The ABC of Performance

Ram Charan wrote in his book for execution – the future companies are the ones who will execute well in Strategy, People, and Operations. While strategy and operations are very well defined, the challenge has always been in the crucial link, “people” – aligning them is the key to organizational success.

Performance Management is a subject where sometimes process’ overwrite people and culture. And somehow we create an environment wherein performance of an individual is judged like a Miss Universe pageant, where you are asked the most clichéd question – why should you be the miss universe and the participants compete how they posses superpowers to heal the world.

With so much cacophony around performance management – at PeopleStrong we call it performance enablement, the organizations have to first create an ecosystem for an individual to perform. We call it performance ABC driving attitudes, behaviors, and capability.

Even if you have your best strategy and process’ in place and your people do not have the right attitude, display the right behaviors but are capable to execute their role – growth will never happen.

I have heard a lot of leaders talking about lack of readiness in their organization – actually it’s not readiness, it’s fear of change and fuzzy vision of future.

So what should be done? Our learning so far.

1)   Question the design of the performance management framework – it is meant to build leaderboards or create an ecosystem, for people to perform.

2)   Keep it simple – Business imperatives (strategic),the role I play in achieving them and how I am doing it

3)   Pay for potential – Build the team that will make you achieve success in future or lives in the past glory?

4)   Feedback – Tell me how can I improve and do my job better now! Not when I have done it

5)   One size does not fit all – Try to make your performance design align to people, not a stiff upper lip

6)   It’s not a checklist – Do not run a process just for the heck of running it, define the core why you need to do it?

7)   Enroll people, not force them into a process – enrollment has larger powers and drives accountability

8)   Start from the top – leaders have to walk the talk, there is simply no way out

9)   Highlight and showcase the positive behaviors, even if they are low in numbers, glorify them for others to see and follow

10) Make it transparent – there is nothing grey here – it should be either black or white

Bring the change now, if you don’t your competitor will.

Performance Management Software is a technology platform for companies that desire faster outcomes. We provide an intelligent management system that aims to take your performance process to the next level. We strive to bring your business performance closer to people performance. Get in touch with our executive to know more about Performance Management Software and how we can manage your processes better.