Beyond Performance Management

Here’s a fascinating paradox. We’ve all heard that the annual performance review isn’t effective and that managers should instead provide regular feedback on performance. And yet, the annual performance review remains the dominant process used by organisations. There are two reasons for this. First, the notion of work remains stuck in the industrial age where a person’s ‘performance’ (read: productivity) could be measured by the speed at which they completed a defined and discrete set of tasks. In today’s post knowledge economy it is difficult to precisely measure performance when the inputs into work are vague and complex. Think about the emotional labour undertaken by a nurse where his or her effectiveness is as much about how they do it as what they do.

Second, performance management remains dominant within organisations because the Executive Leadership Team needs data with which to make decisions. Executives are focussed, among other things, on increasing productivity and minimising risk. Therefore metrics on performance are useful data to have.

Or are they?

Lets challenge this sacred cow for a moment. What would happen if we focussed less on the outputs of work and instead focussed on the environment to foster great work? In such an environment, managers would know the deep motivations of each of their team members and would help them develop and grow in the direction they wanted to. Senior leaders would reinforce the reason why the organisation exists and explain this purpose consistently and constantly often through great stories. Everyone would know why they come to work and how they will achieve the purpose.

“Performance Management” in its traditional sense wouldn’t occur.  Don’t get me wrong though – breaches of the behavioural expectations would be treated swiftly and strongly else a culture of mediocrity would arise.

Managers wouldn’t have the annual performance review, but instead have ‘enrichment’ conversations and jointly set agreed activities, such as specific development goals, to ensure a connection between what is done on a weekly and monthly basis nurtures their innate drive and motivation.

Great performance comes from believing in a person, not measuring them.

Looking after your management team during a restructure

Restructures can be difficult for everyone involved.  In particular it’s important to keep your management team motivated and resilient throughout the process.  They are your key to a successful transition and it’s important to consider their needs and make sure they are supported.

The management team can have a three-pronged responsibility during a change process.  They can be responsible for the development of the strategic plan, the implementation of the plan and also for the emotional fall out that may happen as a result of the changes throughout the workplace.

Recognise that managers may have heightened emotions themselves about the changes, including uncertainty about their own roles and also about their colleagues.

In addition, managers may be required to deliver the news about the change project to their teams.  In this case they may feel some trepidation about the news that they are delivering, and could benefit from some coaching or a chance to role-play this with another colleague in advance.

Managers are often required to deal with a range of emotions from their team during a change process. Normal reactions to change are varied and sometimes it can be hard to know what to say to a team member who is dealing with difficult emotions.  It’s important that managers understand the range of normal reactions to change and are prepared to deal with these.

Some reactions may include:

• Feeling overwhelmed or withdrawing from others
• Feeling irritable or over-reacting to small things
• Self doubt
• Anger
• Shock and disbelief
• Confusion

These emotions can be directed at either the manager or co-workers.  It’s important to prepare managers about the range of possible emotions they may encounter from team members and also give them advice on ways to handle these conversations.

During a change project the manager will become the source of information about the changes for their team.  Make sure your managers are supported with a good understanding of why the changes are happening, the timeline of changes and also that they know when future updates will come.  Keep your updates to managers regular and consistent, so that they can be seen as a good source of information and knowledge by their teams.

Make sure your managers know about any counseling services you have available.  (We recommend Access EAP.)  This is a great source of help during a change project as it can help to take the pressure off your managers to become counselors to their team, which is not their role.

Encourage your managers to maintain a healthy life balance.  Managers can often bear the brunt of high expectations during a change project.  In addition during times of change, many employees feel uncertain about their own careers.  Your managers may respond to this uncertainty by working longer hours.  Encourage them to stay healthy and balanced during the change process, as this will give them more resilience and ability to manage the process well in the long run.

For more information, read our previous blogs. 
The number one redundancy mistake organisations make.
Retrenched: Why “she’ll be right, mate” won’t make it right.

Looking after your team during a restructure

How can managers keep performance from dipping during a transition?  Ensuring your team stays engaged throughout the change process can be a tricky job. 

People look to their manager during transition to provide guidance, advice, information and support.

So, here are some tips for managers about how to do a great job of looking out for your team during a transition.

 

 

1.      Listen - Spend time with people in your team, just listening.  Hear their concerns.  People may be experiencing anger, frustration or feeling confused about how the changes will impact on them.  Some people may need to “let off steam”. Taking the time to listen to your employees helps them feel valued.  In fact one of the most important indicators of employee satisfaction is often whether they feel their managers listen to them and value their opinions.

 

2.      Get the facts – As the manager it’s important that you have a good handle on the facts around the restructure and communicate these as soon as they come to hand. The more your staff understand and accept the need for business change, the more positively they'll respond to the change process.  Find out as much as you can about the process of the transition, timings, whether any employees will be retrenched and other key information.

 

3.      Provide stability where you can – During a transition, many employees report that uncertainty is one of the key issues that leads to stress.  Having weekly team meetings, regular email updates and one on one meetings with team members are all great ways of making sure your team feels supported and “in the know”. 

 

4.      Be creative about stress reduction – If your team reports they are feeling particularly stressed, why not have a team building session on stress reduction?  Ask everyone in the team for their ideas on what works for them to reduce stress. Following this up in your team meetings can be a good morale booster and a great way of building team spirit.

 

5.      Deal with negative attitudes head on – If a team member is particularly negative about the change process, meet with them directly to work through their issues and ask for a constructive approach.  Taking their concerns seriously can go a long way to getting difficult people on board.

 

6.      Create support networks – There are other areas in your organisation that are available to help employees during transitions.  Your HR department may be a helpful source of information.  Perhaps you may have access to 3^rd party counselors for employees who are feeling particularly stressed.  Find out about other sources of support for your team and make sure people know where to go to if they need additional assistance.

 

7.      Take care of yourself – Managers often put themselves last during difficult times at work. Equip yourself so that you have enough resilience to be a great leader throughout the process.  Make sure you are getting enough sleep, recreation and good food to stay healthy, optimistic and energetic throughout the transition period.

Looking after your self during restructure

Looking after your self during restructure

Restructures are all too common in the workplace.  During a transition many people find themselves feeling stressed which takes a toll as time goes on.  Stress can impact our work performance, personal lives and physical and mental well being.  If the change is a long-term project, employees can come out at the other end feeling drained and depleted. 

 

There are many ways to stay refreshed and vital during organizational change. Successful organizational transition is a result of a concerted team effort. So this is an important time to take care of yourself and make sure you maintain a level of optimism and commitment to staying healthy and positive.  Here are some tips to remember when dealing with change at work:

Eat well, exercise and drink water - This may seem like an obvious tip but many people report that after a restructure they have worked long hours and neglected spending time on the things that make them feel good about themselves.

 

Self Talk – You are what you think.  Be conscious of what you think and stop yourself from having negative thoughts.  Focus on your strengths, skills, capabilities and achievements.  At the end of the week, instead of worrying about what hasn’t been done, switch to focusing on how much you have achieved.

 Be positive – Adjust your attitude to notice the positive things around you.  See the positive in situations and people.  If you find yourself being dragged into negative conversations, make an effort to avoid these situations and people who tend to “bring you down”.

 Be prepared for change – Change is becoming the norm for today’s organizations.  Increased competition means that many companies are forced to change quickly in order to survive.  So, instead of fearing change or resisting it - you can choose to prepare yourself mentally for the inevitable changes that are likely to occur.

Focus on what you can control – When we focus on what we can control, we tend to derive more satisfaction and a sense of achievement.  If you find yourself focusing on things you can’t control (like how long a transition is taking and how it may impact on your role), try to switch to focusing on things at work you can control.  Items within your control may include individual projects, a tidy workspace, building relationships within your team and maintaining a positive attitude at work.

 

Maintain your productivity – Often during a transition, productivity can dip as people wonder, “What’s the point, will I even have a job tomorrow?”  Maintaining a motivated attitude to your work helps to build self-esteem and a sense of purpose.   You can also build your value to the company by showing your commitment to doing a great job, even through tough times.