How to get performance reviews to work? Particularly when it's almost impossible to OBJECTIVELY evaluate employee performance? In this presentation to an HR conference in New York, Robert Bacal explains the need to move away from manager's dictating the process, to a more balanced position where employee and manager actually negotiate throughout the performance management process. In search of employee engagement, the process of working WITH employees if far more powerful than doing things TO them.

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New York State Human
Resources Conference,
Created By Robert Bacal, M.A.
Bacal & Associates
722 St. Isidore Rd., Casselman, ON,
Canada R3R 0S2
http://performance-appraisals.org
ceo@work911.com

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Negotiation-Based
Performance Management
A response to the general failure of
performance management and
appraisal schemes when applied
to real people in real jobs.

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What’s Happening Out
“There”
 Almost nobody assesses whether
their system is worth the cost.
 Broken Glass Syndrome
 HR ends up as the P.A. police.
 Increased move to technology that
makes it easy to appear to be
doing something useful.
 Movement away from the
fundamental part of P.M – real
communication.

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A Conclusion
 The people that need to
understand and use performance
management (employees &
managers:
– Do not perceive it as adding value
– Do not use it in ways that make it add
value
– Feel they are saddled with a useless
process
– Tend to do least amount of work
possible
– However, IN SOME PLACES IT
WORKS LIKE CRAZY

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A Definition That
Promotes Thinking Shift
 Performance Management
– An ongoing communication process,
undertaken in partnership, between
employee and his or her immediate
supervisor with the goals of:
 Identifying barriers to performance
whatever the source.
 Working together to remove those
barriers to create continuous
improvement.

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Principles of Negotiation-Based
Performance Management 1
 Is “customer centered” where
customers are managers and
employees.
 Allows “customers” to choose
tools that meet their needs within
a very flexible set of corporate
requirements.
 HR role shifts from police to
enabler, providing TOOLS.

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Principles of Negotiation-Based
Performance Management 2
 As a system, developed by
cascading from the top of the
organization (ideally).
 However it can work on a more
local level without the support of
the organization or even HR
(which is why some managers
make almost anything work)

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How It Differs?
 Manager &
employee can
choose formats.
 HR focuses on
education and
assistance rather
than policing.
 Managers held
accountable by their
immediate “boss”
 One size fits all
 HR as police
 No real
accountability

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How It Differs?
 Manager &
employee own the
process.
 System developed
bottom up.
 System implemented
top down.
 HR owns the
process.
 System developed
top down or HR
across
 Usually no coherent
implementation

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Bottom Line
 We can continue a monolithic one
size fits all approach that is
perceived by the managers and
employees as largely irrelevant.
 We can continue as is to promote
what we believe is “consistency”
under the illusion that the
information we get means
something.

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OR…
 We can acknowledge that
managers and employees must be
active participants in designing
and using processes that meet
THEIR needs.
 We can be much better at
balancing the needs of company,
HR, managers and employees
with more flexible systems.

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Steps In Designing A
System 1
 Determine what exact purposes
the system must achieve for the
organization Usually HR + Execs.
 Define the constraints specifying
the absolute bottom-line corporate
requirements to meet that need
(consider tools, frequency, etc.)
 Consult with exec., managers,
supervisors, employees on what
their needs (purposes) are, plus
suggestions for tools.

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Steps In Designing A
System 2
 Based on previous steps, create a
barebones policy stating minimum
requirements + a tool kit for users.
 Review with all parties and modify.
 Educate all parties on philosophy
(very important), purposes, tools,
expectations.
 Implementation commences with
top management using process
with their subordinates and
preparing them for the process.

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More Resources
 Bacal's Books On Amazon (print and kindle formats)
 The Performance Management and Appraisal Help Center
Check out our various mini-guides to help you m