Performance Management 

Performance management is a difficult field to master. It is ever-evolv­ing, necessit­at­ing the use of an effec­tive per­for­mance man­age­ment sys­tem. Every year, new per­for­mance man­age­ment trends emerge, and all too often, human resource depart­ments get it completely wrong. Employees are left feeling deflated, unmotivated, and unengaged as a result. Managers are irritated by low levels of team and individual employee per­for­mance. Fortunately, an increasing number of com­pa­nies are recogniz­ing the impor­tance (and resulting ben­e­fits) of effec­tive per­for­mance man­age­ment sys­tems. Understanding what an effec­tive per­for­mance man­age­ment sys­tem is is the first step toward revi­tal­is­ing and improving your existing per­for­mance process­es.

Michael Armstrongs Defines it best 

Michael Arm­strong provides one of the best to define per­for­mance man­age­ment in his Hand­book of Per­for­mance Man­age­ment, which care­fully and plain­ly lays out the Arm­strong per­for­mance man­age­ment cycle:

​“Per­for­mance man­age­ment is the con­tin­u­ous process of improv­ing per­for­mance by set­ting indi­vid­ual and team goals which are aligned to the strate­gic goals of the organ­i­sa­tion, plan­ning per­for­mance to achieve the goals, review­ing and assess­ing progress, and devel­op­ing the knowl­edge, skills, and abil­i­ties of peo­ple.”

Performance Management Cycle Stages

The "Planning" phase for the next period is the first stage of Arm­strong's per­for­mance man­age­ment cycle. Planning should include the following:

• Choosing SMART objectives
• A plan for personal devel­op­ment
• Actions that will be taken in the coming months
• A review of the employee's job requirements, with updates to the role profile as needed.

Traditionally, organizations have placed a strong emphasis on the "Review" phase of the cycle, often because a performance assessment is required for reward­ing. However, we have always advised that the "Act" and "Track" stages are the most critical. These are the stages at which performance is delivered and results are obtained. Individuals must be encouraged to set aside regular time to work on achieving their goals and personal development plans. There are no arrows between the four stages in the preceding performance management cycle. This is due to the fact that, in reality, the stages do not follow one another.

Why is keeping score so important and How Can We Help?

Businesses require effective performance management. It assists them in aligning their employees, resources, and systems to meet their strategic objectives through both formal and informal processes. It also serves as a dashboard, alerting managers to potential problems and letting them know when changes are required to keep a business on track. Our Performance Management training courses can be of great help to improve your understanding of this topic