A key to maximising performance within the workplace is to ensure employees and owners and managers understand their roles and the expected standards of performance and behaviour within your business.
Research conducted in Australia has shown the strong link between performance management and business results. The research found that where good performance management exists, organisational performance improved. As well as improved performance, employees felt engaged, involved and were motivated; employees talked about having an increased sense of personal value and perception of empowerment. Additionally, businesses, in turn, found it easier to recruit, deploy, develop and retain employees especially as organisational reputation also improved.
In this article, we look at some aspects of and the benefits of managing employees within an integrated performance management system where individual goals, objectives and activities are based on organisational strategies, plans and vision and the benefits of this in relation to establishing a performance culture for your business.
Introduction
A high-performance culture is one in which employees are truly involved in your business and feel part of its success. This results in employees being engaged, finding meaning and perspective in their work and therefore experiencing greater job satisfaction.
To help managers to be and remain effective, your business needs to have a clear company vision, strategy and goals. With these in place, managers can start to develop objectives in the wider business, in workgroups and then with individual employees. Setting objectives is largely about helping to set the focus of activities and to set standards.
By setting appropriate standards and communicating them with employees, owners and managers can better manage and monitor performance and behaviour in their area of control. Additionally, having goals, objectives and standards in place allows for owners and managers to consistently reward exemplary behaviour and performance and if needed, coach, train and where required, discipline employees when behaviour and performance is unsatisfactory. The purpose of managing unsatisfactory performance is to lift the employee into successfully meeting their goals and objectives.
A key to maximising performance within the workplace is to ensure employees and owners and managers understand their roles and the expected standards of performance and behaviour within your business.
What is the starting point with establishing employee performance and behaviour?
As mentioned above, a performance culture starts with a clear vision, strategy and goals that are well articulated and made known throughout the organisation. Managers and employees across each section of your business determine a range of objectives designed to support attaining the business’ vision, strategy and goals. It is suggested that the SMART objectives methodology is used. SMART is an acronym standing for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time-bound. Key performance indicators “fall out” out of the objective setting process and provide metrics, ratios and other performance indicators for owners, managers and employees to monitor and assess performance.
To support this process, managers need to support the formulation of objectives by intentional training and coaching of an employee in their role. No employee can be expected to fully understand their role without receiving instruction in the way to do their role and the standards and expectations of performance and behaviour when doing their role. This also provides a perfect opportunity for an employee to receive feedback and encouragement in their work.
Benefits to your business
Research conducted in Australia has shown the strong link between performance management and business results. The research found that where good performance management exists, organisational performance improved. As well as improved performance, employees felt engaged, involved and were motivated; employees talked about having an increased sense of personal value and perception of empowerment. Additionally, businesses, in turn, found it easier to recruit, deploy, develop and retain employees especially as organisational reputation also improved.
Please note that the above information is provided as comment and should not be relied on as a substitute for detailed professional advice.