While our workspaces, workflows and workload have adjusted these last weeks, performance-related conversations have fallen by the wayside for many, as it’s been tricky for many people leaders to be clear about how to hold people accountable. It is for this reason that performance management conversations become more important than ever.
Often, leaders think of performance management as just applying to performance reviews; however, performance management applies to an ongoing process of communication between a supervisor and an employee that occurs throughout the year, in support of accomplishing the strategic objectives of the organization. The communication process includes clarifying expectations, setting objectives, identifying goals, providing feedback, and reviewing results.
Our aim in this post is to provide a practical, step-by-step process for people leaders to assess the effectiveness of their existing performance management systems and identify a plan to calibrate it in these uncertain times.
Are you comfortable with having performance-related conversations with employees? Is it easier with some employees than others? Why is that? Do you have any biases that are impacting your approach to an employee?
When and how were they communicated? Do they still apply? If not, how do they need to be adjusted?
This is imperative for several reasons:
Many employees are concerned about job stability. Providing clear expectations communicates there is work to be done and that they are part of the team needed to do it!
Providing clear leadership and expectations is a well-documented factor that contributes to psychological safety, which in turn results in increased engagement and productivity.
This protects employers who are concerned about employees slacking off by ensuring that there are clear deliverables.
This protects employees who are facing challenges related to childcare, lack of appropriate workspace, household needs and distractions and allows them the identify where they have flexibility, ideally shifting the emphasis when possible to outputs and productivity as opposed to hours clocked in and out.
What worked in the office might or might not be adequate in the work-from-home crisis scenario. How and how often do they need a check-in? What approvals do they need and how will they get them? Will you have set “office hours” to be available for your staff, or how can they get quick answers in between regular check–ins? Do they have the tools they need to be successful?
Is their workload higher or lower? How do you know? Where some employers have paused hiring or even, unfortunately, had to implement layoffs, others are seizing the opportunity to snap up top talent or to move projects forward with scalable contract teams. Contact us to learn more about our scalable teams!
Where are you confident and where do you need some coaching and/or practice? How skilled are you at giving and receiving feedback? In a crisis, your skills will be put to the test and your employees need you to bring your best. If your employees are working from home, how will you compensate for the reduced ability to “read” non-verbal cues? How will you know how people are really doing?
Increase trust in your team by sharing with staff about how the adjustments are going for you and how you’re leading yourself through adaptations needed in a crisis. This will give your team permission to be open as well and help create levels of safety that are necessary for fearless organizations.
What could you learn or try in new ways during this time?
Want to know more about how to manage the performance of your team? Join us this Thursday, May 7, 2020, at 9 am PST/10 am MST/12 pm EST for a free webinar to learn tips and strategies that you can put to work right away to help your team perform. Following the webinar, participants will receive an actionable toolkit to help guide you in the weeks and months to come. Click here to reserve your spot.
Ray has a 22+ year enterprise security career with executive leadership roles in Corporate Development, Marketing and Sales at several leading firms, including Check Point Software, Proofpoint, Websense, and Voltage Security. In 2011, Ray co-founded Nexgate with a breakthrough platform to help brands discover, monitor and secure their brands' social presence. Nexgate was acquired by Proofpoint (NASDAQ: PFPT) as its largest acquisition in