4 Ways Managers Can Improve Performance Management

The passage of time has revealed some interesting insights into effective performance management that were ignored for years.

Whether it's working on the strategy itself, delving into the performance management process, or fostering team collaboration, ensuring smooth performance management requires more than just filling out forms.

And one of the most important aspects of ensuring this is the key role that managers play.

Supervisors are the ones who essentially conduct the performance review discussions. But her role doesn't just start and end there. Here are some ways managers can take the wind out of their employees' sails and make performance reviews something they look forward to.

1.Involve employees at every step of the process

Who are the assessments for? For the employees. So why are they so left out of most processes? Why do performance reviews still seem to be a mystery to them? A mystery that they mostly don't care about?

Effective managers must create a collaborative framework in which the goals of the performance management process are stated as clearly as possible. The chosen strategy should be reviewed not only by company management, but also by employees. Their feedback and opinions should be taken into account as they know best where they want to improve.

The goals, tasks and responsibilities should not be determined solely by the manager. Instead, they should be written down after careful analysis and discussions with employees. The objectives and review periods should be determined by mutual agreement. Both parties should define what success looks like, with roles equally distributed.

2.Set clear expectations from the start

The performance management process goes beyond delivering services and also expects behavior change. There is a lot of emphasis on what an employee needs to achieve and how they can meet those expectations. In order for the end goals to be achieved, managers should be clear about "what" and "how" needs to be achieved. This would mean setting all standards and guidelines for employee behavior, team communication and alignment with company values.

Before a meeting is scheduled, employees should be as prepared as their managers. Employees should be encouraged to evaluate their own performance and make recommendations for themselves and the process. In this way, biases can be eliminated. The reliability of memory and hearsay can also be eliminated as everything is tracked and noted down from time to time.

3.Make it clear to employees why the system exists

Every company has a performance management system. Most of the time it exists because it is necessary. Due to the need to conduct appraisals, employees often hate it when this time of year arrives or when they are called into a meeting. A system that everyone hates will never work.

A meaningful performance management system is one that is created by the people and for the people. The process should be made as transparent as possible and give employees enough reasons to participate voluntarily. The goal should be to make them better employees, get them to learn new skills, and satisfy their never-ending thirst for knowledge and information. They should be trained to understand and appreciate how this impacts their own growth and the growth of their organization.

In turn, effective managers will work to ensure that all of these steps are followed and that employees are encouraged to understand the process at every step. No part of the process should appear ambiguous or undefined.

4.Coaching conversations as part of the process

Employees want real attention from their managers and constant guidance about what goals they want to achieve and how they can achieve them. Coaching is a process that allows two people to develop a relationship that allows them to become better. It also gives the feeling that the coach truly cares about the employee's progress, and the targeted conversations become a source of inspiration and motivation for higher goals.

Managers who act as coaches rather than bosses give their employees the space to say what they need to achieve their goals - the resources that can help them and the obstacles that challenge them. Scheduled meetings to discuss these topics and set clearer goals, as well as feedback about the past week or month, are all great motivators. Such regular exchange inevitably leads to a much more effective performance management process.

Elevate your performance management with IceHrm's insights. Engage employees, set clear expectations, and foster coaching conversations for enhanced productivity.