system.
Mistake #10: Lack of buy-in from senior executives - create a set of reports that show trend data relating to important business metrics.
Mistake #11: Ambiguity about what to measure - Examine your existing job descriptions. Every employee needs to understand the duties and responsibilities of their job and on what basis their performance will be measured.
Mistake #12: Failure to establish a culture of performance - Creating a culture of performance often requires a dramatic shift in the attitude of an organisation towards its employees from one of a 'workforce' to on that values unique contributions, recognises strengths and invests in developing weaknesses, and understanding the value of each individual.
[Source: Human Capital Magazine, Issue 7.9]
Saturday, December 05, 2009
Wednesday, December 02, 2009
Identify Employees' Hidden Talents
When you find an excellent employee, retention is of the upmost importance. Here are a few top tips to keep in mind to reduce turn-over and develop a succession plan to create positive company morale and a positive bottom line.
1. Turn a compliment into an interview. When an employee does an excellent job, don't merely praise her. Pinpoint the strengths of her accomplishment and ask her how she did it - in other words, to share her process. The interview will bring to consciousness - both yours and hers - insights that can be transferred to new tasks.
2. Analyse how people think, not just what they do. Performance assessments rightly focus on the achievement of goals and other measurable markers of success. However, what's often behind such accomplishments is a way of thinking, particular to an individual that made success possible. Describe those habits of mind in the employee's next evaluation.
3. Ask for the reasons behind preferences. Good managers know what their individual employees like to do (what tasks they enjoy, which projects motivate them). Great managers find out why someone has those preferences - i.e., which project characteristics are the root sources of fulfilment.
4. Inquire about people's dreams. "David, if you could be in an entirely different career, what would it be?" If David says he always wanted to be a translator, ask him if he'd like to give working with international clients a whirl. By getting a little taste of his dream in his current position, David is more likely to feel fulfilled than if he keeps treading water - and less likely to get restless and head out to sea.
Treating each employee as an ocean of talent allows you to find troves of precious gems. What hidden treasures have you discovered in your employees? And what jewels of your own have you brought to the surface because a manager cared enough to look for them?
1. Turn a compliment into an interview. When an employee does an excellent job, don't merely praise her. Pinpoint the strengths of her accomplishment and ask her how she did it - in other words, to share her process. The interview will bring to consciousness - both yours and hers - insights that can be transferred to new tasks.
2. Analyse how people think, not just what they do. Performance assessments rightly focus on the achievement of goals and other measurable markers of success. However, what's often behind such accomplishments is a way of thinking, particular to an individual that made success possible. Describe those habits of mind in the employee's next evaluation.
3. Ask for the reasons behind preferences. Good managers know what their individual employees like to do (what tasks they enjoy, which projects motivate them). Great managers find out why someone has those preferences - i.e., which project characteristics are the root sources of fulfilment.
4. Inquire about people's dreams. "David, if you could be in an entirely different career, what would it be?" If David says he always wanted to be a translator, ask him if he'd like to give working with international clients a whirl. By getting a little taste of his dream in his current position, David is more likely to feel fulfilled than if he keeps treading water - and less likely to get restless and head out to sea.
Treating each employee as an ocean of talent allows you to find troves of precious gems. What hidden treasures have you discovered in your employees? And what jewels of your own have you brought to the surface because a manager cared enough to look for them?
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