Designing Your Performance Management System for Success

Performance    =      Potential     –     Interference

Most organizations work on improving the knowledge, skills, (and sometimes confidence) of their workforce.   They do that through training, coaching, mentoring, job rotation, and other means.  That, hopefully, improves the potential of the workforce (at all levels).

BUT, many of these same organizations spend little time identifying and either minimizing or eliminating the barriers to performance or other forms of interference that sap the energy and commitment of that workforce.  Questions to assess disconnects include:

• Is there a good match between the person’s knowledge, skills, and experience  and the requirements of the job?
• Does the person (or team) understand what’s expected of her/him and how that will be measured?
• Does the person (or team) get timely, specific, and sincere performance feedback so that they know what to keep doing (well) and what needs to improve?
• Does the person (or team) have the right environment (tools, time, emotional, and risk) to be successful?
• Does the person (or team) receive recognition or appreciation for high commitment or positive/quality results? 
• Is the person (or team) held accountable for low commitment and/or provided appropriate support for weak/poor performance?

You may have heard the simple question:  “Is it WILL or SKILL?” It’s actually not that simple, but that is a good place to start.  The potential part of the equation is generally a training/HR function (although much of the on-the-job training comes out of Operations).  The interference part is largely a leadership/management function.

High Performance Organizations (HPO) intentionally design their Performance Management System around this line of thinking.  They provide both the developmental activities that help employees grow … and … they provide the structure, tools, and environment for them to be fully engaged and successful.

Action Item:     How many of the above approaches has your organization built into its Performance Management System?   What’s missing?   How do you diagnose and address/fix individual or team performance problems?   What would life be like if some of those went away?

This is our true specialty.  We can help you improve/redesign your system or diagnose  and create a plan for overcoming the tough, ongoing performance issues.   Call us.