Performance Management and Feedback

Star Employee

person who consistently performs beyond expectations

Normative Commitment

stay due to feelings of obligation

How to Receive Feedback?

-listen closely, focus on learning -focus on what motivated them to say it -overcome defensive urge -clarify anything you don't understand -use your initial reaction as information

What should you do as a Leader?

1) Ask Hero Questions (focus on strengths/stories of success) -How did you help someone/make a difference/what did you learn about yourself? 2) Diagnose Challenges: -scanning/listening uncovers unseen emotional toll and how it affects performance -uncover employee's perception of challenge and how to address it -help others recognize work challenges is first measure of relief issues out into the open brings both sides clarity and work towards a shared solution 3) Shape their Path: employees suggest next steps which employees guide for them, work towards actionable progress (makes feedback more complete) -feedback helps to understand strengths, provides encouragement/guidance to build on those strengths

How to give Feedback People can actually use?

1) Big Picture Focused 2) Organizationally Aligned 3) Behavioral and Specific 4) Factual, not Interpretative 5) Both positive and negative 6) Focused on patterns 7) Linked to impact

How to give Good Feedback?

1) Describe the situation 2) Describe the behavior/action 3) Discuss the impact of the behavior 4) Why was it important?

Absolute Assessment Techniques

1) Graphic Rating Scale: most common, how much of a particular behavior an employee displays on a scale Ex: rate level of customer service displayed by an employee has on a scale of 1-5 2) Behaviorally Anchored Rating Scale: rated on poor to outstanding, focused on behavior

Understanding Star Performers

1) Learning orientation: want to learn/develop their skills 2) Selective Hiring: actively seeking to hire the best (motivated/talented) 3) Rewards and Recognition 4) Challenging Job Assignments

Relative Assessment Techniques

1) Ranking: list all employees from best to worst 2) Forced Distribution (Topgrading): assess employees based on predetermined categories (20% as outstanding, 10% as good, 5% as poor)

Job Performance consists of...

1) Task performance 2) Contextual performance

Challenging Job Assignments Characteristics

1) Transitional (unfamiliar, new, broad tasks), being the inexperienced member of a team, taking a temporary assignment into a different area 2) Change oriented: launching a new product, hiring staff, resolving performance problems 3) High level of responsibility: visible assignment, tight deadlines 4) Non authority relationships: a team 5) Obstacles: starting a new project with few resources, starting a new task with a difficult boss

Performance Improvement Discussion

1) agree on the problem 2) mutually discuss problem solutions 3) create an action plan 4) provide ongoing feedback, reinforce improvement

Managing the Organizational Cynic

1) deal with the past 2) involve cynics in changed efforts 3) don't make future promises you can't keep 4) over-communicate 5) involve cynical converts

Performance Management Cycle (PMC)

1) establish expectations 2) assess performance 3) provide feedback/development

Principles of Good Feedback

1) focus on problem, not the person 2) be specific 3) maximize absolute feedback, minimize comparisons to others 4) avoid absolutes (always/never) 5) timely 6) focus on the future 7) include information for improvement

"Under Management" Epidemic (Bruce Tulgan)

1) make clear performance statements 2) set measurable goals, hold people accountable 3) monitor/evaluate work performance 4) provide clear feedback 5) distribute rewards/punishments fairly

Ensuring Goal Commitment

1) make it public 2) be supportive 3) tie to mission/vision 4) set goals, not actions 5) track progress, give feedback 6) ensure resources 7) remove obstacles

3 Effective Management Principles

1) management is the process of getting things done through others 2) management is rewarded based on what employees do 3) managers need people more than they need managers -managers succeed when their people succeed

How to use Multiple Sources of Data

1) observe behavior over time 2) take notes 3) ask for customer feedback 4) allow for self evaluation 5) monitor common errors

Myths about Performance Management

1) people are naturally good observers of behavior 2) performance management is mostly common sense 3) feedback is always effective 4) performance management is for low performers 5) performance management is HR's responsibility

Common Mistakes when Giving Feedback

1) public 2) goes on too long 3) exaggerated with generalities (you NEVER/ALWAYS) 4) inappropriate humor (glad you could make it) 5) Implied threat (do you want to be successful in this organization?) 6) question, not a statement (do you think you could do that better next time?) 7) always negative 8) sandwiched 9) judges people, not actions 10) too vague 11) speaks for others (John said that you...)

Good Performance Management

1) set performance expectations ASAP 2) give feedback early and often 3) focus on behaviors, not traits 4) assess both behavior and results 5) identify and rectify performance gaps 6) allow for productive failures 7) reward desired behavior, ensure it repeats 8) make it just

Managing Perfomance Appraisal Meeting

1) set the agenda/location 2) review expectations 3) allow employee to review their performance 4) provide evaluation 5) engage in discussion about the future

Terminating or Resigning an Employee

1) set the tone 2) state the reality 3) review next steps 4) be prepared

Perceptions of Fairness

1) use a fair, defined process 2) distribute rewards/resources fairly (equity, equality, need) 3) demonstrate respect

Good Feedback...

2 way conversation

Don't Manage...

LEAD!

The Praise Sandwich

Positive, Constructive, Positive Feedback

Problem Employee

after many feedback interventions, has not improved performance -diagnose problem, hold performance improvement discussion, provide training

Attitudes

appraisals/evaluations of people/objects/events, play a key role in behavior

Organizational Cynicism

attitude of contempt, frustration, distrust toward an object or multiple objects -deep loss of faith/confidence in management doing the right thing

Task Perfomance

core/technical tasks required for the job -employees behavior to accomplish tasks -effectiveness: results employee achieves -efficiency: amount of resources dedicated to attain the results highly effective (meet/achieve goals), highly efficient (fewer resources)

Continuance Commitment

costs of leaving outweigh the benefits (I will owe 20,000 if I don't stay another 2 years)

Expert Coach

dispenses advice, instructs and prescribes -"right" answers -structure -solution, simple/clear

Affective Commitment

emotional attachment to organization -personal connection with people -enjoyment from membership

Contextual Performance or Organizational Citizenship Behavior (OCB)

employee behaviors that contribute to overall effectiveness of organization, but are not formally required or considered part of employee's core tasks Ex: volunteering, helping a co worker learn a new task, following organizational rules/procedures -altruism (helping a person with a task/problem) -civic virtue (attends meetings, reads mail, speaks up, votes) -conscientiousness (well beyond requirements) -courtesy (providing advance notice, reminders, passing along information) -sportsmanship (not complaining about minor issues)

Consultative Coach

helps employee explore alternatives and challenges the employee is thinking through asking questions -ambiguous, less urgency

Job Satisfaction

how an individual feels about their job -satisfaction with pay, coworkers, supervision, promotional opportunities, work itself

Organizational Commitment

identify with the organization, desires to remain a member 3 different kinds: affective, normative, continuance

Withdrawal Behavior

individuals leave/avoid the work situation -absenteeism/turnover, counterproductive work behaviors (theft)

Mentoring

intense, long term relationship between a senior (more experienced) person (mentor) and a junior, less experienced person (protege) -focused on overall development -mentors are not the employees direct supervisor

Performance Management

learning to get things done through others

Objective Assessment

methods based on results/impartial performance outcomes -employee output that is visible / countable Ex: minutes to solve problem, sale calls/week, completion vs non completion, dollar volume sold, research publications in a year

Subjective Assessment

methods that involve human judgements of performance -opinion by manager Ex: relationship with a client Absolute Subjective Assessment: compare employee's performance to a "model" Relative Subjective Assessment: compare employee's performance to another employee's performance