microsoft word - employee performance management

PREPARING FOR YOUR PERFORMANCE

REVIEW

Participant Guide

Organization and Human Resource Consulting

The Ohio State University - Office of Human Resources 2 Learning and Development Consulting

Table of Contents

Performance Review ........................................................................................................... 3 Performance Management and the Performance Cycle ...................................................... 4 The Performance Cycle ....................................................................................................... 5 Self Assessment .................................................................................................................. 6 Performance Expectations .................................................................................................. 7 Goal Setting ........................................................................................................................ 9 Employee Checklist .......................................................................................................... 11 Self Assessment ................................................................................................................ 12 Guidelines for Receiving Feedback .................................................................................. 14 Employee Checklist .......................................................................................................... 15 Reference and Reading Materials ..................................................................................... 16


Performance Review

Introduction This session has been designed to help employees prepare for their

performance review

Agenda This is what you can expect from today‘s session:

Topic Description Performance Management What is Performance Management and why is

it important? The Performance Cycle Performance Management is a process- how

long does it last? Setting Expectations and Goals

Why is this important for employee performance planning?

Self Assessment How to successfully prepare for your review

Goals At the end of today, you will be able to:

• Describe the Performance Management process and its value • Describe the Performance Cycle • Complete Your Self-Assessment


Performance Management and the Performance Cycle

What is Performance Management?

Performance Management is many things. It is:

• A process in which supervisors and employees collaborate to set expectations and create goals regarding job performance, meet periodically to provide feedback on performance, evaluate individual performance and, ultimately, reward performance.

• An activity that continues throughout an employee’s employment and

should reflect the growth of the employee in his/her current position and the goals toward which the employee is working.

• Dependent upon active participation by both supervisors and

employees and, if followed consistently, there should be no surprises during the evaluation period.

The Value of Performance Management

Through Performance Management an employee: • Learns what is expected of him/her in terms of performance • Understands what part s/he plays in the bigger picture of departmental goals • Achieves clarity about accountability for job performance • Is able to prioritize daily activities • Is given a basis for feedback, assessment and rewards Through Performance Management a supervisor: • Shares with the employee the expected level of performance • Defines what “good” looks like for a specific role • Establishes a relationship with the employee that fosters growth and

development • Identifies successes in performance as well as areas of growth and

opportunity In an environment with clear expectations and a focus on development, employees are more engaged in and focused on performing well.


The Performance Cycle

What is the Performance Cycle?

Performance Management is a process (a cycle) that continues throughout the year and, in fact, throughout the employee’s career.

Phases There are three distinct phases of the Performance Cycle.

Performance Planning

(Set expectations)

Ongoing Feedback (Check in)

Performance Review

(Summarize)


The Performance Planning Process

What is Performance Planning?

Performance Planning is the portion of the Performance Management process in which expectations around employee performance are created and agreed upon by both the supervisor and the employee. The supervisor and employee have different roles in this process.

Outcomes of Performance Planning

Performance Planning produces: • Agreed-upon expectations for the employee’s performance • An understanding of what the employee will need with regard to resources,

materials, information and training in order to be successful • An understanding of what the employee needs from the supervisor with

regard to coaching and feedback.

What the Employee Needs to Do

An employee needs to:

Step Action 1 Have a thorough understanding of the job: tasks, functions,

timelines, potential barriers, etc. 2 Understand what “successful performance” of key tasks looks like 3 Understand how the results of his/her work contribute to the unit’s

goals 4 Ask questions about what is not clear 5 Communicate what information, resources, tools, and training s/he

needs in order to meet expectations 6 Communicate his/her preferences for coaching, feedback and

recognition in an honest and respectful way 7 Participate in follow-up; report progress and problems; look for

solutions

Continued on next page


Performance Expectations

What are Performance Expectations?

Performance Expectations are the “rules of engagement”. They identify the tasks and functions the employee is expected to perform and include descriptions such as quality, quantity, timeliness and cost. Expectations are created so that there are no surprises to the employee at the end of the Performance Management Cycle.

Elements of Performance Expectations

A performance expectation consists of three elements: 1. Key Task to be performed 2. Performance Criteria that is(are) important 3. Performance Standard(s) that need to be met

Element Definition

Key Task Task that needs to be performed because results contribute significantly to the unit’s objectives

Performance Criteria

Describe what dimension of performance is important for the task: • quality: how well • quantity: how much, how many • timeliness: how quickly, how often, by what date • cost: within what financial constraints

Performance Standard

Describes the level of performance the employee is expected to achieve: • satisfactory performance: what’s acceptable • results: outcomes attained

The Three Elements Together

Here a few examples: • Create a brochure to market department services by June 30; production

costs not to exceed $1,000 • Submit progress report every other Friday by 5pm • Answer 98% customer service calls within 3 seconds and maintain a 4.6

overall customer satisfaction rating for each month



Performance Expectations, Continued

Key Points As you begin to think about Performance Expectations, keep the following

important points in mind:

1. Expectations should be stated as concretely and specifically as possible • Employees should know what is expected in behavioral terms • Provide a “standard” against which the supervisor and employee can assess performance

2. Expectations should be practical to measure in terms of cost and availability of data • Written for the key tasks of the position

• Not every task in every job needs to have a written expectation associated with it

3. Expectations should be meaningful • Assess what is important and relevant within the job • Remember, employees will focus on what the supervisors focuses on

4. Expectations should be realistic and based on sound rationale • Reflect reality: can be challenging but should not be impossible for the employee to

achieve given the appropriate training and resources • Developed on the basis of experience

5. Employees performing similar jobs should have similar expectations • Employees expect supervisors to be reasonably consistent in requiring performance

expectations from employees doing similar or identical work

6. Expectations may change over time and should be updated periodically through discussion and documentation

• If key tasks change or if there are other changes in the employee’s role, appropriate changes to expectations should be made during on-going feedback

7. Expectations are not job descriptions • May not cover all parts of a person’s job • Employees are still responsible for all job duties and responsibilities


Goal Setting

What is Goal Setting?

Goal setting is another component of performance planning. Goals may be either performance (related to a task) or professional development (related to learning).

SMART Goals Goals are short, clear statements of what needs to be accomplished. They

should follow the SMART acronym:

The Letter… Stands for… Which Means… S Specific You know what it is M Measurable You’ll be able to tell when it’s

been done successfully A Attainable It can be done with available or

attainable resources R Relevant It makes sense and connects to the

unit’s goals T Timebound It’s tied to a deadline

Examples The following are examples of SMART goals:

• Eliminate coding errors for existing computer programs by October 1st • Reduce office supply expenses by 15% by June 30th • Produce PowerPoint presentation on current fee schedule by July 1st

Action Steps For a goal to be realized, you need to identify specific action steps. One way

to develop action steps is to do the following:

Step Action 1 Identify the goal 2 Brainstorm all possible steps to achieve the goal 3 Evaluate which steps are feasible & contribute significantly to the

goal 4 Eliminate those steps which do not meet the criteria in Step 3 5 List in order the steps to take 6 Attach a deadline to each step



Goal Setting, Continued

Example Here is an example of creating action steps toward a SMART goal:

Goal: Reduce office supply expenses by 15% by June 30th Action Steps: Step Action Deadline

1 Review purchases of office supplies for last 3 months

February 20th

2 Forecast supply needs between now & June 30th by surveying staff

March 31st

3 Compare discount rates from various vendors

April 10th

4 Prioritize purchase requests through staff discussion

May 1st

5 Prepare budget for supplies May 31st

Caution When creating SMART goals, be careful not to create goals that are either too

easy to attain or are too hard to attain. These are common mistakes during goal-setting. Setting goals that are too low or too high can de-motivate employees. To prevent this, have a collaborative discussion with your employee to establish what goals make sense and yet are still challenging.


Employee Checklist

Preparing for the Performance Planning Discussion

1. Review your job description • Is it complete and accurate? Note: If out-of-date, note what you think is inaccurate and be prepared to talk about it with

your supervisor.

2. Identify the Key Tasks of your position using the Performance Planning Worksheet • What are the critical functions? • Who are your customers?

3. Develop goals • Review the Goal Setting Worksheet your supervisor provided • Draft 1-3 goals for the coming year

Note: The goals may be performance goals (related to accomplishing tasks) or professional development goals (related to learning and growth).

4. Think about what you need in order to be successful in your job • What kind of equipment, materials and tools do you need to do your best work? • What training would help you perform your job duties or reach your goals? • What can your supervisor do to help you perform successfully on the job? • For example,

5. Think about feedback • How do you prefer to receive feedback from your supervisor? • Do you prefer written or verbal feedback when you have done a good job? • How do you like to be recognized for good performance? • How about when you need to improve?

6. Develop questions to ask at your Performance Planning discussion


Your Performance Review - Self Assessment

What is Self Assessment

Self Assessment is simply a process for reviewing your job responsibilities, how you perform these responsibilities, identifying strengths and areas for improvement and growth.

How do I evaluate myself?

Gathering information is the first step in self assessment.

1. Review your current position description to identify your most

important job responsibilities and prioritize them 2. Identify what you do well 3. Identify where you need improvement 4. Review your list of goals and/or projects for the past year 5. Gather comments from customers on your performance 6. Make a list of all of your key accomplishments 7. Add notes from any coaching sessions with your supervisor

Next analyze the information. Review the information and ask yourself:

1. What do I do well? Give examples of successful performance. 2. What could I improve? How? Give examples of where your

performance could have been better. 3. Are there any suggestions I can make to improve a process or

procedure? 4. In the coming year…

• What would I like to learn? • How could my supervisor help me be more successful? • What resources do I need to do my job better? • What responsibilities would I like to take on?

Lastly transfer the information to the form. Review the assessment form and think about how the information you have gathered helps you address each area and explains your self-ratings. Be prepared to give specific examples.


Self Assessment

Sharing Your Self Assessment

A good discussion is one where we are able to participate verbally, non-verbally, and as an active listener. Below are basic communication and listening skills that will help you as you prepare to take part in the review discussion.

“I” messages “I” messages are an excellent form of communication. They can help you express your thoughts about your performance, both what you do well and what you could do better. They are also useful in asking for what you need.

A basic “I” message contains these three components: • Description of observable behavior • Personal reaction • Impact

What I do well: “When I finished the benefits project, I felt really proud of myself. I learned much about using a database that will help me in the future.” What I could do better: “I really struggle with being on time to work. When I’m late, it makes me feel rushed and starts the day off badly. I’m going to try to get to bed earlier, so I can be here on time everyday.” What I need: “When you correct my performance in front of others, I feel embarrassed. It really makes it difficult for me to keep trying. I would appreciate receiving constructive feedback in private, rather than in front of my peers. What do you think about what I’ve said?”


Guidelines for Receiving Feedback

1. Remember the value of feedback! • The intention of feedback is to help you recognize your strengths and your areas for

development. • Go into the conversation with an open mind.

2. Listen with your head. • Receiving criticism, and sometimes praise, can be uncomfortable for many of us.

Although it feels “personal”, remember that feedback is about what you DO, not who you are.

• Use your listening skills: paraphrasing, summarizing, taking notes and withholding judgment.

3. Breathe deeply and maintain internal support. • If you are feeling anxious, try taking deep breaths, taking a sip of water or asking for a

brief break from the conversation. • Communicating that you are uncomfortable is good feedback.

4. Test your hearing – “check your understanding.” • Before disagreeing, be sure you have understood what your supervisor is saying.

5. Reflect and analyze what was shared. • How does this information fit with your own self-evaluation?

6. Be prepared to share your thoughts • Share your self-evaluation – giving specific examples of successful performance and

areas of development. • Tell your supervisor/manager what you need from them to be successful.


Employee Checklist

Preparing for the Performance Review Discussion

Gather Information:

• Review your job description. • Review your goals. • Review documentation from the performance period (any customer comments you

may have received, notes from coaching sessions, etc.) Complete a self-assessment: • Identify areas of excellence/accomplishments and note examples to discuss • Identify areas for improvement. Develop specific suggestions to discuss with your

supervisor • Assign ratings to your own performance. • Think about training needs. Look Ahead: Ask yourself, “In the coming year…

• What do I want to learn? What skills do I want to develop? • How could my supervisor help me be more successful? • What resources do I need to do my job better? • What responsibilities would I like to take on?

Make a list of questions to ask your supervisor. List your ideas here:

• • • • • •


Reference and Reading Materials

References and Additional Information

If you’d like more information about Performance Planning, explore any or all of the resources listed below.

Buckingham, Marcus and Curt Coffman. First, break all the rules. 1999. New York: Simon & Schuster. Rouillard, Larrie A. Goals and goal setting. 1993. Menlo Park, California: Crisp Publications.

microsoft word - employee performance management

Business

ohio state university

performance planning

coming year

performance management

key tasks

give examples

performance cycle

goal setting