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Performance Management

Coaching Performance
 

Determine Coaching Requirements

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Providing constructive ongoing feedback to employees is an important aspect of performance management. Employees need reinforcement in order to assure successful performance, especially when developing new skills and abilities related to new projects and challenges. A good coach should always highlight and provide detailed and positive feedback on what an employee is doing well, and areas that need improvement. 

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Coaching should be based on an employee's individual needs and can be done in either a formalized meeting or on an ad hoc basis. Coaching requirements will vary amongst staff as employees with high levels of performance will require much less coaching than employees with lower levels of performance. Additionally, coaching may vary from task to task because staff members have differing levels of skill for each task they perform. As a manager, it is important to be aware of where and when an employee requires support. This can be done by:

  • Ensuring that staff members have the time, resources and information required to finish the requested assignments

  • Resolving any barriers that are impeding progress

  • Leveraging enablers that will accelerate achievement of results

 

Coaching takes place throughout the year and frequency depends on the expectations of the organization and the performance levels identified for each of the tasks required to achieve the performance goals.

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Tips for both informal and formal coaching opportunities:

  • Focus on the most important priorities.

  • Describe specific situations and behavior.

  • Focus on the work, not the individual; relate feedback to goals and expectations.

  • Balance positive and constructive statements.

  • Try to see things from their perspective; share your own experiences, if relevant.

  • Present corrective feedback in a positive, action-oriented way.

  • Ensure that the individual understands by asking him or her to summarize.

  • Follow up to monitor improvements and set follow-up dates.

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Key Takeaways:

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  • Good coaching both highlights areas in which an employee is doing well and areas of improvement

  • Managers should determine how much coaching staff members need for each of the tasks or goals assigned. A staff member may need significant coaching on one task and be able to complete others quite independently.

  • Coaching is an ongoing process which takes place throughout the year in formal meetings, as well as in ad hoc conversations.

Planning Performance
 

Establish Performance Focus

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A staff member's performance plan should be based on two components:

  1. Job role

  2. Special projects

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An employee's job role is the day-to-day responsibilities associated with their position. It is typically compromised of five to seven key elements of what the person generally does, for example "develops..., maintains..., manages...", etc. These can be found in an employee's job description or can be identified between the manager and employee. 

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Special projects  are usually related to the staff member's job role, but focus on initiatives larger than completion of day-to-day tasks. These could include things like documentation of new procedures, finding ways to improve a process, implementing new systems, etc. These special assignments are usually part of annual performance goals. 

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Articulate Performance Goals

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As a manager, it is important to communicate the organization's overall goals to the staff and then translate those goals into individual objectives. Managers should discuss and reach an agreement on the most important accomplishments required for success (typically 3-5 goals for each individual) at the beginning of the performance management cycle, that way, there are no surprises at the end of the cycle and fiscal year. It is also important to provide periodic feedback and modifications to individual objectives to ensure a successful end of the cycle appraisal.

Goals should be described using the following three elements:

  1. Outcome - describes what needs to be achieved

  2. Measurement - describes how both you and your staff member will describe the work to be done and assess whether the goal has been successfully completed

  3. Timeframe - establishes a specific target date for the results to be achieved

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**Remember to ALWAYS align individual performance goals with the higher level goals of the organization.

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Build and Confirm the Plan

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Detailed planning ensures the probability of goals being achieved and it is the manager's responsibility to make sure that a viable performance plan is established. For staff members with low performance levels managers will want to have a direct role in specifying the actions required to meet the performance goals. However, those staff members with higher levels of performance will be able to develop their plans more independently.

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Key Takeaways:

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  • Effective performance planning considers both the day-to-day job focus as well as project-oriented goals.

  • Performance goals should be stated clearly and succinctly. Both the staff member and manager should have a clear picture of the expected outcome, how success will be measured, and the timeframe in which the work will be done.

  • Managers should be able to describe to staff members how their individual work contributes to the goals of the organization.

  • The probability of performance goals being achieved increases with detailed planning.

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Reviewing Performance

 

Key Things to Remember About the Reviewing Process

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  • At least once a year a manager is expected to formally review the performance of staff, and provide written feedback.

  • Reviewing performance is heavily dependent on planning and coaching. In order to be able to provide accurate and balanced performance reviews, it is essential that managers take the time to do a quality job in establishing performance goals and coaching.

  • The agreed upon initial goals, and the progress towards achieving those goals throughout the year will enable a manager to approach the final performance review with clarity and confidence. The final feedback should contain no surprises for either the manager or the staff member.

  • Each element of reviewing an employee's performance should be completed by both manager and staff member, with the manager having responsibility for documenting the final performance appraisal.

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Reviewing and Providing Feedback on Results

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While reviewing an employee's annual performance, a manager should:

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  • Utilize facts to focus a performance review meeting 

  • Compare what the employee achieved against the stated performance goal (Outcome/Measurement/ Timeframe)

  • Review how the staff member achieved those results

    • Are there particular behaviors the organization promotes – integrity, collaboration, valuing diversity, continuous learning, etc.?

    • What actions did the staff member take to achieve the results?

    • How did the staff member behave with others to achieve results?

    • Were there special circumstances that made the goal particularly challenging?

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This kind of assessment allows a manager to provide feedback about:

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  • What was achieved

  • Strengths that can be recognized and leveraged

  • Challenges that require further coaching and improvement

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In addition, feedback should:

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  • Reflect the time available for each type of work. If an individual is expected to spend 90% of their time on daily job responsibilities and 10% of their time on projects, then the feedback should reflect that ratio.

  • Be balanced, with input from both staff member and manager, and with acknowledgment of both positive and negative experiences through the review period.

  • Include reflection by both manager and staff member in order to identify ways in which the staff member, the manager, or the organization could have created even better results.

  • Be based on direct observations or on validated input from reliable sources.

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Determining Performance Ratings

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Ratings must be assigned and determined in a consistent manner. An example of a rating system of The Columbia University is as follows:

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  • Exceeds Expectations: Performance was clearly superior, consistently exceeded the expectations and the requirements of the position.

  • Meets Expectations: Performance met the expectations and the requirements of the position. Meets the high performance standards of the School or Department.

  • Needs Improvement: Performance was inconsistent with regard to the expectations and the requirements of the position. Steps must be taken to further develop targeted areas which will improve overall performance.

  • Does Not Meet Expectations: Performance was below standard with regard to the expectations and the requirements of the position. Steps must be taken to improve overall performance.

 

Employees should be given the opportunity to assess their own performance, including their view of the rating score because it:​

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  • Can lead to insights and enable discussion about why they selected a particular rating

  • Allows staff members to articulate the things they did well and to explore ideas about what they could have done better to achieve a higher score

  • Provide insights about opportunities for a staff member's ongoing development

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Building Plans for Further Development

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Building plans for an employees further development is the final step of the reviewing process. This can be an exciting and enriching activity for an employee to improve and expand their capabilities. Areas that need to be developed should be clearly defined by a manager by means of the Outcome, Measurement, Timeframe format. The employee should be able to see how the new skills or knowledge will be acquired, and how they are expected to be applied to the current job role, or as preparation for future job roles.

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Key Takeaways

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  • Involving staff members in each element of reviewing performance will allow greater engagement and acceptance of the final performance review.

  • Reviewing results at the end of the performance cycle should be focused on facts.

  • Consideration should be given to how results were achieved, as well as what was achieved.

  • Managers must be able to explain the overall performance rating they assign. They must have a clear understanding of what would have made the performance scores higher or lower.

  • Plans for future development may include addressing specific requirements for current job performance or longer term development for future roles.

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It is important to create an environment in which employees can grow and develop their skills – enhancing their own capabilities and their contribution and commitment to the company. Performance Management is the basis by which a company can improve organizational effectiveness and employee performance. It involves:

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  • Setting explicit expectations

  • Providing specific and continuous feedback both formally and informally throughout the year in addition to a final performance appraisal at the end of the fiscal year

  • Active engagement of both manager and employee

  • Ongoing coaching between managers and their staff

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Leaders who continuously strive to be better performance managers are able to ensure that their teams are working toward the organization's goals and mission by having solid data and observations to use as the basis for recognition and reward decisions. Efficiency and growth are the results of performance managing done in a thoughtful and consistent manner. Below is a three step process, as described by Columbia University's HR department, for effective performance management.

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