Performance management positively impacts employees? performance and productivity.? Data from Development Dimensions International ? an international major in the field of HR Consulting, shows that the percentage of goals achieved by employees increases substantially when a formal performance management system is put in place.

With a good performance management program in place, managers indicated that employees hit 21.5% more of their goal targets.? Similarly, employees estimated that with an effective performance management system, they achieve 8.3% more of their goals.

On another note in?In 2010,Gallup conducted a?research?and found that Indian employees, especially those who have worked for three to ten years for a?company,?strongly felt that most performance management systems are not?enough?to?differentiate?high performance. It will not be good to throw the baby with the bath water.?So what are the basics of a good performance management system?

Setting Clear Targets?Senior leaders set goals that are meaningful for the organization and for the team. ?The goals have to be SMART

1.?????Specific

2.?????Measurable

3.?????Attainable/Achievable

4.?????Relevant

5.?????Time-Bound

Setting clear performance expectations and goals gives employees a clear understanding of expectations and how they can improve their performance.Managers then cascade these goals to their direct reports and establish individual objectives that are linked to corporate goals.

Setting Priorities & Distributing Work?Managers develop and implement project plans to get work done; they prioritize work and set realistic expectations with employees regarding project tasks.

Monitoring Day-to-Day Performance?Managers track employee performance on a continuous basis and provide timely and accurate informal feedback and coaching. Feedback throughout the year helps employees continually develop and reinforces positive habits. Both Managers and employees have no surprises at the end of the year.

Assessing Performance and Providing Constructive Feedback?The formal Performance management review process includes employees Self-evaluation and subsequent review by direct managers. Formal feedback should be candid but managers should help employee improve by concentrating on strengths rather than beating them on their weakness alone. Thereafter employee?s use the performance feedback to create development plans (DPs) to improve specific areas.

Linking Pay to Performance?Employees receive merit-linked bonuses and pay increases based on the performance review conducted jointly by them.

Research has time and again indicated that managers are one of the key drivers of employee performance since they are directly in touch with employees and can thus support employees to achieve results.? However, despite their significance in the process, managers have room to improve in performance management activities.

Organizational culture has a high impact on manager?s and leadership teams effectiveness at and commitment towards performance management.? As a result, it is important for an organization to encourage a high performance culture by ensuring that managers and employees understand business strategy and goals. And they are focused on the right priorities with a clear focus on delivering better quality results.

Good performance management programs are inbuilt in the culture and occur throughout the year instead of just during the annual review cycle.

Thanks

Jappreet Sethi

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Jappreet Sethi
Jappreet Sethi, CEO and founder of HexGn, stands out as a strategic human resource management and entrepreneurial mentorship expert. Under his leadership, HexGn, known for its dynamic community of serial entrepreneurs and industry experts, has trained over 5000 entrepreneurs from 20+ countries, reinforcing its global impact in entrepreneurial education. Sethi’s extensive experience includes strategic government projects, developing e-commerce strategies, and authoring white papers on technology in internal security. His international workshops have spanned 15 countries, aiding participants and clients in raising investments. His tenure as head of People and Process Consulting at Jones Lang LaSalle India and his role on JLL's global Diversity board reflect his deep understanding of organizational dynamics and transformative change. A certified facilitator with an impressive track record in leadership development, Sethi’s expertise in process management is evident in his achievements as a Six Sigma Black Belt and master lean practitioner. He’s also a visiting faculty member at leading institutes, a prominent speaker, and the founder and lead editor of the acclaimed HR blog, humanresourcesblog.in. Recognized as a top HR influencer, Sethi's unique blend of strategic HR expertise, global mentorship, and organizational transformation insight makes him an invaluable asset in guiding companies through growth and innovation.

1 COMMENT

  1. Great overview article, and I definitely agree! The annual Target Setting Process is probably the most dreaded activity by our People Managers: it is experienced as time-consuming, theoretical, not leading to anything productive, not being aligned with business life…
    I think everybody who has been working in HR for a couple of years, has been dealing with these management concerns in some way or another. And many of us, HR professionals, loose inspiration or the necessary enthusiasm to activate this annual process once more…Finding a positive and productive response back to the line management to get them engaged into this first step of the Performance Management Cycle is difficult but nevertheless a very critical step. It is far more than just explaining them the practicalities of the Target Setting process, such as the timelines, instrument guidelines and signature requirements. The following lessons learnt I gathered during my years as HR consultant might help you to convince your People Managers and Management team about the importance of Setting Targets throughout all levels of the organization:
    I invite you to invest heavily in the target setting phase of your Performance Management Cycle:

    1) Help your Management Team to set clear goals around WHAT & HOW to achieve at company level and plan the necessary communications around it
    2)Support them into cascading these goals down to all levels in the company
    3)Think of new ways to make people feel part of these overall company goals ? focus on engagement instead of SMART target writing
    4)Talk Targets instead of Appraisal and show your leaders how to focus on the strengths of their people and teams .

    HR plays a pivotal role in connecting the business plans with people performance through developing an engaging and aligned target setting process and facilitating the execution by the Management.

    You can find more information about these 4 implementation tips around performance management on the following link:
    http://www.hrmtoolshop.com/en/whitepaper—setting-targets-is-the-key-to-any-high-performing-company-1

    I aslo add as a reference a target setting form that aligns business targets with individual ones: http://www.hrmtoolshop.com/en/how-to-engage-your-staff-to-the-business-goals—guidelines-for-people-mana

    Good luck!
    Anne
    Managing Partner at
    http://www.hrmtoolshop.com

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