Performance Management

Managing employees’ performance is central to the role of every manager. Yet few organisations or managers are satisfied with their performance appraisal systems and few employees are happy with the results.

Usually, this is because employees’ performance is managed in isolation - with once a year performance appraisals with neither managers nor employees seen as contributing to their working relationships or their performance.

In contrast, great managers focus on addressing the following issues for their staff throughout the year and look to use varying tools:

1. Do I know what is expected of me at work?
   
2. Do I have the materials and equipment I need to do my work properly?
   
3. Do I have the opportunity to do what I do best everyday?
   
4. In the last seven days have I received recognition or praise for good work?
   
5. Does my supervisor or someone at work seem to care about me as a person?
   
6. Is there someone at work who encourages my development?

Securing a rating of 5/5 is one of the most important responsibilities of an effective manager. To secure 5's to all the above questions:

• you have to reconcile responsibilities
  
• you have to be able to set consistent expectations, yet at the same time treat each person differently
  
• you have to be able to make each person feel as though they are in a role that uses their talents, while challenging them to grow
  
• you have to care about each person, praise each person and take firm action if necessary, even for those you care about and have praised

From international best-selling management book "First Break All the Rules, What the World's Greatest Managers Do Differently" Marcus Buckingham

Managing Underperformance Workshops

Our Managing Underperformance Workshops provide managers with practical solutions. We work with you to develop and enhance your skills to become great managers.

Topics covered include:

• Consideration of fundamental human qualities & motivations in the Australian context
  
• Practical tools to enhance performance
  
• What to do for existing situations
  
• What to do to minimise situations in the future and practise exercises

We conduct either 1/2 day or full day sessions depending on client needs, with groups normally up to 15 people (although we recommend that a maximum of about 8 people gives even better results as we can work more closely with each manager to help them get clear on performance issues and how best to tackle them back in their workplace.)

Related links:

Articles:

"Managing Underperformance"
"Leadership that results in Improved Performance"

Tools:

Performance Assessment - A practical way to assess performance