building a high-performance culture

7/27/2019 Building a High-Performance �Culture

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A Fresh Look at

Performance Management

Mazhar Irfan, HRMP

+971 56 7175231(Reference: SHRM Foundation’s Effective Practice Guidelines Series)



The Business Case To build a high-performance culture, training needs to be

effectively delivered and transferred to the job through

the use of environmental cues, tools and reinforces that

drive behavioral change.

Effective performance management behavior leads to

better:

Bottom line results Employee engagement

Retention of key staff



Effective Performance Management Requires Most performance management strategies focus on

developing improved rating tools and processes - including

various rating formats, different rating criteria, more elaborate

process steps and using raters with disparate points of view.

The effective performance management requires regular and

ongoing activity:

Communicating expectations on a regular basis.

Providing feedback in real time whenever exceptional or poorperformance is observed.

Helping employees develop expertise

that maximizes their potential.



Improvements in Performance Management

ClarifiedWhat is Rated

• Make it clearwhat is to berated.

• Objectives,

Results,IndividualCompetencies,Behaivours,Contributions.

Changed TheRating Scale

• Ranged betwen3,5,7 and upto a9 point RatingSclae.

• Pass / Fail Scales• Narrative Scales

Change WhoRates

• MBO, Self Appriasal, 360DegreeFeedback

• Line Managers,Peers,Customers orEmployeesthemselves

Change theGoals

• SMART orCascade

• Individual orTeams



Note: Rather than trying to improve performance management tools

and processes, focus instead on creating a high-performance

culture by improving the frequency and effectiveness of

performance management behavior.



Real Challenges Rather than trying to improve performance management

tools and processes, instead focus on creating a high-

performance culture by improving the frequency and

effectiveness of performance management behavior.

The key challenges to include following assumptions.

Performance management to help managers make pay decisions.

Performance management to provide documentation that

organizations need to defend themselves.

Performance management to provide a mechanism to deal with

poor performers.



Challenges to Build a Performance Culture Extent that Managers believe performance management

is essential to getting work done.

Quality and trust of the manager-employee relationship.

How well the company reinforces successful performance

management behavior as a key business strategy.



Developing a High Performance Culture The development of performance culture is the main

essence and it required it is a continuous process.

For convenience it be segregated into four steps.



Steps Developing a High Performance Culture

• Assess current Culture

• Shift performance Management Mindset

Motivate

Change

• Scale back burdensome demands

• Introduce new concepts

• Put the right people in managerial job

Lay

Foundation

• Provide Tools & Resources to drive behaviorSustainBehavior

• Hold leaders accountable for continuousimprovement

Monitor &

Improve



Step 1: Motivate Change Assess the Current Culture

1. Ensuring employees understand the “big picture” and their

role and contribution to the mission,

2. Setting clear expectations and providing feedback so

employees can succeed, and

3. Developing individual employees so they achieve their

maximum potential.

Shift Performance Management Mindset

Both managers and employees must engage in performance

management behavior to accomplish anything at work, so this

mindset benefits everyone.



Communicate the Big Picture

1. Clearly articulate the organization’s mission and priorities.

2. Discuss how the work fits into the overall mission.

3. Tailor the type of expectations to the particular job—behaviors,

results or SMART goals.

Provide Ongoing Expectations and Feedback

1. Set ongoing expectations in real time throughout the rating

period

2. Provide regular updates so employees understand context and

outside factors affecting their work.

… Step 1: Motivate Change



Develop Others Through Experience

Use job experience as the primary means of developing employees.

Continually seek job experience that builds performance.

a. Stretch outside comfort zone.b. Provide opportunities to make mistakes.

c. Entail deliberate practice and feedback.

d. Make relevant to role.

… Step 1: Motivate Change



How to Improve Performance Management

Behavioral

Standards

• Can be used in most jobs.

• Most relevant forknowledge work.

• Example: Treat otherswith professionalismand respect;communicate clearly.

Objective Results

• Best for jobs withclear, readilymeasured outcomes.

• Measure whatmatters, not just what

can be measured.• Examples: sales

quotas, productionrates, error rates.

Task or Project

Goals

• Best for jobs that aredynamic, but in whichnearer-term activitiesand milestones can bedefined.

• Closest thing toSMART.

• Example: CompleteABC report byThursday.



Improved Performance ManagementStrategies Managers’ Benefits Employees’ Benefits

Communicate the

Big Picture

Employees contribute more

when they understand the big

picture, meaning less work formanagers.

Employees feel more

connected and make

wiser decisions,increasing engagement

and results.

Provide Ongoing

Expectations and

Feedback

Managers gain higher-quality

work from staff more quickly

with less rework.

Employees perform

better work and feel

more confident abouttheir contributions

Develop Others

Through

Experience

Managers accomplish more,

succeed faster and focus on

what they want to do.

Employees grow,

develop and advance

more quickly.



Feedback

Occurs in formal sit-downmeetings (infrequent).

Covers work conductedover time: Multipleperformance events and

competencies.

Initiated, led andcontrolled by themanager.

Formal

Feedback

Occurs spontaneouslywhenever discussion isneeded.

Covers a specificincident—what wentright or wrong and what

to do differently.

Relies on two-wayaccountability andinteraction.

Informal

Feedback



Step 2: Lay Foundation Scale Back Burdensome Demands

Eliminate formal system steps that do not add value or undermine

effective performance management behavior.

Use the smallest number of rating factors possible to cover jobrequirements.

Simplify rating scale and requirements.

Identify tools that will be well received and that effectively drive

desired behavior..



… Step 2: Lay Foundation Introduce New Concepts

Put the Right People in Managerial Jobs

Eliminate formal system steps that do not add value or

undermine effective performance management behavior.

Use the smallest number of rating factors possible to cover job

requirements.

Simplify rating scale and requirements.

Identify tools that will be well received and that effectively

drive desired behavior..



Simplify the Rating ScaleUnacceptable

• Failed to meet technical quality standards; work was incomplete,poorly conceived, error-ridden or not well targeted; work performed

unsatisfactorily or in an unresponsive manner.

Successful

• Products and services met expectations, were complete, welltargeted and understandable; work performed was responsive and

competent.

Outstanding

• Surpassed quality standards and expectations; products werethorough, error-free, ideally targeted and maximally responsive to

needs.



Traditional Training

• Typically Manager only

• Primarily on navigating the formal process

• Focuses on knowledge acquisition, not skill building

• Often disconnected from on-the-job realities

• No accountability for learning or application

• No reinforcement on the job

Traditional

Training



Training for Change Behavior

• Training provided for both Managers and Employees• Deeper dive, focusing on the knowing/ doing gap

• More individualized, using assessment results asbaseline

• Uncovers underlying fears and attitudes that prevent

change• Accountability for learning and application

• Tools to facilitate change

Behavior

Change



Suggestion for Training Topics

For both Managers

& Employees

• Building trust.

• Learning strategiesfor communication.

• Ongoingexpectations andfeedback.

• Developing throughexperience

For Managers

• Communicating theBig Picture.

• Diagnosing andAddressingPerformance Issues.

• Deep-diving onFeedback andCoaching Skills

For Employees

• Ensuring ClearExpectations.

• Seeking Feedback.

• Reacting Well toFeedback.



Step 3: Sustain Behavior Provide Tools and Resources to Drive Behavior

Automated tools that drive feedback and development

embedded in enterprise systems.

Attention-grabbing messaging pushed out via automated

systems.

Performance management hotlines and coaches.

Social networking tools and supports to share experiences

and lessons learned.



Old Versus Modern Thinking PatternsOld Pattern Modern Pattern

Organizational

Alignment

Cascading goals Mission articulation and

discussions of fit

Goals SMART goals at the beginningof the cycle

Ongoing expectations aswork evolves

Development Reluctance to discuss;

primarily formal training

Part of daily routine;

acquiring experience,

mentoring

Feedback Once or twice a year;

perfunctory and dreaded

Regular discussions

embedded in work

Performance

Ratings

Detailed to support decisions,

often cumbersome and low

value

Simplified; small number of

factors defined by standards



… Old Versus Modern Thinking Patterns Old Pattern Modern Pattern

Training For managers on formal

system requirements

For managers and employees

on day-today behavior

Policies and

Procedures

Extensive, with

documentation

requirements

Considerably streamlined

Evaluation,Monitoring

Whether steps arecompleted or not

Pulse surveys to gauge behavior,satisfaction, results and perceived

value



Step 4: Monitor and Improve Hold Leaders Accountable for Continuous Improvement

by focusing the following:

Managers provide regular feedback on and examples of

behaviors exhibited by employees who embody core

values.

Purpose of tool is to help employees understand how they

are perceived.

Not used for reward or disciplinary purposes.

Free classes offered to employees on improving behavior

that reflects core values



Evaluation Metrics

Business Results (decreased turnover,

improved outcomes)

Behavior Change from existing

state (pulse surveys/360s)

Employee and Leader views(surveys, focus groups)



Performance Management Guidelines Evaluate employees on job-relevant factors.

Inform employees of expectations and evaluation standards inadvance.

Have a documented process with specified roles for managers andemployees.

Train managers and employees on the performance managementprocess and relevant skills.

Document justifications for rewards/decisions by managers.

Provide timely feedback on performance issues. Allow employees to formally comment on and appeal evaluations.

Make sure evaluations used for decision-making are consistent withdecisions.



Mazhar Irfan, HRMP

HR Professional

UAE

+971 56 7175231

building a high-performance culture

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