Creating High Performance
To ensure consistent high performance in your organisation, you need to have a structured HR framework in place and a process for providing effective feedback to staff.
The Benefits of Effective People Management Systems
In many businesses, performance management is dealt with by exception and the main focus of HR is on resolving issues of poor performance. Taking a more proactive approach to creating a culture of high performance will not only minimise the time you spend on addressing poor performance but will enhance the success of your business by getting even better results from your good performers. Developing people to reach their full potential also has a positive impact on staff morale and retention.
The following conditions need to be met to support high performance:
1. The employee must have a clear understanding of the expectations of the role.
2. Performance should be tracked using measurable targets.
3. The employee should receive effective feedback support.
4. The role should be a good match to the individual’s strengths and abilities.
Defining Expectations
When hiring a new employee, it’s important to clearly define your expectations of the role with a job description and person specification. You need to communicate the tasks they are responsible for and the competencies required in the role. If you’re struggling to create a job description, the following website has a useful database, covering a wide range of roles:
Setting Measurable Targets
The employee’s performance should be tracked using 2 or 3 measurable targets that are linked to the critical success factors for the role. Ideally the targets should be objective and easily measurable. Remember that “what gets measured gets done.” Providing the employee with a regular feedback on their actual results compared to targets allows them to monitor their own performance.
Feedback and Support
Feedback should include a good balance of positive reinforcement for jobs that have been done well and addressing mistakes. On-the-job feedback should be timely and consistent with feedback received in the performance appraisal process. There should be no unpleasant surprises in the appraisal meeting.
Delivering constructive feedback to staff who are not meeting your expectations can be a real challenge. People tend to become defensive when performance problems are identified. Having clearly defined expectations and targets helps to defuse the situation by focussing on objective information. A good manager will use constructive feedback as an opportunity to help the employee learn from their mistakes or motivate them to try a different approach to get better results. People need to be in a positive frame of mind to make changes and you can achieve this by building on their existing strengths and positively acknowledging any improvements you notice to build their confidence.
Ensuring the Employee has the Right Skills and Abilities
Many problems with poor performance start with the hiring process. You need to ensure that the person you recruit is a good match to your job description and person specification. This requires thorough interviewing, reference checking and skills assessment processes. In addition, psychometric testing can be very beneficial to highlight any aspects of the applicant’s personal style that may not fit with your organisation.
Asking for Help
If you’re struggling to resolve a performance problem with one of your staff, it’s a good idea to ask for help sooner rather than later. An early intervention can sometimes turn things around and avoid a disciplinary process.