3 Strategies For Effective Performance Management

By Perminus Wainaina 

A productive working environment helps the employees achieve their targets, excel in their duties, and ultimately, grow their careers.

Creating this space where your employees produce excellent work and perform to the best of their abilities can prove difficult for most organizations. Performance management can help regulate employees’ performance and growth.

Some HR professionals turn to performance management when an employee performs below expectation, or as a formality –often once a year. However, you can continually improve employee productivity through an effective performance management process.

When the process is seamless, the company benefits in various ways such as improved workforce and a thriving environment where the employee’s flourish and the organization grows.

The performance management process does not have to be complex. On the contrary, you can simplify it –while still getting the most from it.

Here are 3 effective yet easy to implement strategies that will, in turn, lead to effective performance management.

1. Clearly define company goals and performance objectives

The expectation from the top management is when an employee joins the organization, they’ll hit the ground running and they’ll start performing immediately.

However, there are instances where an employee does not have a clear understanding of the organization’s goals. If the employee does not seek clarification, they may just go about performing their daily duties without understanding the importance of their work.

Explaining the goals of the organization will help an employee understand why they are at the organization and the significance of their role. Moreover, defining the goals gives an employee clear knowledge of how their role and success directly connect to the organization’s goals.

Do not assume as to which employee understands the company’s objective. Take time to interact with each employee or department. Understand what they know, and from this, you’ll have a clear pathway on what areas need further explanation.

When employees link their direct roles to the bigger picture –the company goals, they see their role and its importance. This will help them tie their efforts with the company’s performance, which increases productivity.

Dependent on the size of your organization, and the available resources, you can opt for the most potent method to increase awareness on the company’s goals. Some of the methods you can use include one-on-one discussions, group meetings, emails, creating an informative chart within the office, and distributing flyers.

2. Hold regular meetings to discuss results

While each employee is tasked and reviewed individually, their joined efforts move the organization forward. Like any operational structure, the individual fragments need to perform for the system to work.

Progress meetings help the employees review what has worked in a given period, and how to improve on this performance for the next period.

These progress meetings help bring employees together, which sheds light on the importance of their roles and appreciate other employee’s roles.

Regular meetings build a culture of performance and accountability within the various teams. This is achieved when the employees give a detailed account of what they have been able to achieve within a stipulated time. Additionally, employees within a department can keep each other accountable to their roles and deliverables beyond the meeting.

3. Offer frequent performance feedback

As stated above, there are instances where an employee receives feedback annually, or when they are not performing.

Regular feedback helps an employee understand their progress towards a common objective. When you offer frequent feedback, the employee can clearly see what has worked for a specific period and how they can replicate this going forward.

Frequent performance feedback reinforces strong skill sets and positive behaviors while showing opportunity areas with a clear path for improvement. This type of feedback cannot wait until HR kicks off the annual review cycle. Instead, it should be given in real-time and integrated into the company culture.

Timely performance feedback is the best way to affirm your employees and their work while also shaping their work effectively.

While simplistic, these strategies, when correctly implemented, will improve the performance of your employees. Develop your employees by investing in them –making the most of their abilities, recognizing where they shine and encouraging them where they need work.

Enroll for the upcoming HR Training and learn more effective tips on performance management.

Perminus Wainaina is an experienced HR Practioner with over 15 years experience in executive recruitment and selection, training, performance management, and Kenyan labour laws.

He has consulted for firms such as Safaricom Sacco, Oxfam, Un Women, Pacis Insurance, Windsor Golf, Muthaiga Country Club, etc. Currently, he represents the private sector at KEBS in the HR standardization committee.