All employees in an organization make it a point to put their best foot forward during their time there. Performance Management is defined as the process of ensuring that a set of activities and outputs meets an organization’s goals in an effective and efficient manner. These can focus on the performance of an organization, a department, an employee, or the processes in place to manage specific tasks. The goal of this process is to create an environment where people can perform to the best of their abilities to produce the highest-quality work most efficiently and effectively.
Stages of Performance Management
Performance is monitored by a performance management cycle. This cycle allows management and employees to better achieve organizational goals through a structured process of employee development. Most employees want to soar with flying colors. However, the pressure of future performance evaluations never go away. So, the question is, how does this work? There are four main stages of performance management to keep in mind – planning, monitoring, reviewing, and rewarding.
Planning
As a mentor, you should check in with your mentee as much as possible. This means having weekly catch-ups. Weekly catch-ups can allow the employee to truly reflect on their achievements and failures during their time at the organization. This goes beyond that. It can also let the mentor set expectations and goals for their mentee. Setting expectations and goals can create a foundation for the employee to maintain a certain standard of effort. It gives them the chance to push themselves to do better each day with the tasks assigned to them. Calendars become your best friend both personally and professionally. They give the employee the chance to plan out a balanced schedule so that you don’t mix personal and professional. Calendars help employees achieve their goals. According to Forbes, an employee should set aside time for focusing on each task and should “honor that time as if it were a client appointment or team meeting.” Attempting to create a routine for the busy parts of your day will allow you to procrastinate on your freedom which will help you focus on what’s more important.
Monitoring
Now that the employee has planned their goals, it’s time for them to monitor their performance. Goals are easy to achieve if one sets their mind to them. The goal of this process is to instill an atmosphere of focus and motivation. One way to do this is to write down their goals on a dry-erase board and hang them above their desk at eye level. A filled dry-erase board is something an employee cannot stop looking at when they enter their office space and sit at their desk. This “in-your-face” method prevents procrastination of any kind and instill productivity and focus instead. Mentors need to constantly communicate with their mentees to ensure progress in their performance.
Reviewing
Reviewing is just as important as putting in effort. In terms of performance management, the saying goes “Work smarter, Not Harder”. In terms of performance management, it means having a clear strategy to prioritize the most important activities so that the day ends on a productive note and the employee feels satisfied rather than overwhelmed, overcommitted, frustrated, and overworked. There is always room for improvement, especially at work. This can allow managers and executives can put effective plans into motion which will lead to performance improvement and organizational improvement.
Rewarding
When it comes to the Annual Performance Review, the most common misconception is that the employee ultimately receives a salary appraisal. That’s not completely true. The purpose of an Annual Performance Review is to evaluate how the employee has been treated during their time at the organization. Review comes with rewards, one of them being a salary appraisal. But APRs go beyond that. Mentors are also given an opportunity to reflect on their professional relationship with their mentee. There are few questions to keep in mind as follows:
- Were the decision-making rules clear and consistent?
- Were potential biases acknowledged and minimized?
- Did my have an opportunity to voice their input?
- Was my mentee treated with respect and compassion?
- Was my mentee informed on how the process works?
- Did my mentee get what they wanted?
- Was our interaction appropriate and equitable?
These questions provide a reflective experience for both mentor and mentee.
Tracking Performance Management with PxidaEX
Job experiences are unforgettable memories for employees. They give employees a chance to grow both personally and professionally. You can retain more employees by supporting their connections and continue building strong relationships with them. Try out PxidaEX today for gathering employee feedback today!