How can performance management tools create a culture of accountability?

Clear Performance Standards set a transparent and qualitative framework right at beginning of setting an KPI. Setting an quantifiable quality standard allows the employee the freedom to set his / her targets clearly. Giving constant feedback on Performance will help the employee to be on the right course. Qualitative Performance Standards also help in Talent Management, if engaged well then it helps to Upskill and build competent workforce who are future ready!

Performance standards work great when you apply them consistently and make them known from the very beginning. It allows for an environment where the expectations are clearly defined. However, in order to have these expectations be impactful, it's not enough to do annual or bi-annual performance reviews. You need to invest in, training and development of your employees, constant touch points, real time feedback and when necessary development plans that work towards improvements success. When employees know that the company or their manager is invested in their career and growth they are more likely to succeed in their role.

In my experience, effective performance management tools have the power to create a culture of accountability and transparency within a company. When utilized correctly, they can establish clear performance standards and provide valuable insights into performance trends, making it easier for employees to understand their roles and responsibilities. By providing regular feedback and recognition, these tools can create a supportive and motivating work environment that encourages employees to perform at their best. Additionally, HR and management can use the data provided by these tools to support their teams better. Ultimately, performance management tools promote accountability and encourage continuous improvement from everyone involved.

Its Performance Empowerment that works not Performance Management. Digitally aligning all staff to the organisations Vision, Values, Behaviours and Goals means they interact with it 24/7/365 through 121s, feedback, appraisal, CPD, learning and much more. All that interaction drives real-time workforce data at all levels of the organisation so (i) all staff understand where they are and (ii) the c-suite have meta data around talent, compliance, cost, innovation etc meaning better strategic investment and disinvestment decision making. We are all empowered to manage things like our banking digitally. In a workforce with increasing numbers of digital natives, why not manage our own performance? It’s a brave new work guys!

It’s not only about accountability, but also involving your employees in why performance tools are used and how their work contribute to a greater goal or strategy/mission of the company. It should motivate instead of demotivating people and also give them insights in their daily work and areas that could be improved by themselves.

Performance must be tracked on the regular basis (e.g. weekly, monthly, quarterly). The reports should be automated to avoid the additional workload and also remove any subjectivity in the data translation.

It's vital to share information with all the partners involved. Historically performance has been very silo'd and we forget that patients or customers come to us through other partners. We need to help shift the understanding of performance from a silo'd view to a whole journey / whole system view.

This step enables one to gather, store, and analyze data on the team members' progress, accomplishments, and challenges. This stage helps to spot trends, identify areas for improvement, and recognize opportunities for growth. Additionally, performance management tools streamline tasks like sending reminders and feedback, saving you time and ensuring consistent communication with your team.

Transparency and Visibility: When performance data is accessible to both employees and managers, it creates transparency. Transparent metrics and reports enable individuals to track their progress and understand where they stand in relation to their goals, fostering a sense of ownership and accountability.

In my experience it creates a safe place for employees to address issues they might not feel comfortable approaching a front line leader with during the day-to-day operation. When focused on near term goals it creates accountability measures for both employees and supervisor roles. If I know what you are measuring and my performance is tied to that, now your feedback is constructive and not viewed as just criticism.

Traditional feedback, given in a huge lump once a year is pretty pointless. We wouldn’t do this with our kids, would we? Imagine if our child was doing something that deserved our approval or censure … would we make a note of it and raise it with them three months later? Of course not! Feedback that works is given at the time when the behaviour is fresh in the person’s mind. The way we give feedback too is not conducive to changing someone’s performance. We sit people down and give them feedback in a very parental way – which immediately puts them on the defensive. Think about an appraisal that you have had and the discomfort you felt. This is because your brain is sensing threats. You can’t help it. It’s a totally natural response.

Providing feedback and recognition is also a great way for improving employee engagement and performance. However, timely feedback and recognition is extremely crucial. In my experience, I have seen managers wait for the annual or quarterly performance reviews to provide feedback or recognition. While performance reviews is a great tool to leverage these conversations, continuous feedback is equally important. For example, if a team member needs to improve their communication skills, then managers can use weekly one-on-ones to address the issue and provide any help the team members need. Similarly, recognizing good performance should not be left to the annual process.

Feedback should never be viewed as a one-time event or a top-down process but as an ongoing, open, and collaborative practice that helps individuals and the organization as a whole improve and grow. Giving, receiving, and acting upon feedback should be a fundamental and routine part of the workplace

Regular feedback provides a clear understanding of expectations, aiding in goal alignment and professional development. Recognition, whether formal or informal, boosts morale and reinforces positive behaviors, fostering a culture of appreciation. This positive reinforcement not only enhances individual satisfaction but also contributes to team cohesion and overall productivity. Offering feedback and recognition to employees in an organization has a transformative impact on performance management.

Embrace just in time feedback. Don't wait until the end of year review to give a years worth of feedback. Embrace radical Candor, caring personally enough about people and challenging them directly. Forget about the feedback sandwich and focus on making sure feedback and recognition is clear. Don't muddle the two.

The problem with ratings is that they don’t drive better performance! If the conversation is going to result in a grade, we want to show ourselves at our best, to cover up any failings that might downgrade us. But if we want performance improvement, then we need the employee to be open and curious. Ratings have to go.

Recently someone told me that "self-appraisals" are of NO use. If asking individuals to take time to reflect on their own performance is not a way of creating self-awareness and in turn accountability, what is it then? The question is how often do you do it? If you do self-appraisal once a year, perhaps it doesn't stick with them and might not create the intended benefits. But if you build a culture where managers can coach employees through regular check-ins, not only by giving feedback but also by allowing them to reflect on some of the recent key events, projects, milestones, etc. it is a great opportunity to reinforce the practice of taking accountability of one's own work. Let me know what you think of it.

The issue with appraisals are that there is no focus on performance improvement. Fundamentally, if we need to review performance, we need to have a set standards or expectation setting or effective goal setting. The biggest gap is here. A quality goal setting process, reviewed meaningfully at ALL levels will make the process more effective. It

knowing the you can only improve what you can measure, rating is crucial to check your progress, compare performance and imagine strategies

Performance reviews should be motivational and welcomed, not dreaded or feared. This is a time to discuss what's going well, what could be better and what support you need. Ratings are overrated, bringing an illusion of objectivity to what is usually a subjective conversation. Focus on both the 'what' of delivery as well as the 'how'. Regular shorter check-ins are far more beneficial than lengthy annual sessions.

Once you've identified employees growth areas, create plans to help them improve in these areas. Learning and development plans come in many forms and range in cost. Lucky for us, there are many great, free resources online. You can also utilize members of your senior team to create internal learning programs. This creates multiple learning opportunities at once, while providing time for employees to interact outside their normal day to day. Bonus: programs like this drive engagement!

I think of performance improvement as skill gaps with learning needs analyses. You are not here to point fingers to tell who and why suck. In other words, you are here to show guidance for up-skilling or improving. It is an excellent opportunity to gather feedback and data on what is missing within the company and where to invest money for employee development.

It is high time to rewire performance management system to performance enhancement system. The word management connotes control - unfortunately, and you can not enhance performance by controlling. It has to be done through creating meaningful role and empowerment. Hence, PES - Performance Enhancement System is a BOARD or Executive Management team driven process. Many times, "excellence" is a word loosely used. If the organisations are looking for excellence in performance, they shall be more serious about the process and involvement of their leadership.

Supporting Performance Improvement is the elephant step for Boost in the Performance Management after the conduction of performance reviews and Provide feedback and recognition. The members will be always seeking for a support in the transition period and with the support, they can perform will by leading the organisation to perform well.

Addressing performance issues is the unsung hero of creating a culture of accountability. It's not about pointing fingers or playing the blame game; it's about ensuring everyone is on the same page and working toward the same goals. When you tackle performance problems head-on, you're doing right by your team, your customers, and the organization. Using performance management tools, you can make the process clear and consistent, backed by proper documentation and evidence. It's like having a referee in the game, ensuring everyone plays by the rules. These tools don't just deal with problems when they arise; they also help you spot and resolve issues early before they snowball into major headaches.

Performance issues are dynamic, and it normally has a structural and on the field issues. If a systemic, dynamic review processes is set up, these issues can be sorted out. However, HR or organisations are still grappling with the 40+ years old concepts in this area, and tinkering on it, here and there. It is high time to shift PMS to PES with a Purposeful process laid down using the model P2T - People Process and Technology with a focus on Performance Profit and Synergy

Performance issues are not a mundane routine, step-wise process. It needs to be treated through a systemic approach, encompassing the people's lives. Today, unfortunately, the Human Resources department has become more of a static, reactive function (based on my recent qualitative research on this subject)

Address performance issues early. It's about clear accountability and recognising the negative impact of not challenging poor performance far outweighs the uncomfortableness of a difficult conversation.

This is one of the toughest parts of management, but ultimately it is our job. If you allow under performers to remain in your organization it will cause the morale of your entire team to go down. This is an unfortunate price to pay and much harder to recover from longterm than making tough talent choices up front.

Assessment of the performance from a neutral perspective and sharing the feedback for the situation rather to the individual helps a lot in gaining faith in this system (Performance management).

Performance management tools can foster a culture of accountability by providing transparent metrics and feedback, setting clear expectations, and promoting continuous communication. These tools enable employees to track their progress, understand their goals, and receive timely feedback, encouraging a sense of ownership and responsibility for their performance. Additionally, incorporating goal alignment and recognition features can further motivate individuals to meet and exceed expectations, reinforcing a culture where accountability is valued and rewarded.

Any performance management tool to be meaningful and have value must make sense to the employee and his/her supervisor. They both must be able to see it is important to them and not do it because the organization or HR wants them to do so. It should be celebrated, foster growth, and help bring focus which leads to success.

Successful performance management is only possible with a functional performance culture that has been created and maintained by an organization's senior/executive management team. Poor alignment of leadership will almost always lead to suboptimal achievement by the drivers of performance management (usually HR) in an organization.

Performance Management as a tool is an enabler for several other processes and systems in the organisation for example, how it ties to the feedback process and loops, connection with the reward system (if any), linkage to performance development plans, and the wider learning and development system as it relates to training needs and skills/knowledge gaps identified as part of the performance review.