In our pursuit of continuously improving the future state of work for our people and clients, I have recorded a few horror stories. Let me share one of my favourites – performance management. It’s a penny dreadful of the corporate world, creating mass hysteria with little entertainment value and too often easily disposed of once “real life” settles in.
Performance management implementations are often disguised as well-intended approaches to measuring progress and performance. These, unfortunately, have the power to cripple experienced business leaders and their high-performing teams without breaking a sweat because, although well-intended, they are likely to be reactive and not well formulated.
Let’s be frank; measuring the things that matter is no small feat. Here’s the point where all our good intentions break down. What really matters? How do we decide? Who decides? And what do we do once we’ve decided?
Why the chasm between mapping out what we want to achieve and actually achieving those things? After some research, grunt work, and conversations with the gurus in people and culture, it comes down to this: there is a dissonance between what management deems fair and what is alienating to employees. And this dissonance may very well be an additive factor in the mess of circumstances that have led to the great resignation.
Objectively, goal setting and performance management should provide:
- measures on people performance in relation to the strategic objectives of the organisation
- across the board measurement on performance at a peer level
- opportunities for development and growth
- ability to identify and reward high-performing individuals
Working in a team of brilliant people-orientated consultants and thought leaders has led me down a path of discovery regarding goal-setting and how performance management is implemented in corporates. I’m eager to report that our organisation has found, vetted and implemented a methodology that has surprised even the most cynical minds in the group (of which I am one of the worst).
I’ll share some brief reflections on our journey to implementing the OKR methodology in partnership with Microsoft Goals. This implementation is underpinned by a strategic alignment with technology providers such as Microsoft to improve the way of work for our organisation and our clients. The abilities we’ve been able to unlock in partnership with Viva Goals have brought to light the dire need for change in strategic goal-setting on both an organisational and individual level.
Various brainstorming sessions, planning, negotiation and countless cups of coffee later, we have a measurable, refined view of our goals, the critical results, and the specific projects that will help us achieve what we define as success.
Some of the most impactful benefits of this implementation are:
- Increased accountability across the organisation; each person knows what to do and how to progress towards meeting their goals.
- Better alignment and collaboration as goals are aligned within the organisation, and progress is driven by each team member, not by leadership alone.
- Improved ability to plan and structure goals and progress without becoming rigid and burdensome.
- Freedom to reprioritise and realign on priorities without losing critical time and vital stepping stones to achieving our objectives.
Post implementation, we understand what is essential to our continued success. We have potent insights into what we need to measure, why, and how.
In rethinking how we move from performance management to goal setting, we recognise that people and data are equally important in achieving our objectives. Involving our people as much as our data is the key differentiator in making a sustainable change aligned to our view of the future of work.
Before your performance management process becomes another corporate penny dreadful, ask yourself this:
- Is this approach customisable?
- Is the solution robust, integrated and easy to manage?
- Is it fair and collaborative?
- Does it get driven across the entire organisation, or is leadership left to do all the heavy lifting?
- And most importantly, is this going to help us go from goals to achievements?
If not, it may be time to rethink your implementation approach. And as we say in VSLS: “OK, aRe you ready” for the future of performance management?
About the Author
Chantelle is a communications specialist with extensive experience in relationship management, content development and project management for corporate clients. She manages employee engagement across all VSLS value propositions and provides direction as the Chief of Staff for Team VSLS.