| How does your organization prepare supervisors to | | | | employees. Likewise, written expectations can serve |
| manage employee performance? | | | | as the first form of documentation the supervisor |
| What tools does your organization provide to make | | | | creates in the performance management process. |
| performance management part of a supervisor's daily | | | | Helping supervisors continue the documentation |
| routine? | | | | process is the next step. |
| How much emphasis does your organization place on | | | | Most Human Resources professionals have faced a |
| performance management? | | | | supervisor who wants to address a performance |
| If you were able to quickly and easily answer these | | | | problem with an employee in the performance |
| questions, it's likely that you have made a priority of | | | | evaluation or with discipline, and the supervisor lacks |
| helping supervisors understand and embrace the | | | | adequate documentation to support the concerns. |
| importance of being performance managers. If you | | | | When developing supervisors to become performance |
| had to think twice about your answers or if your | | | | managers, the training curriculum should include |
| answers were immediately on the negative side, it's | | | | guidance on how to prepare fair and legal |
| likely that the day-to-day management of employee | | | | documentation in a practical way that will get |
| performance has not been made a priority in your | | | | implemented when the supervisor returns to the |
| organization. | | | | workplace. Here are two recommended training tools |
| Performance management, the process of providing | | | | that can make the documentation process easier for |
| direction, feedback, and recognition to employees, | | | | supervisors: |
| contributes to workplace culture. It defines what is | | | | A. Demonstrate the use of a consistent format for |
| important to employees and communicates | | | | maintaining documentation. Often referred to as a |
| day-to-day expectations. However, many | | | | performance log, a standardized form helps |
| organizations, public and private sector alike, have | | | | supervisors know where to put their notes about |
| become distracted by the crisis of the day and | | | | performance and can provide a format for writing |
| overlook this important managerial function. | | | | specific and clear comments. The log can be |
| When the management of employee performance is | | | | maintained on paper or in an electronic format. Most |
| not a priority, employers are likely to see reduced | | | | online performance management systems include an |
| levels of employee engagement and commitment. A | | | | electronic performance log system. When training |
| recent study by Watson Wyatt, 2005/2006 | | | | supervisors in the basics of performance |
| Communications ROI Study, found that clear | | | | management, it is important to encourage supervisors |
| communication leads to greater levels of engagement | | | | to use a log of some form to ensure consistency with |
| and higher levels of retention. The study found that | | | | documentation. |
| most organizations expect supervisors to take on a | | | | B. Provide real life examples of what effective |
| greater share of the communication responsibilities, but | | | | documentation looks like. One effective approach is to |
| few organizations are providing the tools that | | | | compile a mock "supervisor's file" that contains 10-15 |
| supervisors need to communicate more effectively | | | | examples of effective and ineffective documentation. |
| with employees. This study, and probably your own | | | | In a training workshop, supervisors can review each |
| experience, leads us to the conclusion that supervisors | | | | piece of documentation in the mock file and critique |
| need help in managing the performance of their | | | | each item on its effectiveness. The conversation that |
| employees. Supervisory training and development | | | | follows the exercise provides ample opportunity to |
| programs play a critical role in helping supervisors | | | | reinforce the importance of keeping fair and legal |
| become performance managers. The purpose of this | | | | performance notes. It also illustrates what should be |
| article is to provide five tools that will lead supervisors | | | | kept in a supervisor's working file and what should be |
| to become better managers of employee | | | | left out. |
| performance. | | | | Tool#4: Help supervisors have frequent and specific |
| Tool #1: Help supervisors see the cyclical, constant | | | | performance conversations. |
| nature of performance management, using the | | | | Typically performance evaluation and performance |
| performance management cycle. | | | | management training focuses on the mechanics of the |
| In many organizations, performance management is | | | | performance evaluation system. Supervisors are |
| thought about once a year--at performance evaluation | | | | taught how to fill out the forms, meet the organization's |
| time. We know it shouldn't be a once a year activity | | | | deadlines, and interpret the rating scales. And, while |
| although many Human Resources departments foster | | | | these are worthy topics for a training session, the |
| that approach. The performance management cycle, | | | | greatest need of most supervisors is not in the |
| illustrated below, is a sound model to communicate the | | | | mechanics of the system, but rather in the delivery of |
| cyclical, on-going nature of managing employee | | | | feedback to employees. A primary objective of |
| performance. | | | | performance management training should be to teach |
| If messages about employee performance | | | | supervisors to have effective conversations about |
| management are issued only once a year, the result | | | | performance. |
| will likely be surprised, angry employees and/or unmet | | | | Performance conversations between supervisors and |
| expectations. If the Human Resources department | | | | employees represent the quality of the entire process |
| "talks up" performance management on a regular | | | | and yet, in many organizations, performance |
| basis by reminding supervisors to address | | | | conversations happen without much thought or |
| performance concerns immediately, maintain complete | | | | preparation and are often tacked on after the |
| and frequent documentation, and have regular, informal | | | | evaluation forms have been deliberated over for days. |
| conversations with employees about performance, | | | | Performance management training should present a |
| these important activities will remain a point of focus | | | | conversation model that supervisors can follow when |
| for everyone. If the topic is brought up just once a | | | | conducting performance feedback meetings and/or |
| year, employees will only focus on it once a year. | | | | when delivering the end-of-cycle performance |
| The performance management cycle can also be | | | | evaluation. In addition to providing a model in the training |
| used as an outline around which to structure | | | | setting, it is critical that supervisors have an opportunity |
| performance management training sessions. Each of | | | | to observe the model via a live demonstration by the |
| the stages in the cycle calls for at least one learning | | | | facilitator. Following the demonstration, each supervisor |
| objective and warrants discussion and practice. | | | | in the workshop should be expected to practice using |
| Likewise, the cycle provides a roadmap for | | | | the model in a role play format. This basic behavior |
| organizations looking to reinforce effective | | | | modeling approach has been proven to be the most |
| performance management behaviors throughout the | | | | effective method for teaching supervisors to have |
| year. One approach is to send monthly or quarterly | | | | effective performance conversations. |
| emails or newsletters to supervisors to remind them of | | | | To help supervisors take the conversation practice to |
| individual steps in the cycle. For example, one month a | | | | the next level, they should be encouraged to develop |
| performance management note may be sent that | | | | their own case study, based on personal experiences. |
| gives a few tips related to effective documentation | | | | Then, using that scenario, the supervisors should role |
| techniques. The next month the performance | | | | play and receive feedback on the real life situation in |
| management note might share the importance of | | | | dyads or triads. The application of a conversation |
| having regular and frequent conversations with | | | | model to personal situations leads to the most |
| employees about performance. | | | | effective outcomes by reinforcing the learning |
| The performance management cycle provides a | | | | concepts while allowing the supervisors to build |
| sound structure around which to organize | | | | confidence around issues that are personally important. |
| communications about performance management. | | | | Tool #5: Help supervisors foster |
| Tool #2: Help supervisors clarify their performance | | | | performance-enhancing dialogue with employees. |
| expectations. | | | | Performance management training typically focuses |
| When asked, "What do you expect of employees?" | | | | solely on the skills and behaviors of supervisors. |
| many supervisors return a blank stare. Though | | | | However, much progress can be made in developing a |
| employees are asking this question daily in a million | | | | performance management-focused culture by |
| different ways, supervisors often struggle with | | | | reaching out to employees. Supervisors must involve |
| articulating the answer. Performance management | | | | employees in the performance management process |
| training should help supervisors identify and describe | | | | in order to foster increased levels of communication |
| performance expectations so that the expectations | | | | and trust. It makes sense that training on performance |
| can be clearly understood by employees. Here is an | | | | management also includes an element that teaches |
| exercise you can use to help supervisors articulate | | | | supervisors to ask the right questions which involve |
| their expectations. | | | | employees in the process. |
| First, ask supervisors to write down the behaviors of | | | | Many organizations also offer training for employees |
| an ideal employee. These can be general behaviors or | | | | to help them better understand how they can |
| specific job tasks. Using the "ideal" as a template, ask | | | | participate in the performance management process. |
| supervisors to write a list of their "must have" | | | | Employee training might include information on how to |
| behaviors on the job. Even though the job description | | | | appropriately maintain personal performance |
| defines the essential functions of the job, each | | | | documentation, reinforce the need for clear |
| supervisor has his/her own expectations and visions | | | | expectations between employees and supervisors, |
| for performance. These expectations often separate | | | | and help employees ask the right questions to clarify |
| the good from the great performers. For example, a | | | | supervisory expectations. |
| common behavior that a supervisor might expect is | | | | When we only train supervisors to manage |
| timeliness. One supervisor said he expected that | | | | performance, we leave out a critical element of the |
| everyone on the team would be on time and prepared | | | | process. By not involving employees in the training, |
| for meetings. When a new employee joined the work | | | | performance management and performance |
| unit, the supervisor gave the employee a copy of his | | | | evaluations become something that is done TO |
| written expectations, which included the need to be on | | | | employees, rather than WITH them. |
| time and prepared for meetings. Rarely did this | | | | Of course, effective management of employee |
| supervisor have a problem with late-starting meetings | | | | performance doesn't happen by accident. It must be |
| or unprepared employees. | | | | modeled by top management and actively supported |
| These kinds of expectations may seem obvious, but | | | | by the Human Resources function. It must be clearly |
| when stated clearly by the supervisor, in writing, they | | | | defined, constantly communicated, and consistently |
| become easier to address and reward. Performance | | | | rewarded. Supervisors become strong performance |
| management training should provide supervisors with | | | | managers when the organization places an emphasis |
| practical tools for articulating expectations clearly. | | | | on it via employee development efforts. The result can |
| Tool #3: Help supervisors create documentation easily. | | | | be higher levels of engagement and enhanced job |
| Written expectations, as described under Tool #2, can | | | | satisfaction. |
| help supervisors articulate their goals and visions for | | | | |