During these times of employment and workplace uncertainty it is important to remain focused on staff performance. Whether you are a Manager of a small or large group of professional or support personal it is critical that you remain vigilant in working with your staff to provide them with the tools to succeed. Remaining competitive and financially responsible during these times places a greater emphasis on the performance of each individual within an organization.

Management should reconsider their approach to the evaluation of performance and shift from the traditional “annual performance review” to a “performance management” model. Under a traditional “annual review” model, employees are evaluated once for their entire year’s work but in reality it is only a snapshot of the last 60-90 days. If an employee has been successful during this short time frame, they get a good review; if not, then they are left with a poor or unacceptable evaluation. Furthermore the evaluation process is usually rushed and squeezed into a tight time frame. The organization misses out on developing its greatest resource while staff becomes less motivated to further their performance and can move into a mode of just going through the motions. Everyone suffers.

A Performance Management Evaluation Program is a commitment between the organization (Manager) and the Employee with both parties focusing on setting realistic goals and objectives, establishing benchmarks and conducting regular evaluations to measure ongoing results. A Performance Management Program benefits the employer and employee:

• Creates a two-way - collaborative process
• Focuses on coaching for continuous improvement
• Creates an open dialog between both parties and eliminates the unknown
• Documents on going performance critical to the employment process
• Concentrates on an employee focused “action plan” essential to staff development
• Provides employees with resources to grow and develop professionally.
• Increases productivity and reduces operational costs.

Organizations that shift from a traditional employee review process to a Performance Management Program will create an organizational culture that is focused on the contributions and performance of staff. Gone will be the dreaded “annual review” and in its place will be a productive & highly motivational process. By focusing on the development of an organizations greatest resources, it Employees, the investment will pay great dividends in operational efficiency and the delivery of customer service. Time invested = High ROI’s.

About the Author
Tom O’Hare has been a member of the higher education and MASFAA community for over 25 years. He has an extensive business development & sales background with hands-on experience managing small and large staffs. Tom can be reached at 617-240-7350 or tpo2672@comcast.net.