Employees and managers interact with each other all the time. A strong performance management system provides a framework to make conversations more impactful, through a shared process and structure for talking at an individual level about what needs to be accomplished, with clear targets and priorities.
These conversations help employees see more clearly the importance of their own efforts and know what they should be doing, even when their manager isn’t present. This requires not only agreeing on and capturing those goals initially, but also having regular conversations together that include making sure those expectations are being met, or to proactively make adjustments such as:
- correcting any misunderstandings on timing or deliverables;
- identifying and addressing challenges the employee might encounter but cannot resolve without the manager’s help — perhaps additional training, or escalating the discussion with another group that isn’t providing the necessary support);
- postponing or removing original objectives to accommodate a change in the business such as a new and more critical project
Done well, Performance Management should never feel like a pair of stressful events (Goal-Setting and Year-End Evaluations); rather, it should be an ongoing conversation that employees and managers use to keep themselves on the same page throughout the year.
Let’s talk about how I can improve the way your current process works, or help implement one and train your staff how to use it.
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