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Email – consultpro@gmail.com Page 1 of 3Phone – 91 422 2447198

ConsultPro

EnablingPositiveChange

Making performance management systems work

By N.Balajhi

Performance management is as old as business and industry. It is in the recent past thatspecific frameworks like balanced scorecard have come to facilitate performancemanagement. These frameworks don’t work magic. They are no panacea. Balancedscorecard and other frameworks are mere tools in ones hand. Using them successfully inIndian working environments require a fundamental change in the way work andperformance is perceived, both by the employer and employee.For long increments and promotions were tied to the time frame. A mere passage of timeraises one’s expectation for increment and promotion. It is so deep rooted in Indian mindsthat even now in these changed conditions we can find many employees, especially the‘Stayers’, thinking along these lines. A mere execution of their daily routines, as defined adecade ago, is performance for them. Expecting PMS to succeed in such an environment islike expecting Bangladesh to defeat Australia, though it happens once in a blue moon.

Making a performance management system to work

1. The term ‘Performance’ should evoke positive feelings and not fear. Launch campaignsand create awareness. Involve people in the exercise of implementing PMS.a. Communicate general ideas on performance through every mode ofcommunication. Use people who are most acceptable to employees to take theseideas across.b. Communicate organisation’s current performance levels using the frameworkadopted. Briefly describe the framework and how to read the performance picturepresented using the framework.c. Present the competitive scenario and stress on the need to improve performance2. Present the desired performance levels, using the adopted performance managementframeworka. Ask what it means to each department / division and how they should respond tothis need for higher performance levels.i. Each department to analyse and come up with their proposal on how theycan contribute to corporate performance plans in specific mannerii. Resources and facilities required for enhancing performance

Email – consultpro@gmail.com Page 2 of 3Phone – 91 422 2447198

ConsultPro

EnablingPositiveChange

iii. Ensure participation of every decision maker in the department/divisioniv. Obtain department wide overall opinion with empathetic ears andcommunicate promises and concerns to the management.3. Study each plan from departments and identifya. Alignment with corporate performance planb. Gaps in performance promisesc. Over optimismd. Resources and facilities requirede. Degree of commitment and concern, as can be seen from departmental overallopinion4. Communicate feedback, raise questions, objections, point out misperceptions and callfor revised proposal, if required, with respective departments5. Draft corporate / department wise performance plan and goalsa. Receive and study modified proposals from departmentsb. Identify gaps if any still persistsc. Compare with corporate performance plans and goalsd. Assess resource and facility requirementse. Make necessary modifications, wherever required, in the corporate performanceplan / goalsf. Make necessary modifications, wherever required, in the departmentalperformance plans / goalsg. Finalise the visualized performance picture both for the corporate anddepartments / divisions6. Communicate the final picture to respective departments / divisions. It will act asperformance target for respective department7. Launch a campaign to win over employee support and help keep their morale higha. Communicate performance goals of the company and their respectivedepartmental goalsb. Share the visualized picture, through graphical representation of visualized stateof the company on various performance fronts

Email – consultpro@gmail.com Page 3 of 3Phone – 91 422 2447198

ConsultPro

EnablingPositiveChange

c. What it would all mean for the employees, financially, socially, psychologicallyand for the companyd. Communicate what is expected of employeese. List the support that management will provide for employees to enhanceperformancef. Dispel fears and instill confidence among employees. Roll out a period ofmoratorium for performance, so that performance pressure is off their back duringthe time of coming up the curve to meet heightened performance expectations8. Ascertain employee involvement, morale and get their feedback through informalsources. Launch re-designed campaigns, if necessitated9. Overhaul job profilesa. Redefine the scope of work for each job work profileb. Redefine job responsibilities and authority vested with each positionc. Define performance in specific terms for each job10. Link increments and promotions to specific performance levels11. Put in place the PMS infrastructure and provide resources and facilities required12. Organise learning and awareness programs13. Review and evaluate performance periodically and communicate to all concerned onactions taken, if any14. Reward and honour exceptional performances15. Do not allow any letup in monitoring and realignment of interests. As and when requiredlaunch and re-launch educational and awareness campaigns+++End of article+++

Mr.N.Balajhi

is a business consultant, who runs business consultancy firm ConsultPro. Hehas more than 7.5 years of experience business consultancy field. His interests includeorganisation development, performance management, knowledge management, change