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Business Issue: Performance

Some Perspective

In The Role of Goal Setting and Performance Feedback in Achieving Peak Performance by Roger Wenschlag, he says "Effective performance management is a high-payoff activity. It directly contributes to peak performance by team members, and produces the desired organizational results. This is because, as we know from Frederick Hertzberg’s landmark research, individuals are strongly motivated at work by five key factors inherent to the job itself:

• challenge
• growth
• a sense of contribution
• recognition,
• responsibility

Leaders, who consistently practice good performance management through effective goal setting and performance feedback, have immense power to establish and sustain a work environment where these motivators are present. And, as we all know, it’s pretty hard to beat a team of highly motivated people."

Wenschlag states a pretty powerful case. Many organizations are in a place that finds them at risk because they aren’t using “seat belts.” Here’s a test. If you find yourself identifying with even one of these performance feedback shortfalls, then it is likely you will experience something short of your goals:

• The organization has no workable performance management policy and/or process.
• There is no leader accountability for effective performance management.
• Leaders don’t make adequate time to address critical performance management issues one-on-one with their people.
• Leaders are reluctant to delegate responsibility for work that they think they can do better and faster themselves.
• Leaders fear confronting others about performance issues because of potential defensiveness.
• Leaders don’t have the skills to conduct effective goal setting and/or performance feedback conversations

Essentially, performance goals/objectives are key drivers of performance. They provide fundamental direction and motivation. And, when done well, they are written in SMART terms:

Specific,
Measurable,
Attainable,
Results-oriented,
Time-framed.

This approach addresses the who, what, when, where, how much, and how well. A well-designed performance process using SMART goal setting leaves little room for confusion about how the employee fits in, what has to be done, and how it will be measured.

As Wenschlag writes, "When done well, performance management contributes to three key outcomes:

• Satisfied customers who experience the value they desire from the products and services they buy.
• Committed and motivated employees who fully participate in planning and doing the work of the organization.
• Peak organizational performance through focused and aligned efforts.

Vital Learning Corporation has a program that teaches this SMART approach. Developing Performance Goals and Standards will help your managers and team leaders to:

• Build team member commitment through collaborative planning of performance goals.
• Assure the clarity and measurability of performance goals/objectives through SMART-based standards.
• Achieve high quality, ongoing time performance through team members’ ability to judge and self-correct their work.
• Observe, coach, support, and evaluate performance through clear, measurable performance standards.