Introduction
Performance management is a crucial constituent of any business management system. The current rate of increase in competition and organizational changes calls for organizations to implement performance management so as to ensure that their employees work towards improving the competitive edge of the organization as well as offering efficient and quality products and services. To effectively improve employee performance, organizations ought to conduct regular evaluations of the competencies possessed by their employees. This will help them identify the missing skills thus organizing for employee development. There are numerous methods used in implementing employee performance management as well as development. This paper aims at giving a brief analysis of performance management implementation and employee development.
Prior to performance management implementation
Prior to implementing performance management in any organization, it is imperative that managers have clear information regarding the organizational profile. This is for them to have a precise picture of the company, its different departments as well as the different activities within the organization. Apart from having the organizational profile, the management needs also to understand the mission, vision, and goals of the organization. These would be used in determining whether the employees are working towards the realization of these goals, mission, and vision. Setting the required performance outcomes would act as a guideline for the management when implementing performance management (Bool, 2009). This is because it would be possible for them to determine if the employees are meeting the established standards and the barriers that prevent them from achieving them.
Apart from coming up with performance objectives, it is also vital to come up with benchmarks to be used in assessing the performance prior to performance management implementation. Through these benchmarks, the management can identify areas where employees are deviating from the established standards thus taking the necessary measures.
Challenges encountered
One of the biggest challenges encountered in implementing performance management is communication between the different parties involved. Generally, organizations require their leaders to informally communicate with other employees during performance management implementation. This is to update them about their performance and the required adjustments. Nevertheless, this does not happen in most organizations. In organizations where leaders take the initiative of communicating with their employees, the desired objectives are hardly achieved. In instances where negative feedback needs to be conveyed to employees, managers are afraid of breaking the news to them as they fear it may demoralize them thus affecting their commitment (Bouckaert & Peters, 2002). Instead, the conveyed feedback is distorted to ensure that some of the information that may kill employee morale is avoided. In the end, employees end up continuing with their present way of doing things leading to the desired goals not being achieved successfully.
Performance management implementation
In implementing performance management, the organization’s management team ought to work closely with the employees. This is to identify the manner in which they execute their duties as well as identify areas where they do not work as expected. It is imperative that the management regularly supply employees with feedback regarding their performance. By informing the employees on areas where they do not work as expected, they would be able to adjust their modes of operations thus enhancing their performance. Employees have to be informed about what is expected from them and the measures they need to take to achieve these expectations.
Performance appraisal can go a long way in enhancing performance management implementation. Organizational management needs to regularly evaluate its employees to determine their performance as well as identify the challenges they encounter when executing their duties (Bouckaert & Peters, 2002). Employee performance needs to be compared with already established standards. The management needs to examine the job description of every employee so as to come up with new targets if necessary.
Employees need to be involved in improving their performance. As they are involved in the day-to-day operations of the business, they can facilitate in making informed decisions aimed at improving their performance. Consequently, the management has to hold forums with organizational employees so as to discuss some of the challenges they encounter when responding to their duties as well as some of the steps that can be taken to help them enhance their performance. Organizational leaders need to regularly advise their employees as they go on with the implementation of organizational activities. This is to help them ensure that they have achieved the organizational goals and objectives (Kloot & Martin, 2002). Regular meetings need to be organized where employees can be briefed on their progress and areas that need to be changed. This can help in ensuring that a project is completed on time and successfully.
Employee development
The main aim of conducting employee development is to help employees improve their performance and gain knowledge on ways and means of enhancing customer satisfaction. Due to numerous changes that occur in organizations, employee development needs to be an incessant process. For the success of employee development, a balance between career needs for different employees and established organizational goals need to be attained. There are different stages attributed to employee development. These include the exploration and trial stage where organizational leaders guide the employees in their daily operations. During this stage, employees are encouraged to take initiatives in their operations rather than relying on their leaders for directions (Lee & Bruvold, 2003). The second stage in employee development is establishment and advancement. In this stage, every employee specializes in a different responsibility and works with limited supervision from the managers.
From the establishment and advancement stage, the third stage of employee development is growth, maintenance, and decline. At this stage, the employee has all the required skills and competencies and acts as a mentor to other employees. The employee uses the acquired skills in helping the organization achieve its objectives. The final stage of employee development is disengagement. Employees in this stage have adequate knowledge of organizational performance and use their skills in issuing directions on how to improve the organizational performance. They play a major role in making decisions on matters affecting an organization thus influencing organizational operations.
Employee training is one of the methods used in employee development. After the management team identifies the missing skills in its different employees, it may organize a workshop where employees can be trained on these skills. Based on the nature of the required skills, the training may take the form of on-the-job training or off-the-job training. Employees may be trained while still going on with their activities (Lee & Bruvold, 2003). This can be done by issuing them with the necessary training materials such as brochures which they can use in improving their performance. On the other hand, an organization may organize a workshop where employees may move outside the confines of the organization for training on some of the missing skills.
Conclusion
Performance management entails setting organizational performance goals and objectives and communicating them to the relevant employees. This is to help them understand what is expected from them thus facilitating in them working towards the attainment of organizational goals. Prior to the implementation of organizational performance, managers need to have a clear picture of the organization as well as performance measures. Implementation of performance management ought to be done in collaboration with employees. Feeding employees with information regarding their performance can help in improving their efficiency. It is also important to give employees an opportunity to make decisions on matters affecting their areas of specialization. As they are familiar with problems they encounter when executing their responsibilities, they are in a better position of making informed decisions on how to enhance their performance.
Performance management and employee development are vital components in enhancing the competitiveness of an organization. Most of the organizations fail to effectively compete in the market due to a lack of skilled employees hence poor services. The main aim of selecting this topic was to identify some of the challenges encountered during performance management implementation, give some of the strategies that organizations can use in implementing their performance management, and also highlight some of the preparations that need to be observed prior to implementation of performance management. In addition, the topic gives some of the stages of employee development and some of the methods of employee development available for organizations. Through this topic, organizations can be able to improve their performance as well as continuously develop their employees by equipping them with the necessary skills and competencies.
Reference
Bool, H. (2009). What to do before the implementation of performance management. Web.
Bouckaert, G. Peters, G. B. (2002). Dilemmas and issues of performance-based management. Public Performance & Management Review, 25(4), pp. 359-362.
Kloot, L. & Martin, J. (2002). Strategic performance management: a balanced approach to performance management issues in local government. Management Accounting Research, 11(2), pp. 231-251.
Lee, C. H. & Bruvold, N. T. (2003). Creating value for employees: investment in employee development. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 14(6), pp. 981-1000.