Category: Leadership Development

Assessing Performance – targets

Before we dive into assessing performance against targets, a quick reminder of part 1:

In the first blog in this series of 4 – Setting Expectations for Performance, we looked at how expectations can be broad. With that said, we can break them down into two broad categories:

• Measurable Results and Targets – what do employees need to produce? And how much do they need to do?
• Observable Actions & Behaviours – what good looks like and how people are expected to behave.

Measurable results and targets are easy to assess as they are quantifiable. The more difficult aspect to assess is why haven’t we met the targets or goals?

When need to set specific and realistic targets, with a clear timeline so that people know exactly what they have to achieve.  We need to break down larger targets, with longer deadlines, into manageable chunks.  The key to success is to monitor progress closely and address any deviances quickly.

People do not always hit their targets.

There can be several factors:

1. Lack of skill, knowledge, or experience.
2. Lack of resources.
3. Internal or external influences over which you have little control.
4. Lack of will, motivation or engagement.

We can address all of these factors through continuous review, communication, and coaching.

Behaviours, however, are not so straight forward to assess unless expectations have been clearly defined and communicated.

The best way to assess behaviour is through observation and gathering evidence.  The evidence needs to be objective and specific.

Your team may agree that in order to Communicate Effectively, everyone needs to demonstrate the following behaviours as standard:

• Be respectful and polite to all.
• Present information clearly, concisely, and logically.
• Ask questions to ensure understanding!
• Listen attentively and don’t interrupt!
• Keep relevant people informed and up to date!
• Adapt your communication style to suit the audience.

Through observation you may find that a team member didn’t ask questions in a meeting. Subsequently, they went on to make assumptions that took time to correct.  Rather than only focusing on the mistakes that need to be corrected, it is important to discuss and address the reasons for the behaviour that caused the problem in the first place.  This is more likely to prevent the situation from happening again.

In conclusion

Performance assessment is a continuous process, not something we only do at review or appraisal time.  The best managers manage by walking around.  In other words they are observing what people are doing on a daily basis, gathering evidence, both good and bad, and acting on it immediately.

If you want to know more about this topic, take a look at our Team Performance Management course.

In part 3 of blog in this series on Performance Management, we will look at Performance Reviews and how to get the most out of them.

To perform well, employees need to know what is expected of them.

Well-defined expectations produce effective teams with employees who know the role they play and the purpose they serve. When you and an employee set clear expectations about the results that must be achieved, and the methods or approaches needed to achieve them, you establish a path for success.

 

The starting point is an up-to-date job description that describes the essential functions, tasks, and responsibilities of the job. It also outlines the general areas of knowledge and skills required for the employee to be successful in the job.

But performance expectations go far beyond the job description.

In discussing performance expectations an employee should understand why the job exists, where it fits in the organisation, and how the job’s responsibilities link to organisation and department objectives. The range of performance expectations can be broad but can generally be broken into two categories:

• Measurable Results and Targets – what and how much needs to be produced
• Observable Actions & Behaviours – what good looks like and how people are expected to behave

Measurable Results and Performance Targets

Sometimes goals are too vague or distant. Employees lack commitment or become demotivated because they don’t know what they are aiming for.  Setting a specific target that is also realistic, removes ambiguity and means that everyone knows what they need to achieve.

But targets don’t just tell us what we are aiming for – they help us measure the distance by which we fall short, and the amount of work we need to do to make it up.

Make targets fun! In short, the idea is to take cues from the compulsive behaviour often elicited from people through games, particularly video games. Point scoring, bonuses and a structured reward system all act as psychological “hooks” which persuade people to engage.

 

Observable Actions and Behaviours

Organisational expectations are often defined in a Competency Framework where a number of competencies and behaviours are described reflecting the culture of the organisation.

The CIPD states that Competency Frameworks, when done well, can increase clarity around performance expectations and establish a clear link between individual and organisational performance. For more information about how a Competency framework can benefit your organisation please take a look at this link. Competence & Competency Frameworks | Factsheets | CIPD

If you don’t have a Competency Framework to work from, you can discuss required behaviours and attitudes, and what they look like in action with your team.  This brings agreement, cohesiveness, and unity to the way that you work together.  The way team members act and interact with one another ultimately affects a company’s bottom line. In general, positive, professional behaviours fuel productivity, while poor, unprofessional behaviours are hindrances to growth.

Please look out for the next blog in this series of 4 where we talk about Assessing Performance.