The first part of this series introduces you to the concept of performance management — that it incorporates a set of integrated practices that enable an organization to meet defined goals and/or objectives. Part two takes a look at steps to identify the right individual goals to enable organizational success.

A performance plan that’s strategically and operationally aligned, guided with clear direction and achievable and relevant goals/objectives is key, but it doesn’t stop here. Through your fiscal year, circumstances may change; environmental factors such as the political climate or the economy might cause events that you could not have foreseen, which may in turn influence the decisions made earlier when your operational course of action was determined. And with changed circumstances, goals, strategies and tactics might also need to be adjusted in light of new realities.

As the HR professional, you will be called on to offer guidance through these moments of course correction. Here are a few tools that can be used to help steer matters in the right direction.

Coaching

Coaching, in simplest terms, is a continuous process through which an individual is supported towards meeting a personal or professional goal. Coaching fosters an atmosphere of teamwork and cooperation, and it encourages the sharing of knowledge from those with particular expertise. In the world of sport, the best of athletes, highly skilled in their profession, receive ongoing coaching through expert direction, role models and trial and error. Similarly, employees need to be coached along the way and at different stages throughout their tenure.

  • As a new employee, or as an employee entering into a new assignment, guidance and direction is needed to set expectations (the rules of engagement) and equip the foundational knowledge, tools and/or resources needed to perform the role or meet the goal.
  • When an employee is struggling to grasp a process or is experiencing conflict with a colleague, the manager is in a position to arrange the needed training or remove obstacles that might be impeding progress.
  • The successful achievement of a goal should not go unnoticed. The employee needs to receive signals that reinforce, encourage and empower so that the achievement can be replicated. Just as we cheer when the hockey puck crosses the line, the employee’s achievement should also be celebrated.

As coaching is a continuous process, regularly scheduled opportunities to coach an employee need to be established. Whether it’s weekly, bi-weekly, monthly or quarterly, a frequency that makes sense for the level of responsibility and scope of role should be set and maintained. These sessions allow the lines of communications to stay open and sends a clear message that the employee is supported along the way through conversations that:

  • focus on the status or progress of goals.
  • brainstorm solutions to barriers/problems.
  • identify circumstances for managerial intervention.
  • provide feedback.

Feedback

Through the coaching process, the employee will need to receive tangible information that can be used to reinforce performance, improve performance and/or redirect towards desired behaviours, all with the aim of achieving individual and organizational goals. This information should be provided in the form of feedback or constructive criticism.

Regardless of whether the feedback provided is positive or negative, keep these considerations in mind:

  • Focus on the employee’s behaviour by describing it and its impact. Refrain from passing judgment. For example, “You’re always late!” versus “I’ve noticed you have been arriving later than usual.”
  • Be specific so that there is understanding of the impact the behaviour causes. “I’ve noticed that you have been arriving later than usual. When you’re late, it affects our ability to service patients in a timely way.”
  • Provide feedback on behaviour that is controllable rather than on a shortcoming or situation beyond the employee’s control. “Whenever your child is sick, daycare becomes an issue!” In this example, the child’s sickness is not within the employee’s control.
  • Feedback should be timely. Feedback is most effective when it is given in close proximity to the behaviour’s occurrence.
  • Base feedback on observed behaviour. Third-party information is not ideal. Ensure you are in a position to give factual examples based on personal observation.
  • Feedback should be balanced. Be mindful of multiple negative comments as this may be demotivating and overwhelming to address. Give the individual reasonable time to absorb the information and take corrective action.

Performance development

There will be times when efforts to coach and provide feedback aren’t yielding the desired outcomes. For instance, when the employee’s performance and/or behaviours are below an acceptable standard for an extended period of time. And, you’ll need to determine if further effort is the right investment to make.

Ask yourself:

  • Is it worth the time and effort needed to improve the unsatisfactory performance/behaviour?
  • Is the employee aware that performance/behaviour is not meeting the mark?
  • Is the employee aware of what to do to improve performance/behaviour?
  • Do obstacles exist beyond the employee’s control?
  • Does the employee want to improve performance/behaviour?

While there are a number of other factors to take into account, such as the employee’s tenure and the previous track record of performance, if the decision is to further support the employee, a simple Performance Improvement Plan could make all the difference in salvaging an employee who’s experiencing a developmental moment.

Here’s a sample format to start the conversation:

Key Focus Area Standards of Performance Current Performance Target Date Resources/Training
[per performance plan] [per job profile] [required improvements as observed by you] [desired achievement date] [available support]

For example:

Quality of Work & Productivity Produce professionally presentable documents paying close attention to spelling, grammar and tone. Written work is disorganized, informal and contain multiple spelling and grammatical errors. Ongoing MS Office Productivity Tutorial

While it’s key to be clear about where the organization is going so that the right individual performance plans can be set, it is equally key to pay attention to circumstances that might influence desired outcomes through a process that enables dedicated time to monitor and coach for performance development.

The next and final part in this series will close the loop with performance evaluation. Does performance matter in your organization?

To submit a question for a future column please leave a comment below or contact editor@charityvillage.com. No identifying information will appear in this column. For paid professional advice about an urgent or complex situation, contact Veronica directly.

V. Utton & Associates offers boutique-style human resource management services to small and mid-sized organizations with particular expertise in the non-profit sector. For a fresh “VU” on people practices contact us at info@vuttonassociates.ca.

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