Every so often we think of a performance review discussion as the performance management process. We use the term interchangeably too and employees also wonder about the manner in which their performance is actually being managed by their organizations. Few organizations understand the intricacies of such a process and what it entails and follow the right strategy from the beginning.
A detailed performance management course will contain stepwise information on what it contains. But as a proactive organization, you need to work on incorporating some best practices that can ensure that your performance management process is delivering what you intend for it to do.
- Focus on a detailed performance plan – Many organizations negate the importance of goal-setting at the beginning of the performance cycle. However, goals give us clarity and purpose. They give us a view of where the organization wants its employees to go. They let us know of the path we must take to contribute to the organization’s growth.
- A mix of tangible and intangible interventions – Managing performance is not about assessing how a person did at the end of the year. It is a round-the-year process of tracking the kind of performance he or she is demonstrating, the reskilling or upskilling they need and the tools as well as the interventions that the organization will be providing. Some tangible ones like training, certification programs are one part of it. The other crucial part is mentoring and coaching for high performance.
- Conduct timely and detailed reviews – Managers should conduct timely, regular and detailed performance reviews. They should be trained to carry out unbiased reviews as well as how to handle difficult conversations in case those arise. The impact of a good review is immense, and that of a bad one, irreversible.
- Reward performance – When someone performs well, there is a need to reward them and recognize their work. Make sure that there are a correlation and link between how you review, the actual performance and the final reward. It motivates those who have been performing well to continue doing so and encourages others as well.
- Future plans – Your performance management does not end with the review or even with the reward for the performance. It ends for that year when you put down future plans on how to proceed for next year’s goals. The career path or approach that an employee needs to take has to be defined well.
These are some best practices that you need to create into your existing performance management process to make it more effective.
