How to Implement Ongoing Performance Management

How to Implement Ongoing Performance Management
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Ongoing Performance Management
We believe that performance management is all about creating the performance environment that allows people to perform at their peak in a way that makes sense for them, their boss, and the organization as a whole.  Old school companies think of performance management as an end-of-the- year tactical exercise to rate employee’s performance.  Forward-thinking companies focus on ongoing performance management.

Ongoing performance management focuses on helping people be better each and every day. This upgraded talent management concept is particularly effective and critical in these challenging times of massive organizational change and disruption in the work environment.

Three Ongoing Performance Management Shifts to Get Right
Based upon organizational culture assessment data, we found that ongoing performance management hinges on three specific shifts in approach:

  1. Creating a Workplace Culture that Encourages and Values Two-Way Feedback
    Open, honest, and thoughtful feedback is a critical factor in continuous improvement both for the individual employee and for the organization. That said, feedback can be difficult to give and to receive. A powerful way to make it easier is to remove the “threat” of feedback by learning to ask for it.

    In a culture that values employee feedback, asking for and giving frequent and timely feedback is encouraged, modeled, and valued.  This reduces stress on all sides. The key is to begin the conversation so that everyone can view their own behavior from different perspectives and gain insights into what they could do better.

    You will know you are on the right path when leaders and employees feel comfortable asking for and receiving feedback in order to continuously improve.
  2. Setting Shorter Term Goals
    While long-term goals and accountabilities need to be strategically cascaded across a company to create alignment, short-term goals provide the engine to make continuous learning a reality in today’s ever-changing business landscape.

    Help employees identify the work that is most important in the next 90 days, ensure that feedback is as real-time as possible, and focus on how a specific change in their behavior would directly help them and their team.

    You will know that you are headed in the right direction when immediate goals, roles, and interdependencies are clear, believable, and achievable in your unique culture.  This sets the stage for everyone to clearly understand expectations and where they stand.
  3. Rewarding Improvement
    In addition to rewarding results, try to incorporate performance improvement over time. This increases the motivation to continue to improve as progress is made. When it aligns with the way work needs to get done, we also recommend rewarding both individual and team performance and behavior.

    You will know you are on the right path when rewards motivate people to perform at their peak in alignment with team norms and corporate values.

The Bottom Line
When you effectively implement ongoing performance management, your people and your business will be more finely tuned to the kind of agile, continuous learning, and collaborative environment required to thrive.

To learn more about performance management trends, download Performance Management Best Practices – 5 Factors

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