Incorporating Performance Management into Daily Operations

We've all done it - once a year we set goals that we don't take up again until the next year. That's why performance management doesn't seem to work. It also makes it very easy for people to skate around and do well, but maybe not do more than is necessary.

In order to be able to measure good performance, one must know what the starting point is, and enforce it every day. Daily performance management not only encourages the right behaviour, but also helps to address any concerns at an early stage, before they become problems. The employees can stick to the right goals, and the management can adapt their performance to the needs of the business.

Here are some tips on how you can make performance management part of your daily contact with your employees:

• Divide the goals into specific sub-goals: Big goals that take a year to reach can seem daunting. But if you break the goal down into smaller parts, you can tell how employees can work daily to achieve the goal. It will then be much easier to talk about progress when you regularly check that the goal has been reached.
• Find ways to recognize good performance: Whether your company has an official recognition program or not, you should take the time to say "good job" when an employee does a good job. Make the recognition as specific as possible, especially if it is linked to one of the employee's goals. For example, if an employee has created an internal training guide that also includes engaging messaging and creative design (just like an advertising campaign), you could say, "Good job using marketing methods in internal training to increase engagement.
• Adjust along the way: The goals set at the beginning of the year may need to be changed over time. If performance management becomes part of the daily routine, it is much easier to see when a goal needs to be changed or corrected. Check that the adjustment of the target still fits into the company's strategy. By updating the goal, the employee is more likely to succeed than if the goal and the daily work are no longer consistent with each other.

Performance management can be effective if it is part of daily management practice. It may require managers to be more proactive in terms of goals and define measures together with employees, if the internal performance software or processes are not designed for such a level of detail. But the results will be worth it if you put in the extra effort. Embracing daily performance management with IceHrm fosters continuous improvement, ensuring goals align with business needs. Proactive engagement yields lasting benefits.