The question: I am the ED for a large nonprofit organization and have been with the organization a few years now. It has always been on our schedule to conduct performance reviews, however, I have yet to get to it. For a couple of reasons really: first, I am uncomfortable with the process of performance management and second, I feel our performance management template is not innovative enough. Do you have any helpful hints?

Performance management (PM) is a time consuming task that most leaders I have spoken with are uncomfortable with, for many reasons. The most common are the fear of being less popular with the staff and the misconception that performance reviews are a tool to prepare for a dismissal. On the other side is the fear from staff that they are going to be raked over the coals for some wrongdoing that they may have inadvertently done over the course of their time with the organization.

The second part of your concern is something that many people are frustrated with: they would like their PM tool to be more “innovative”. This seems to be a reasonable request upon first glance; however, it is important to remember the point in conducting performance reviews. The performance review is about ensuring that staff know what is expected of them and that they are supporting the strategic direction of the organization, both with what they do and how they do it. By this I mean that they not only accomplish the hard goals of their roles but are also behaving in a manner that supports the organizational culture.

In addition to these things, performance management is a process by which the organization is made aware of what is working and not working for their employees. It’s a good indicator of what changes may need to be made within the organization for employees to be able to perform at their best.

Performance management is not an annual event, but an ongoing process of monitoring, evaluating and redirecting or rewarding staff performance.

Cyclical in nature, and involving ongoing relations with each staff member, performance management is the true dance of leadership and management. It ensures that organizational direction is alive at the ground level and is realized through goal achievement. It also about establishing, maintaining and modelling ideal behaviour that supports organizational culture. Done right, it involves making adjustments to programs/ processes to ensure the organization itself is not getting in its own way of accomplishing goals and maintaining a healthy culture.

Following the simple cycle as shown below can help make performance management a less daunting task.

Setting goals

This is a process that, ideally, is conducted with the involvement of your employees. Mandated goals are less likely to be accomplished or accomplished well when the employee has no buy-in. When staff establish their own goals, they are more motivated to achieve them.

Monitoring

With ongoing reporting it quickly becomes apparent when goals are not being met, or when they are being achieved or exceeded. Remember this is not just hard goals, but also acceptable behaviour. In all cases, it is important to share feedback with staff.

Coaching

This is an opportunity to provide ongoing feedback and support to staff, particularly when things are getting off track. It also works to touch base and determine what the barriers there are to success. When the employee is meeting or exceeding their goals, it is important to congratulate them and possibly provide opportunities for others to learn from their success.

Learning and growth can take place in the coaching phase when people are given the opportunity to either address perceived shortcomings or share successes. This is an ongoing process that takes place daily, in the moment, but which also may require formal meetings.

Review

This is often conducted on an annual basis. Regardless of your schedule for formal review, there should be no surprises to staff members during this meeting. If performance has not been up to par and this is the first time the staff member is hearing about it, you know that there has been a breakdown in your performance management cycle. This also goes for feedback from staff: if this is the only time the supervisor is hearing about issues or roadblocks, again, there is a breakdown in the cycle. With ongoing monitoring and feedback, there should be no surprises from either side during the review. There may be an “a-ha” moment or two, but no glaring “Uh-oh’s”.

Remember, the performance management process is just that, a process. It is not a popularity contest, nor is it a termination tool. While it is good to be innovative in your approach, if the approach is not linked to achieving organizational success, it is not performance management.

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