Performance Management
Performance management is all about helping others to realize their full potential and advance their career. Empowering others to make decisions that align with your department and organizational objectives is critical to drive engagement and increase productivity.
​
Effective performance management is achieved through the following stages:
2. Ongoing evaluation and feedback
​​
Keep reading to see how I've approached each stage throughout my career.
1. Setting Clear Expectations
Job Roles and Responsibilities
Every role has a generic job description and most companies have several competencies that they use to evaluate employee performance. I combined these two evaluation methods to create performance rubrics. Each rubric is cumulative, meaning that an Instructional Designer III must be consistently performing the behaviors identified for all levels below them.
I evaluate each of my direct reports every 90 days. With the rubrics as a guide, we write goals that align with their personal career objectives. Occasionally, these discussions will identify areas needing improvement because the employee is not performing at a level consistent with their title. More frequently, however, we use the rubrics to identify what the employee must do to grow in their role and prepare for a promotion to the next level.
The employee gathers evidence during the review period that highlights progress on each goal and adds it to the Employee Management Platform. I can then add additional evidence, feedback, or perspective.
​
My company evaluates employees on four competencies: productivity, teamwork & collaboration, reliability & accountability, and problem-solving & decision-making. Access each rubric below.
Click on each image above to review the rubric for that competency.
Impact
All employees want to know what is expected of them and how they can grow in their role. The rubrics clearly establish expected behaviors at each level of instructional design, including the manager's role. This allows my employees to hold me accountable as well and leaves little room for excuses or debate.
​
A critical component of the rubric is frequent reviews and evaluation. It is not an expectation for anyone to memorize the rubric and all the behaviors; however, identfying specific gaps or weaknesses and revisiting the rubric helps to clarify how an employee can improve in that area.
​
While establishing the standards and rubric was time-consuming, having it in place has afforded targeted one-on-one conversations with my employees. They each have specific goals to work towards and each of them knows exactly what they must do to move to the next level.
​
When it comes time for a promotion, I will have a mountain of evidence to support it.
Consistent and Regular
Too often employees are evaluated once or twice a year with little to no feedback in between.
The problem with this approach is twofold:
-
Performance bias. No matter how generous and benevolent a manager you are, an accurate recollection of every good or bad thing an employee did over the course of a year is nearly impossible and chances are, very skewed. Typically, managers will remember the great things high-performing employees did and those who are historically low performers will be subject to a long list of failures. It is basic human nature and you're only to blame if you refuse to find a better way.
-
Too little, too late. Employees want to know what they are doing well and where they need to improve. In my experience, I have never known an employee who doesn't want to get better. Feedback, both positive and negative, must be timely. Receiving negative feedback promptly provides employees with an opportunity to resolve any potential issues and change their behavior. Positive feedback, or praise, releases endorphins and makes ​
​​​
Regular Feedback
I meet with my employees on a bi-weekly basis for a 60-minute one-on-one. The first 30 minutes is time for my employees to talk about whatever they want. They drive the content and the agenda while I listen and follow their lead.
​
The second half of the meeting is dedicated to project review, feedback, and goals. Using the rubrics above to track performance and feedback ensures consistency. If they are struggling to make gains towards a specific goal, we can refer back to the rubric and break down specific behaviors into concrete examples. When the employee shows significant progress towards a goal, we discuss how we got there and how to replicate the behavior. The employee is encouraged to record milestones in the employee management system.
​
Because the rubric shows behavior progressions, regardless of where an employee is performing for a particular standard, they know exactly what they need to do to get to the next level, even if that is two levels above their current role. This is powerfully motivating for an employee to see that they are well on their way to a promotion when the time comes and it makes it very easy for me to negotiate the promotion on their behalf.
Improving in All Areas
Many times, people turn to professional development when they see a problem with the intention being that the training will help the employee get better in a specific area of weakness. However, true professional development focuses on the whole employee.
​
Employees should be able to level up in areas of strength and weakness. Focusing only on where the employee struggles is a sure-fire way to frustrate and demotivate them. Whereas, allowing them to develop in areas where they excel and shine, is incredibly motivating and will communicate to them that you value their contributions to the team.
​
Once again the rubric makes it easy to identify areas where the employee excels and exactly what they need to do to improve in that area to advance to the next level. Comparing evaluations across the team makes it easy to diversify your training. For instance, if you have two employees who are exceeding in surveying and data analysis, you could send one to a course on advanced surveying tools and data collection techniques, while the other studies data analysis and statistical evaluation models. If you then provide time for them to work together to apply what they've learned to their roles, you've multiplied your team's knowledge and ability and increased departmental outcomes.
​
A critical component of professional development is understanding your employee's career goals. Whenever possible, tailor their professional development to their aspirations.
4. Continuous Improvement
The beauty of the rubric is that you have the opportunity to redefine standards and behaviors as your team grows and improves. While you don't want to go overboard and try to spell out every single behavior, there is no harm in refining the behaviors. In fact, I highly recommend that you work with your team to ensure everyone understands and agrees with the standards and expectations.
​
The worst thing you can do is set the bar too low. Like I said, I've not know many people who aren't interesting in getting better, but complacency can be trained. If you regularly avoid giving your employees opportunties to improve and spelling out exactly what they need to do to move up, you will inadvertently train them to just wait it out. Providing promotions and raises based on time with the company is a sure-fire way to reduce motivation and decrease productivity.
​
Get creative with your approach and always find ways to help your employees advance in their careers and you will reap the rewards of a highly engaged and loyal workforce.