Your Performance #ReviewResolutions: Measure, Assess and Renew
Deloitte was one of the first major organizations to outwardly recognize the need to restructure performance management as we know it, and more organizations are following suit. What those organizations need to know is that a one-size-fits-all approach won’t remedy a faulty performance management strategy. However, a streamlined process will, which is why we’ve put together steps any business can take to better performance management in 2016.
Identifying these issues is the first step in creating a new system of guiding your employee performance, so if you’re unaware of the problems, you’ll need to investigate a bit further before you take the plunge into new performance management. As part of our New Year’s #ReviewResolutions, we’ve compiled these tips to take you from zero to hero in managing for performance.
Tweet @Reviewsnap using the #ReviewResolutions to share your performance management resolutions for 2016 with the Reviewsnap team!
Resolution #1: Measure for your organization’s size
Because there’s not a solution that fits every company, you’ll need to do some measuring before you start to revamp your performance management. The vast majority of people feel their current performance management is ineffective because it no longer fits organizational needs. The typical year-end review is not productive in terms of generating actionable results because it doesn’t give much room for review-over-review measurement. Marcus Buckingham and Ashley Goodall noted:
“…The need for change didn’t crystallize until we decided to count things. Specifically, we tallied the number of hours the organization was spending on performance management – and found that completing the forms, holding the meetings, and creating the ratings consumed close to 2 million hours a year.”
How to: Survey your employees to find out what they want out of a feedback management system. Do they prefer written feedback on a regular basis, supported by annual or even biannual reviews? Or do they prefer a shorter, monthly face to face meeting? While there may not be consensus throughout the organization, you can accurately gauge what employees need to feel aligned with the organization and what managers can feasibly give in terms of face-time. Free tools that can help: SurveyMoneky, WuFoo Forms Plugin, Google Forms, Intranet Poll (available on Yammer, Slack and Bitrix 24)
Resolution #2: Find cracks in the system
While you’re measuring for the solutions that fit your organization and the perceived needs, you probably came across the faults in your current system. Make note of these problem areas, so when the time comes, you’re able to come back and fix them. One of the most common problems with current performance management is the way we think about performance reviews. The one-and-done reviews we’ve grown accustomed to don’t allow leaders to find cracks in the system. Stay on track with a performance review template!
Tweet This: Make note of problem areas, so when the time comes, you’re able to fix them. #ReviewResolutions
If communication is the foundation for a successful performance management system, shouldn’t performance reviews – the crux of the employee to manager communication – be regular checkpoints? The two-way conversations not only help managers keep track of employee goals, but also allow leadership to find potential problems in the current performance management system. Mark Tarallo, Senior Editor at Security Management, said:
“A performance management revolution is upon us, and the traditional ‘one-and-done’ annual review is slowly being swept away. In its place comes a more forward-looking system that aims to replace backward-looking evaluations with real-time continuous coaching, built around the central purposes of improving employee engagement and driving better business results.”
How to: Ensure your performance review system incorporates things like goal alignment, regular 360 feedback (not just from managers) and feedback that “trickles up” to managers. Often neglected in performance management systems? Any sort of constant gauge as to how employees are working toward their annual goals. Ask for anonymous feedback from your employees and check against your past performance reviews to see how many people who had critical numbers actually turned their performance around.
Resolution #3: Find a new performance management platform
Some problems with your current system might be worse than others. For example, you might notice that the performance reviews themselves are at least constructive, but it’s the performance review system that needs some adjustment. It’s still an antiquated paper trail with no room for tracking employee performance beyond the quick managerial synopsis before each appraisal. Perhaps compensation isn’t integrated with performance, causing your reviews and ratings to be perceived as essentially toothless.
Or perhaps the feedback loop at your company is lacking or non-existent. Well, you’re not alone; 69% of companies see line managers not prioritizing performance management conversations and feedback as an issue. Without feedback, it’s difficult to determine problems with performance and address them appropriately. Just like any move towards change, you’ll need measurements before and after to determine the effectiveness of the adjustment.
How to: Create a free trial with a completely integrated performance management platform like Reviewsnap. From compensation, to 360-degree performance reviews and learning system integrations, Reviewsnap covers performance from goal-setting to recognition, all in one simple platform that’s free to try and compare against your current system.
Acclimation from poor performance management to a robust system isn’t a simple task. It involves a number of steps to get everyone on board with the changes. Before you start the change, you need to measure the current system and determine where you need changes the most – the cracks in the system. Whatever your problematic areas might be, you have to prioritize the changes, so the biggest issues are addressed and fixed first. The performance management revolution is underway and you must be prepared. Make 2016 the year your #reviewresolutions stick!
What is your #reviewresolution? Tell us on twitter or leave it in the comments. We’ll help you make sure it comes true!
