In my job I get the pleasure of providing an overview of training and development to our new TUPEd colleagues transferring into the business. At a time of uncertainty and change for the individuals stepping down the road of transition, I aim to illuminate a bright and colourful picture of what awaits them at the end of this particular journey.....
The presentation starts off well, their faces smile in response to my obvious enthusiasm until I move into the part about How We Manage Performance in the business. Their faces drop and they either remain completely still or they shift in their seats. I keep going. I start to describe the 4 elements in our global performance management framework, which starts with Setting Individual Objectives. I excitedly explain how our own objectives are aligned to the business goals, how these objectives help us understand what is expected from us and how we personally contribute to the success of the business. They're frowning now as I mention these objectives are reviewed at the end of the year in an appraisal meeting so I stop and ask if they have something similar in their current organisation? I really want to talk about how this is just a framework but the real performance management happens daily, through coaching and feedback from your manager but I'm sensing I'm not going to get that far. I'm not prepared for the response. They all talk at once, eager to share their horror stories and total dissatisfaction of anything remotely associated to the title Performance Management. I wonder if changing my title on the slide may help in the future? I must be blessed with a history of good managers as I'm naive to their stories.
The more of these presentations I deliver, the more I begin to realise how the formal process of Performance Management - Objective Setting, Personal Development Plans, Interim Reviews and Appraisal Meetings have taken over and shadow the real skill of Managing Performance daily in the workplace by communicating, coaching and feedback.
The presentation starts off well, their faces smile in response to my obvious enthusiasm until I move into the part about How We Manage Performance in the business. Their faces drop and they either remain completely still or they shift in their seats. I keep going. I start to describe the 4 elements in our global performance management framework, which starts with Setting Individual Objectives. I excitedly explain how our own objectives are aligned to the business goals, how these objectives help us understand what is expected from us and how we personally contribute to the success of the business. They're frowning now as I mention these objectives are reviewed at the end of the year in an appraisal meeting so I stop and ask if they have something similar in their current organisation? I really want to talk about how this is just a framework but the real performance management happens daily, through coaching and feedback from your manager but I'm sensing I'm not going to get that far. I'm not prepared for the response. They all talk at once, eager to share their horror stories and total dissatisfaction of anything remotely associated to the title Performance Management. I wonder if changing my title on the slide may help in the future? I must be blessed with a history of good managers as I'm naive to their stories.
The more of these presentations I deliver, the more I begin to realise how the formal process of Performance Management - Objective Setting, Personal Development Plans, Interim Reviews and Appraisal Meetings have taken over and shadow the real skill of Managing Performance daily in the workplace by communicating, coaching and feedback.
