Muhammad JahanzaibPerformance management is a communication process by which managers and employees work together to plan, monitor and review an employee’s work objectives and overall contribution to the organization. Performance management is a continuous process of planning, coaching and reviewing employee performance.
What Are Performance Management Processes?
The performance management processes in an organization are the techniques employed to get the objectives and goals of the organization. Performance management processes are a group of activities that deal with employee performance appraisal as well as reward and recognition. The performance management process comprises of many elements, such as performance appraisal, performance plans, feedback and development and reward and recognition, which together helps the manager to motivate the employees to achieve organizational goals.
Well Planned Performance Management Processes
A well planned performance management process must comprise of clear goals, objectives and expectations. Every manager should be able to identify their organizational goals and objectives, as this determines what he requires from his team. It is not just about identifying goals and objectives, but it is about being realistic about the goals as well. For example, a manager should know how to set realistic goals, rather than setting goals based on what others say or the general views. In this scenario, the manager should define the expectation for different levels, opportunities for development or career path and so on.
Measures Of Performance Management Processes
Planning, discussing, reviewing and taking corrective actions are the measures that together define performance management processes.
Planning: The key to performance management is setting goals, objectives and expectations at the right time, and defining clear vision, strategy and action steps to achieve these goals.
The key to performance management is setting goals, objectives and expectations at the right time, and defining clear vision, strategy and action steps to achieve these goals. Discussing: Performance management is a continuous activity, where managers and employees discuss, plan and solve problems together.
Performance management is a continuous activity, where managers and employees discuss, plan and solve problems together. Reviewing: It is a continuous process, wherein feedback, updates and celebrations are considered.
It is a continuous process, wherein feedback, updates and celebrations are considered. Taking corrective action: It is an important part of a manager’s role to take corrective actions based on performance and goals.
It is an important part of a manager’s role to take corrective actions based on performance and goals. Setting Goals: Before setting goals for his team, a manager must set his goals first, which will help him to understand what stage his team is in, and what their needs are. The goals must be realistic, measurable, achievable, results-focused and time bound.
Before setting goals for his team, a manager must set his goals first, which will help him to understand what stage his team is in, and what their needs are. The goals must be realistic, measurable, achievable, results-focused and time bound. Establishing Objectives: The manager and employee must set reasonable goals and objectives based on the work and skills of the employee, in alignment with the organizational goals.
3 Common Principles Of Performance Management Processes
In the performance management process, the manager and the employee must have one vision of what is to be achieved, a clear understanding of the roles they play and, have a shared commitment to improve the results. This is possible when both manager and employee understand the shared values, commitment to results and have a sense of direction and contribution towards the organization.
When both manager and employees participate in performance management processes, along with other participants, such as employees, employee involvement and employee-owned decisions result in more successful and satisfying performance management efforts.
Performance management process has also seen many changes in recent years. The technology has become more involved in the process, bringing more transparency in the process, from the tools to empower employees and to different approaches used, such as flexible working hours, virtual meetings and so on.
More About Performance Management Processes
Performance management may include several elements, such as reviews, goals setting, employee feedback, employee development, employee recognition and rewarding, negotiations, communicate details of ones performance to the employee, review the results, formulate performance review action plan, monitor and details of one’s performance to the employee.
Performance management monitors and adjust ones progress, and decides on future plans based on the past performance reviews, goals and objectives. The feedback provided during the performance management process has a significant impact on the progress made.
Operational performance management process is vital to evaluate the objectives, efforts and outcomes of a project. It is done throughout the life cycle of the project, to keep the project progress in place.
The benefits of managing performance process include improved customer response time and satisfaction, improved productivity and quality records, employee recognition and motivation, improved employee retention, increased morale, reduced workers’ comp claims and other types of injuries, enhanced employee understanding of the work, and increased worker motivation.
Processes for performance management must encompass performance appraisal process, to judge and evaluate performance, which is critical and includes documentation of appraisal results.
In a progressive organization, performance management process is a continuous cycle involving the discussion, planning, data gathering, developing and reviewing, which helps to improve the performance of both employee and organization.
Performance management process includes assessment of performance, specify responsibilities, set expectations, create strategies, identify contingencies, specify objectives, build teamwork, establish and monitor plans, review work, implement corrective actions and accept recommendations.
Performance management processes are a vital part of any organization, and are of great importance to the growth and success of the company. A good manager should be able to evaluate his employees, help them in improving their performance and also in improving the overall functioning of the organization.
It is vital for any organization to make sure that their employees are regularly assessed, and that they are properly motivated and rewarded for their work. Performance appraisal is thus a key part of the goals management process. Performance management is a way to ensure that employees are informed of their jobs, their performance and are fairly rewarded as they perform. Performance management process and performance appraisal systems provide employees with the information they need, as well as ensuring that factors such as implicit contracts are outlined.
Performance Management systems will help the organization function better, as they will help to increase productivity by helping employees, managers and organizations to focus on the right things. Even organizations who do not use appraisal systems implicitly, also use performance management systems to ensure that employees remain motivated. Performance appraisal is vital for organizations to make sure that they are performing to the best of their ability and improving every day.
Some research shows that performance appraisal systems can actually cause more harm than good, however, by causing fear in the workplace, eliminating trust, isolating employees from each other and making the workplace organizationally driven instead of employee focused. There are many ways in which organizations can integrate performance appraisal into their business systems, while ensuring that this kind of negative effect isn’t felt by their employees.
This is why it is important for business owners to be aware of the most recent research in this field, and for them to try to implement the newer techniques for performance management. Through the use of reward and recognition performance appraisal can be made much more positive. Award systems, for example, can help employees to focus on their strengths rather than weaknesses and, therefore, will motivate employees in a much better way.
There are many kinds of performance appraisal systems, and they change from organization to organization. If you’re interested in learning more about performance appraisal systems, and how they can both positively and negatively affect employees, you should talk to a specialist.
Implementing Performance Management Processes
Performance management process involves different steps like in designing, developing, acquiring, implementing, maintaining, and improving performance management process. A company needs to consider different factors in each of these stages to ensure that the system is best suited for its employees.
Planning of performance management process is a very essential part of any organization.
Performance management process plan involves preparing strategies, guide for employees and setting goals, objectives, normative data to drive performance in organizations.
In the development of a performance management process plan, a company needs to decide on the appropriate performance management process plan configuration based on the strategic requirements of the organization.
Performance management is a system like any other, and companies need to ensure that they have the right infrastructural set up, the right technology and the right strategies before they start. A company needs to plan well ahead of time in order to ensure that the performance management process is in place, and that they obtain the maximum output from the system.
It is best to establish a team to work on the performance management process, so that the team can take development from different perspectives and come up with the best possible design. It is always best to start with small steps so that they can gauge the progress, and this will help the company to identify areas of concern comparatively easily.
Many companies make the mistake of having separate teams for other development projects and simultaneously carrying out the development of a performance management process. It is best to not have parallel projects like this, as the project managers may overlook the performance management process, and the overall feedback and results may be hampered.
It is best to make a road map of the performance management process beforehand, to ensure that the development team sticks to the plan and to ensure that the product is up to standards before it is made public. A company needs to be able to pay attention to how well the performance management process is received, and to be able to make any necessary improvements on an ongoing basis.
It is important to make sure that everyone is comfortable with the performance management process, that they know what it entails and that they can make the best use of it. A company may need to conduct usability testing or employ expert usability consultants to help them get the feedback. There is rarely a one size fits all solution to performance management process, so it is important to make changes as and when they are needed.
Having started a performance management process, a company needs to continue to monitor and make any necessary changes to the process. It is best to have a team of experts to do this, rather than the original development team, to ensure objectivity. The main aim is to make the process more user friendly to ensure that employees are willing to use the system.
Sometimes unforeseen problems may come up, and therefore, a performance management process needs to be able to be upgraded in response. A company needs to train the employees and make sure that they are comfortable with using the performance management process. Training will enable employees to make the best use of the system.
Many companies are now beginning to evaluate the performance management process in order to know how well the employees are performing. This is also necessary to ascertain if the performance management process is being used by the employees. Collecting and managing relevant data needs to be the top priority of the performance management process so that the necessary information can be obtained. A company should also be able to access the information at a given time of need.
Performance Management Systems
A performance management system (PMS) affords the ability to observe, measure and sometimes control people’s performance in a structured setting. The end goal of a well-managed performance management system is to develop a sustainable workforce that is fully engaged with the vision and mission of an organization.
The most important benefit derived from having a PMS in your organization is the ability to link employees and their work to the results that that instills a sense of purpose and meaning in the workplace. The workplace can become an environment of success and achievement with a PMS that effectively links high performance to individual, group and organizational goals and objectives.
Creating and maintaining a PMS is a continuous process. There are two major objectives that require regular evaluation. One is the PMS itself, which must be continually assessed and adapted in order to maintain and improve the quality of performance-based information. The second is the entire performance management system, which serves as a roadmap for performing and communicating with employees.
In order to ensure the effective use of a PMS, it is necessary to design a process that is based on the culture of the organization. In addition to the basic framework outlined below for creating a PMS, each company must modify and adapt the framework to fit their environment.
Throughout the PMS process, the foundation of trust and performance evaluation will remain a vital component. All employees, from the CEO to the janitor, must know that their work is valued and that the PMS provides an environment for employee development.
The PMS operates within a culture that values the employees and their contributions to the organization and endeavors through their actions and behavior to encompass the entire organization. Every member of the organization must be willing to undergo performance evaluation. When this condition is present, the PMS becomes a highly effective tool for the organization.
A PMS must be established on a continual basis to ensure that the performance management process remains strong, sound and functional. Each company that establishes a PMS must continually review the process and its components, occasionally making modifications, as needed, to ensure that the organization receives the maximum value from the process.
The PMS begins with the preparation and maintenance of employee information in order to ensure that the PMS has a foundation for performance evaluation.
The PMS is based on the belief that employees and their performance management process must be matched to organizational goals and objectives. It places a strong emphasis on setting goals and objectives for employees and providing them with training to ensure that they are as knowledgeable about their goals and objectives as possible. In addition, it makes good business sense to provide employees with performance appraisals to ensure that they have a clear understanding of the skills that they need to improve upon.
Essential Functions Of Performance Management
A Performance Management Process should be able to track the essential functions of performance management within an organization. These functions will help the performance manager in conducting effective performance evaluation to the employee and make necessary changes to improve the performance.
The essential functions of performance management are as follows:
Performance Management is necessary for an organization to execute its business strategies. It plays an important role in converting the strategies into Action Plans and KPI’s. A Performance Management Process should be able to design and implement the Action Plans and KPI’s. Performance Management enables an organization to make necessary decisions, approve strategies and sanction budgets for key mandates.
It also empower the organization to meet the goals & objectives in a stipulated time period. Performance Management Processes are needed within an organization to make necessary changes to the abysmal situation. With thorough evaluation the organization can focus on the positive change which can be implemented with little or no resistance.
Performance Management Process also enables the organization to take corrective actions within the organization to improve the overall performance. It also enables the organization to take corrective actions within the organization to improve the overall performance. A Performance Management Process should be able to implement corrective actions in order to make the organization perform better.
It should be able to remove the obstacles which might hamper the daily performance of the organization. Performance Management Process also enables the organization to create, develop and promote the employees so that they can grow and contribute to the sustainable development of the organization.
The PMP can be further subdivided into PMO – Performance Management Office. One would not be incorrect to say that there is no performance measurement process without PMO.
The PMO is responsible for the dissemination of information regarding the organization’s performance management process, using a variety of methodologies, technologies, and media to ensure the organization performs at the highest level. The PMO will ensure the performance management process is done in a cost-effective manner.
Performance Management Parameters
A Performance Management Process should be able to track the parameters of performance management as shown below:
- It should enable the organization to measure the effectiveness of individual performance.
- It should enable the organization to measure organizational performance.
- It should enable the organization to measure team performance.
- It should enable the organization to measure individual performance.
- It should enable the organization to measure team performance.
- It should enable the organization to measure client satisfaction levels of the organization.
Additionally, an organization should be able to measure organizational goals.
Performance Management Process shall be able to provide the guidelines for the performance evaluation of each employee.
Nonetheless, the parameters need be defined as per specific requirements. In this case, detailed parameters should be developed for each process.
Who’s Responsible
The Performance Management Process should be able to establish that who is responsible for each performance evaluation function.
The Process should unequivocally assign responsibility for each step of the evaluation process to ensure continuity.
Performance Appraisal
Performance Management Process should be able to define the elements of performance appraisal. Performance appraisal is the evaluation of the performance of any individual who works in an organization.
The basic information regarding appraisal can be classified into the following categories:
The First Category of information about appraisal is concerned with background and scope of the appraisal.
The Second Category of information about appraisal contains inputs into the appraisal.
The Third Category of information about appraisal has to do with the recipients of the appraisal.
The 4th Category of information about appraisal contains its readers’ guidelines.
The 5th Category of information about appraisal is concerned with the contents of the appraisal.
The 6th Category of information about appraisal is concerned with the record of the appraisal.
The 7th Category of information about appraisal has different operational procedures.
The 8th Category of information about appraisal has different technologies available for appraisal.
The 9th Category of information about appraisal have different methods for conducting appraisal.
The 10th Category of information about appraisal encompasses the senior agency’s and other’s inputs.
General Principles
Performance Management Principles are defined by Peter Drucker as follows:
“The right kind of performance depends on the right kind of performance management.”
This completely depends upon the performance management process. It has to be flexible enough to meet the needs of the organization. The basis of performance evaluation is nothing but the performance management process. It should have a structured or a laid-out approach. It should be flexible enough to meet the diverse needs of the organization.
Performance Management Process
The Performance Management Process is designed to enable an organization to understand its objectives and to help achieve all its business objectives. It facilitates the exchange of information and motivation of the employees. It provides a chance for employees to grow and expand their abilities. It is a vital tool that enables an organization to give employees a full understanding of their performance.
