Recently, the HR industry has been buzzing with the phrase, “Agile Performance Management”.  Agile Performance Management is being called “the future of performance management” by the likes of the Harvard Business Review.  Agile performance management takes the best of our traditional performance management process and combines it with the workplace needs of today: the ability to be nimble, responsive to performance, and technology-driven.  The core elements of Agile Performance Management are:

• Frequent feedback rather than yearly, structured reviews;
• Regular conversations and check-ins rather than formal arranged meetings; and
• Coaching conversations focusing on growth and development rather than punishment and discipline.

Here at The Employer Group, we believe these core elements are important to performance management and employee engagement, no matter which performance management “system” you implement.  Employees who have regular, ongoing communication with their supervisors about their performance are more productive, more satisfied with their jobs, and stay longer.  When talking with an employee about performance, here are some suggestions:

• Focus your communications to be timely, direct, and clear on what’s expected and what’s needed to meet those expectations.
• Help the employee understand the big picture and how his/her day-to-day work contributes to the company’s success.
• Have a plan of ongoing expectations and provide immediate feedback when an employee meets or doesn’t meet the expectations.
• Consider team goals versus individual goals since more is accomplished by a team.  Hold team discussions about process improvements and issue analysis as a way to drive performance up among the team members.
• Talk about key behaviors employees demonstrate and the positive or negative impact of those behaviors.
• Provide feedback in a concrete manner and with a positive attitude.
• Ensure the employee understands the issue, the consequences, and the resources available for him/her to succeed.

The intent with performance management is to get the most out of your employee’s productivity and/or engagement.   The future may bring more performance management systems that may remove formal appraisal meetings and forms, but they won’t eliminate conversations about performance.  The Employer Group is here to assist you with developing a performance management system that supports your culture and your business needs – please contact us at [email protected] for more information.