Performance management - more trouble than it's worth?

I was chatting with a client recently, who was new to management. We had previously discussed a performance management plan to implement in his team ( a plan that we had been rolled out throughout the company very successfully). However, this manager had yet to implement the process.

So why was this manager not implementing the review process? During our initial conversations he came up with some common objections:

The team works well and we raise problems when they come up

Its too formal for our department – we work differently

I use a more relaxed management style – it will be damaging if my staff think that I am assessing them all the time.

When introducing a performance management scheme such objections are common. Performance management can be seen by staff and managers as a stick to beat people with, a way of regularly pointing out shortcomings or a methodology that will introduce distrust within the team and the manager.

However, if we look at the above objections in more detail we begin to see how these statements can be applied to a more lassiez – faire approach:

Raising problems when they come up – this is always good practice – issues shouldn’t be held over until review. However, without regular monthly meetings the danger is that ONLY problems are raised. What happens to excellent performance? When does the team member get an opportunity to raise their profile, ask for training or support or plan for their future and development?

Regular performance reviews support staff to develop their skills, excel in their roles communicate their thoughts and ideas to the management team and tackle any issues head on. Raising problems as and when will give reward on the latter only – and only then if you are very, very lucky!

It’s too formal – yes it is formal in that you and your team can set goals to improve performance, raise the bar and tackle any underlying issues. Without a formal structure staff do not have the opportunity for input or a forum to discuss problems and plan for support. Issues stack up until the annual appraisal and staff are then surprised with outcomes.

By introducing a monthly meeting you can support staff to overcome difficulties, formally record the successes and help your team present a true and evidenced picture at appraisal time.

They will feel that they are constantly being assessed – now this is down to you, the manager! Building a culture of open and effective feedback will overcome this. That means that you need to be prepared to receive and indeed actively elicit feedback on your performance from your team. Performance reviews are not just about them – they are about your performance too. Build and instil a culture of openness and two-way feedback and your staff will see the reviews as a positive experience. Start with “Well we have to, so….” attitude and you will devalue the experience for your staff and introduce concern and worry.

So, how did we proceed with our reluctant manager? We asked the team! When we discussed the benefits of regular review, outlined what they could expect from the process and described how the review would be run they agreed to implement the process. The first thing we asked the team to do in their one-to-ones was give honest feedback to their manager and leverage that great team relationship to excel in the coming year.