PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT

Why manage performance? The advantage of having a sound performance management system is that you actually have a way in which you can measure individual and/or group performance against an objective standard which reflects your business or organizational needs. Performance management is probably the second most powerful management tool there is after solid recruitment. It's what distinguishes a successful organization from one that isn't doing well. It can mean the difference between staying viable and becoming obsolete. Disadvantages: Managers frequently find themselves in one of the following situations: "We have a performance management system but it doesn't mean anything." "We had a performance management system but it never worked so we scrapped it." "We've never had a performance management system but we're thinking about one." Some systems are forms driven, leaving management with limited flexibility to meet business or organizational challenges. With other managers, the will is there, but where to start? Our approach: We start with assisting management in defining job specifications and critical accountability areas for one or a group of positions. This is done in conjunction with the incumbent(s) in each case. We then assist management in developing standards and benchmarks, performance indicators and performance measures for one or a group of positions. We can develop a format for performance management that meets the needs of the business or organization that can then be used by the manager and the employee as a template for performance management. The tools we use are flexible enough to use for any organizational level. We design a standard process. It is the content (ie. critical accountability areas, standards, performance indicators and performance measures) that will vary for each position, not the format.