Tracking Employee Performance - 5 Steps to Improving Your Team

A constructive way of conducting performanceAs the pilot gets closer to the airfield, the instruments
appraisals and tracking employee performance is tobecome increasingly sensitive. Adjustments that should
conduct interim reviews as part of a continuoushave been made early on become more difficult to
employee development process.correct. Typically, the approach is more erratic or
Long term performance starts with an employeeresults in a failure to break out of the clouds at a point
development plan and involves properly settingsafe for landing.
performance goals as well as timely job feedback.Interim Review: Tracking employee performance via
5 Steps to Better Performance:semi-formal feedback
Setting and achieving goals involves 5 steps: planning,Failure to maintain every variable correctly might cause
goal setting, feedback, review, and evaluation. Interimthe aircraft to be left or right of course, above or
reviews are critical during this process.below glide path, or too fast or too slow. If the pilot
Employee Performance Examplegets out of tolerance, this will prompt a call from the air
Let's review a performance task that illustrates thetraffic controller monitoring the radar with an offer of
importance of feedback and regularly checking work.assistance or other course corrections.
Planning: Identify key responsibilities that will beEvaluation: Formal review of success or failure
evaluatedAt the time or location of the decision point, the pilot
A pilot is required to land the aircraft at a designatedmust see the airport and determine whether they can
airport during limited visibility, known asproceed for a safe landing. If they cannot see the
instrumentmeteorological conditions.runway, the approach failed and becomes a missed
Goal Setting: Clear understanding of the task,approach that requires a go around and a need to try
conditions, and standard(s).again.
In this scenario, the pilot cannot see the groundSetting and Achieving Goals
consistently and must rely solely on her thoroughTracking employee performance, as with any task, it is
cross-check of aircraft instruments to determinemuch easier to take corrective action early on. This
position. After verifying location, the pilot beginsrequires that leaders have regular contact with their
descent to the desired airport at an initial approachemployees so that they coach and mentor along the
point determined by her location and altitude.way. This allows for discussion and clarification via
Assuming weather remains as forecast, if the pilot"foot locker" coaching sessions along the way.
maintains a thorough cross-check of aircraftNext, if you conduct periodic, semi-formal reviews
instruments that indicate airspeed, altitude, heading,(quarterly or some other interval), you allow both
location, and rate of descent, she will descend to theparties the opportunity to adjust. For example, if you
minimum descent altitude or decision height at aconduct semi-formal "pencil" sessions on a quarterly
location with the airport in sight, where she canbasis, it would provide both a chance to conduct less
proceed and land.threatening rehearsal sessions of the formal review.
Feedback: Regular input shows whether you are onHere, both manager and employee have the
course.opportunity for a full exchange of ideas without the
If the pilot performs the approach properly, all aircraftstress of the annual review. During the remaining time
instruments will remain within tolerance and she willavailable, everyone can take the necessary corrective
receive "on course, on glide path" indications throughoutaction instead of waiting for the formal review at
the approach.annual appraisal time.
At the beginning of the approach, the aircraftQuarterly or interim reviews provide a mechanism for
instruments appear less sensitive and any "on course,tracking employee performance and making any
on glide path" deviation may appear minor. If they arenecessary adjustments before conducting employee
corrected early, the pilot can return the aircraft to theperformance evaluations.
correct position easily.