Performance management must be allowed room to breathe. Be a living breathing thing that responds to the needs of the people it purports to support, in real time.

Some of the structures that constrict effectiveness of performance management include structured quarterly, half yearly and year end appraisals. Providing some sort of a roadmap to ensure at least the bare minimum is being done may be understandable, but, sticking to these like they are the gospel is where the constraints come alive. They must be treated as guidelines, at best.  

I’ve come across far too many managers that take it as a rule, a standardization of the process, and lose out on the real-time feedback that works on two parallel lines. One, it provides the employee instant feedback (good or bad) and secondly, it ensures desired behavior is repeated and undesirable behaviors are shunned.   

For this to be effective there are two aspects that are non-negotiable. Timely, and, specific. Delayed gratification may not hold water. If a staff member has achieved something, while passing him in the hallway you can’t simply say “Hey Mohammed. Great job, nice going” And keep walking. Mohammed is left thinking which job? When? I do so many things, what is my manager happy about? Or is he simply saying that to keep me engaged in a generic sense? Or…………..

The other aspects that absolutely mutilate performance management are the dearth of effective feedback techniques, lack of training in effective communication and deficiency, if not absence of, managers who can provide constructive, supportive, formative and timely feedback. Far too many managers are inadequately trained to manage effective, constructive feedback, clear communication, expectation clarity and providing support where needed.

Technology also may restrict effective performance management. If input, data entry and  video is used to capture the feedback is mandatory, managers revert to having these sessions either recorded or tracked and that does not bode well for on-the-spot real time candid feedback. 

Layers within organizations have a negative impact on effective communication across the divides. If feedback is not timely & specific, it loses its steam and has the capacity to negate the efforts being shown by employees.

Other aspects that would stifle performance management and amplify negative views on the process include:

• Unclear goals
• Manager Bias / Favoritism
• No link to recognition & rewards 
• Employees see the process as punitive rather than supportive.
• Seen as a tick-box exercise with no follow on or resultant action
• Managers unable to provide honest / constructive / developmental feedback
• Managers lack training in coaching / review skills
• Reviews delinked from bonus, pay or developmental opportunities
• They are conducted as a “I caught you” exercise rather than a balanced overview with a roadmap of the way forward with support included
• Reviews emphasize weaknesses and overlook employee strengths

A process that needs to be kept in mind is this: Effective goal setting in conjunction with the staff member, clarity of direction and reasons for its importance, linkage to the big picture as well as rewards and recognition, effective process of appraisal and assessment, timely & specific / formative and supportive feedback and fair and unbiased assessment of efforts. Finally, a conducive environment where open and candid debate can occur.

Performance management is a deeply personal and profoundly powerful activity that cannot be handed over to anyone who has not been trained in its intricate, sensitive and formative potential. It is a harmful weapon in the wrong hands and steps need to be taken to ensure it remains a force for good.

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