How does an organization go from a stressful, inefficient, inaccurate top-down performance management process to a collaborative stress free, accurate, performance engagement process? Performance reviews get a bad rap especially when a manager blindsides an employee with a ten-month old blast from the past. Reviews play a key role in merit increases, bonuses, promotions, training, and recognition. So why is a process with the potential to do so much good, despised by so many?

1. Performance Management
Do it Right or Don’t Do It at All!
How does an organization go from a stressful, inefficient,
inaccurate top-down performance management process to a
collaborative stress free, accurate, performance engagement
process?
Performance reviews get a bad rap especially when a manager
blindsides an employee with a ten-month old blast from the past.
Reviews play a key role in merit increases, bonuses, promotions,
training, and recognition. So why is a process with the potential to
do so much good, despised by so many?

2. It's not the process to blame it's the practice.
ABC company automates their cumbersome paper reviews but
they continue to conduct a single annual review. They simply
digitized their paper form and failed to take advantage of the
system's just in time interconnectedness between manager
and employee 24X7, that bridges the many unnecessary and
disruptive communication gaps that plague reviews. Under-
utilization of a Tier 1 level performance management system is
a leading cause of inaccurate, stressful reviews. It's the
equivalent of driving a Ferrari in first gear.
Over the past 12 years of helping clients with their performance
review process I have observed that the vast majority are under-
utilizing their technologies or they lack awareness of what
constitutes best review practices.
They typically approach the technology with a once-a-year review,
paper mindset. It should be noted that not all systems are Tier
one level or robust enough to conduct multiple review periods, but
that is another issue.
Many organizations fail to define a performance management
best practices model from the git go. If you haven't defined a best
practices process then any port in the storm will do.
A best practices model fosters frequent collaboration between
manager and employee at every step of the review process; from
defining goals, competencies and outcomes; and it is not the
typical top-down micro-management once-a-year review model.
"We purchased an automated system to rid ourselves of the
cumbersome, unproductive stressful, once a year paper
review thinking attitudes would improve, and review stress
would dissipate. But they haven't changed, so we are
thinking of getting rid of employee reviews and replacing

3. them with frequent regular employee manager
conversations." Sound familiar?
The reason poor attitudes and results haven't changed following
the software acquisition is because the practices surrounding the
review hasn't changed. Automation applied to an inefficient
process only magnifies and automates the inefficiency. You can't
automate broken processes and expect better results. Automation
isn't a silver bullet, and it won't fix your broken processes for you.
A Tier one system fosters micro reviews throughout the year.
Less is not best in the world of performance engagement. Don't
throw the baby out with the bathwater. Fully optimize your
automated system, it still is the best way to foster and build trust
in your review process.
Implementing frequent Kumbaya meetings which by the way;
managers should be conducting with or without a performance
management system. It is their job. However; these meetings still
need to be documented, and outputs, and accountability tracked.
Which brings us full circle to a robust interactive review system.
More employee/manager performance related meetings are
needed for sure, as long as they are bilateral and the employee
and manager are collaborating versus a top-down micro
managing approach. If the only review you do is an annual one
then stop, not only is it a waste of time it is stressful, and
demoralizing.
Does your Small or Mid-Sized organization need Tier 1 Level
Performance Management?
Check out TalentPeak > www.talent-peak.com