15 Performance Management Practices That Encourage Positive Performance

If you effectively manage employeeemployees improve unsatisfactory performance.
performance, you should be doing more thanProvide training or institute other
issuing a performance appraisal or conducting theperformance-improvement strategies.
requisite performance discussions. You should be10. Reinforce positive performance. Give timely
creating an environment that encouragesand specific feedback when employees meet or
employees to willingly and continuously give youexceed expectations.
their best performance on an ongoing basis. But11. Give employees opportunities to enhance their
how do you create this kind of environment?knowledge, learn new jobs, and expand their
Here are 15 practices to start with:abilities. Encourage participation in formal classroom
1. Provide information about your organization'straining or other types of developmental activities.
practices and procedures. Ensure that employees12. Eliminate workflow factors that have a
understand the "written" and "unwritten" rules.negative impact on positive performance. Consider
2. Provide information about your organization'sthings like how work is received, how work is
programs and processes for advancement,distributed, how work is reviewed, and how work
learning, and development. Make sure employeesis approved.
have a clear and realistic understanding about13. Eliminate materiel factors that have a negative
what it takes to succeed and excel in yourimpact on positive performance. Consider things
organization.like functioning of equipment, availability of
3. Share your organization's mission, vision, and/orequipment, amount of work, and type of
values statements. Tell employees how they helpresources.
your organization succeed in these areas.14. Eliminate coworker-related factors that have a
4. Share your organization's strategic goals andnegative impact on positive performance. Take
group goals. Link employee goals to thetimely steps to address inappropriate comments,
achievement of strategic and group goals.behaviors, or actions.
5. Provide clear performance expectations. Let15. Give employees "ongoing" feedback about
employees know WHAT you expect, HOW youperformance. Let employees know how their
expect it, and WHY you expect it.behaviors impact the achievement of goals, the
6. Provide timely and appropriate training on newworkloads of other people, and their personal
jobs and tasks. Ensure that employees receiveworkloads.
the requisite instructions and materials to do aPerformance Management Is A Continuous
new job.Process
7. Provide timely and appropriate informationThink about it. You will not likely get "continuous"
about daily tasks, general assignments, or majorpositive performance by giving employees "one"
projects. Ensure that employees receive theperformance appraisal and having "one"
requisite instructions and materials to do theirperformance discussion. Instead, you have to do
current job well.multiple things to ensure that employees willingly
8. Provide timely and specific feedback aboutand continuously give you their best performance.
unsatisfactory performance. Tell employees whatThese things involve giving employees what allows
went wrong and what they need to do to makethem to do a good job, and eliminating what
it right.prevents them from doing a good job. That's
9. Take timely and appropriate steps to helpwhat performance management is all about.