Managing Performance

The term of "Performance" has become so popular in recent years in a wide range of activities.such as in the arts, in literature, and in the social sciences., but term of "performance management" came into usage in the HRM field in the early 1990s. 'To perform' can be define as 'to do something up to a standard- to succeed, to excel'. As well as to performance, There are so many definitions. Assessment of Performance entails evaluation of inputs and outputs (Brumbach, 1988) ,

Armstrong (2017, P.392) explain that Performance is the ‘outcome of three determinants'. There are Facts & Things - Achievements,How things are done - need process as well as ways and Motivation to do them - rewards & punish.

 'Performance Management' is also very important matter in this Era. The Performance Management can be describe like this. Performance Management is process of communication & undertaking partnership between employee and employees' supervisor or manager, that involves establishing clear expectation with these matters. There are, how the employees contributes of their job as well as how they dedicated their jobs into achieve the goals of the organization .In other way Performance Management means preventing drawbacks as well as poor performance because Performance Management is done with workers/Employee to benefits the employee,manager and the organization and is best done in co-operative as collaborative way. But finally most of people thought that Performance Management is about filling out and filling forms. No it's not. We should know, Performance Management is not  Mangers do something to an employee , Only used in situations such as poor Performance , Completing forms about related matters in once a year and forcing employees to work better or harder.

  Why do we need Performance Management?

In the real sense of the word if managers as well as employees follow performance management they are able to reach their job and career goals. Actually Performance Management can help to reach efficiency and effective work output. Because Performance Management focus on future planning and improvement for performance rather than on retrospective performance appraisal. Like these function as a continuous and evolutionary process in which performance improves over time. Managing performance also very important because without managing performance unable to build a clear shared vision for made clear organizational goals , To clarified job definition and criteria for job success, To provide clear framework for teams as well as for rewards and etc.

 

                                    The Performance Management Cycle (Armstrong, 2006)

"Planning for Performance, Supporting Performance and Assessing Performance are Components Of Performance Management" (Henderson, 2010). Above mention Performance Management Cycle also describe about those three component.

 * planning - Confirming Performance development

 * Acting - Looking for Managing Performance

 * Reviewing - Assessing how they achieving and progressing.(this is help for action plans prepared and agreed in many schemes)

Further more There are few criteria for an effective Performance Management approach to be succeed what Managers and employees need in our as well as your Organizations. There are,

1) Proper coordinating of work that the objectives,purposes  and goals of the organization,units and employees are aimed at the same bull's eye.

2) Keep the organization from becoming more effectively with identify problems in process.

3) Company conforms to laws and guidelines for document performance as well as to discourage frivolous lawsuits and grievances and to serve as evidence,if necessary.

4) Need to obtain clear and clarified Information for making decisions about employee development strategies,training and promotions.

5) Need to preventing mistakes by clarifying expectations,establishing shared proper understanding of employees what can do and can't do on their own,and put-forward or showing how each employee's job fit and match into the big picture.

6) Should provide regular ongoing feedback to employees because in a way that will supports their motivation.after that need to planning employee development and training activities. 

"Every employees want clear pathway directions, freedom to do their works and encouragement without control.Like that The Performance Management System Should be a control only by exception.Therefor system should make as a collaborative development system.There are two ways,

01.The Entire performance management process - coaching,counseling,feedback,tracking,recognition and encourage development.Usually with the help of these interactions employees,team members grow and develop.

02.Move to strategic development because  employees ask what they need to be able to do bigger and better things"

(Armstrong,M.,2006 cited in Egan,1995)

In Performance Management, concept of Measuring Performance is an important topic.Actually this is the basis for providing and generating feedback as well as it provide the foundations for building further success and it indicates where thing

 s are going well or not. Measuring Performance is easy for those who are achieving their goals and targets but more difficult in the case of knowledge workers.Scientists are example for that.If we are able to make distinction between two forms of results which is outputs and outcomes,that mention difficulty is alleviated.

An Output - A result(can be measured)

An Outcome - Visible effect,result of effort (cannot necessarily be measured)

According to CIPD survey in 2003 following Performance measures were used by the respondents.

1.Achievement of objectives.

2.Competence.

3.Quality

4.Contribution to team.

5.Customer care.

6.Working relationships.

7.Productivity.

8.Flexibility.

9.Skills/Learning targets.

10.Aligning personal objectives with organizational goals.

11.Business awareness.

12.Financial awareness.

 (Armstrong,2006 cited in Armstrongand Baron,2004)

Above is small description about Performance Management in modern HRM.

Post Author: Heshanga Amarasiri

 

References:

Armstrong,M.(2006) A Handbook of Human Resource Management Practice 10th Edition.academia.edu [online] Available at : http://www.academia.edu/9026115/Michael_Armstrong_th_edition_10_HUMAN_RESOURCE_MANAGEMENT_PRACT_ICE [Accessed on:08th May 2018].

Bacal,R.(2012) Manager's Guide to Performance Management 2nd edition.books.google.lk [online] Available at:https://books.google.lk/books?id=NMAZzqXVhOUC&printsec=frontcover&dq=performance+management&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiloLenndPaAhXFj5QKHUHkBs4Q6AEIJzAA#v=onepage&q=performance%20management&f=false [Accessed on 10th May 2018].

How to improve Job Design & Work Design for effective output ??

As a considering Talent Management of employees Improving Job designing and work designing is also very important. Because output of work depends on employees job and employees work. The organization process can be described as designing, developing and maintaining a system of coordinated activities in which individuals and groups of people work cooperatively under the guidance of commonly understood and accepted goals. The key word in this definition is "system". Organizations are systems that have a structure in their environment that has both formal and informal elements. The organization process can involve the design or reorganization of the forestry, but more often it involves the organization of some functions and activities and the basis on which the relationships are managed.

The job consists of a series of tasks performed by a person to achieve the goal. It can be viewed as a single whole in the organizational structure, which remains unchanged, no matter who works. Work in this sense is a solid unit, part of a machine that can be "engineered" like any other part of the machine. While most organizations have routine or machine jobs, work done by people is no longer mechanistic. What has been done, how it is done and what results have been achieved, increasingly depends on the skills and motivation of people and their interaction with each other and with their customers or suppliers.

The content of jobs is determined by the goals of the organization or organizational unit, the specific requirements that are achieved by achieving this goal on the persons involved, the organization structure, the processes and activities in the organization, the technology of the organization, the changes that occur in this technology and in the environment in which the organization operates.

When we going to Job design we have to considered context of organizational design.but these factors also must take into account.

•           The process of motivation intrinsic.
•           The characteristics of structuring task.
•           The characteristics should motivating for jobs. 
•                  Should provide motivation fundamentals. 
•                  The importance of a professional, job characteristic model.

Job design can be define as, “Specification of the content, methods and relationships of jobs in order to meet technological and organizational requirements, as well as the social and personal necessities of the owner of the job” (Armstrong.M, 2006 cited in Davis, 1996).

The design of the Job has two objectives: first, to meet the organization's requirements for productivity, operational efficiency and quality of products or services, and secondly, to meet the needs of the individual in the interests, job and integration, commitment to good performance. It is clear that these goals are interrelated, and the overall goal of designing jobs is to integrate the needs of the individual with the needs of the organization.

The design of the work must be done - the tasks to be performed if the purpose of the organization or organizational unit is pursued. The job designer can then see how jobs can be adjusted to provide maximum endogenous incentives to those who need to do so to improve performance and productivity. Another important goal of work design should also be considered: to fulfill the social responsibilities of the organization for the people who work there by improving the quality of working life.

• "To influence the diversity of skills, give people the opportunity to perform different tasks and combine w ork.

•   Hit the job personality, combine the tasks and set up the physical work units.

•    To influence the importance of the work, create physical units and inform people about the importance of their work.

•    Influence autonomy, give people the responsibility to define their own working systems.

•   To influence feedback, create good relationships and open feedback channels".

                    (Armstrong, 2006 cited in Robertson and Smith, 1985)

Difference between Work Design and Job Design

WORK DESIGN	JOB DESIGN
Great place to work. Conductive to health, safety & well being. Creation of working system as well as working environment that enhance organizational effectiveness & productivity.	Meet the personal needs of the mission owner. Fulfill work requirements Employee commitment level must be increase.

         
The design of the work, in fact, includes the integration of the responsibilities or the content of the position and certain qualifications necessary for their implementation. It clearly describes the responsibilities of the job and also helps to attract the right candidates for the right job. Moreover, it makes the work interesting and specialized. The job design follows the job analysis, ie E. This is the next step after the job analysis. It aims at presenting and organizing tasks, duties and responsibilities in a single work unit to achieve certain goals. It also describes the methods and attitudes necessary for the success of a particular job.

The entire job design process is designed to address a variety of organizational structure issues that relate to the job description and the relationships associated with it. More specifically, the following areas are configured correctly:

               Check the overload of work.

               Check work under load.

               Define working hours clearly and work process clearly.

               Ensuring tasks are not boring in nature.

               Confirming that employees do not remain isolated.

 Benefits of Job Design

Employee Input: Good job design gives good feedback to the job. Employees have the ability to vary tasks based on their personal and social needs, their habits and their workplace situation.

Employee Training: Training is an integral part of the job design. Contrary to the philosophy of "leaving them alone," the design of the work pays particular attention to educating people to be aware of what their task requires and how to do it.

Work/Rest Schedules: Job design offers a good work and rest schedule, clearly defining the number of hours a person should devote to their work.

Adjustments: Good work projects allow you to adjust physically complex tasks, minimizing the energy spent on doing the job and aligning the workforce needs for them.

 Post Author : Heshanga Amarasiri

 Reference :

Armstrong, M. (2006) A Handbook of Human Resource Management Practice.10th edition.Great Britain:United Kingdom.

 

Managementstudyguide.com (2018) Job Design - Meaning, Steps and its Benefits. A study [online] Available at : https://www.managementstudyguide.com/job-design.htm .[Accessed on: 5^th April 2018].

 

Managementstudyguide.com (2018) Job Design - Meaning, Steps and its Benefits. A study [online] Available at: https://www.managementstudyguide.com/job-design.htm . [Accessed on 8^th April  2018]