This programme provides a model of performance management which does away with the annual appraisal and provided a regular performance management tool. It is suitable for implementation by staff of all grades in the organisation.
It gives the job holder a clear understanding of corporate targets and how their own targets relate to them, and provides regular feedback on progress and the opportunity to discuss any problems or development needs.
Benefits
A successfully run performance management system benefits the organisation by resulting in improved relationships between line managers and job holders, improved organisation-wide communications and an equitable and fair tool for measuring performance.
Planning
The performance management relationship is normally between the individual and their line manager. The line-manager agrees individual objectives with the post holder, derived from the corporate objectives and the post-holder’s job description, so the reporting year ideally starts as soon as possible after the organisation has agreed its strategic plan for the forthcoming year. Objectives from the strategic plan are allocated to the relevant senior managers, who allocate the relevant objectives to their managers and so on through the organisation. An organisation-wide understanding of the strategic plan and the individual/team role in achieving its targets can be achieved in this way.
The individual plan
Individual objectives are recorded on the plan. For each objective the action required by the job holder, (supporting) action by the manager and the target date for completion are clearly stated. The final column on the form is used to record the key points from review meetings. The company should consider the secure storage of, and restricted access to, the completed forms, eg on an intranet system. The post holder and line manager should be able to access and update the record at any time. New objectives can be added at any time. New duties which have been undertaken in between meetings (eg as a result of cross-team working) can be retrospectively added so that the job holder receives the related monitoring and recognition, and the line manager retains a full oversight of the job holder’s activities.
Continuing Professional Development
CPD is considered as part of the initial discussions. CPD undertakings are recorded on the plan and reviewed as part of the review process.
Review meetings
Regular review meetings are held and the plan used to maintain a record of each meeting. It is recommended to hold review meeting monthly to enable the monitoring of satisfactory progress and the identification and swift remedying of any developing issues.
At the yearend a comprehensive and standardised record of all members of staff is available. It provides a source of information for managers which can be used for a variety of management purposes, including employee engagement and the drivers of performance.
The plan can also be used by teams or departments to establish and monitor team/departmental goals.
Implementation
A half day training session is delivered to line-managers, which in addition to introducing the system, stresses the importance of the line-manager role in its successful implementation, raises awareness of the impact of line managers’ own behaviours on performance, and emphasises the need to foster a culture of continuous improvement. The performance management documentation is provided to and left with the organisation and ongoing support is available if required.