Common pitfalls in performance management procedures
Ask anyone that has worked in a corporate environment what they think of performance management procedures, and they tend to have a war story or two to share. Be it their own experience of a process which was ‘long,’ ‘complicated’ or ‘painful’ or that person they worked with who was issued with a PIP, went off sick and never came back. It’s no surprise that they are underused.
However, organisations that do not effectively manage performance related matters are missing a trick. So here are our 5 common pitfalls and more importantly, how to avoid them:
- Too slow to start
Sadly, performance related issues rarely resolve themselves. Plus, expectations tend to increase over time. The result, the later you start, the bigger gap to be closed. The answer, proactive interventions. The sooner you start, the sooner you finish and the less there is to do.
- Failure to set measurable objectives
This is a biggie. If objectives are not measurable, how will anyone know whether they’ve been achieved. The worst bit, this shortcoming is generally identified at the at the end of timeframe for improvement, when lots of effort has already been. Our tip, discuss what exactly good looks like before you start. This will make the final evaluation much simpler and remember ‘that which is measured is done’.
- Lack of appropriate support
The vast majority of performance improvement plans include training, and training is sometimes a great support tool. But only when the issue is a lack of knowledge or skill. In many cases, the causes of under-performance are far more complicated and generic training is a waste of time, money, and energy. Our advice, before suggesting any support, establishing the cause of the performance gaps, that way the support can be tailored and will get to the root of the issue.
- Accepting some improvement
This links to point two but can also be a symptom of performance management fatigue. Things have got a bit better, you’re busy and so you close the process and hope that they employee will continue to improve. And they might, but they might not, particularly when they’ve been told they’ve done what was asked. The answer, stick to your guns, if you see an improvement recognise it, give the positive feedback, take the learnings, and then continue doing what you’re doing, otherwise you risk having to do it all again in a few, weeks, months, or years.
- Process de-railed by challenges
Getting negative feedback can be difficult and it is understandable that some employees may seek to challenge the use of performance management procedures. However, letting those challenges derail the process, undermines the process and the performance standards. There are formal processes in place to address concerns and they should be followed but at the end, if the performance issue remains, the procedure should be followed otherwise we can reinforce the wrong behaviours.
Why your employees should be asking to be performance managed
We believe that formal performance management procedures get an unfair bad press. They are simultaneously seen by management as complex and risky, and by employees as a path to exit. Thanks, in part, to these negative connotations, when they are applied, the process is often contentious, and the outcomes are mixed.
However, there is another way… well-managed performance management procedures are all about development. The focus, therefore, is on how the employer can support the employee to improve. Isn’t that a good thing? Working together to get better? And when managed effectively, this support can take an employee’s performance from ok to good, from good to great and even from great to exceptional.
With that in mind, at some point in the employee lifecycle, we should all reach a point where we are asking to be performance managed to support our progress to the next stage.
Sound like a parallel universe, fair enough, but with a few small but significant changes to an organisation’s culture, this could be a reality.
Our performance management strategies are all about implementing the changes needed to build a culture where performance is optimised and interventions are embraced.
If you’re looking to improve your performance management culture and don’t know where to start, we always recommend starting with feedback. Not just giving feedback to employees (although that is also essential) but getting feedback on what you do now, whether it works, real-world experiences and what could be done better. And don’t just ask HR or a few managers, get input from all stakeholders. The answers may surprise you. This is the starting point of our performance management audits and helps us develop tailored strategies that actually work.
Get in touch if you’d be interested in a no-obligation performance management consultation.