Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Job Role: The day-to-day functional responsibilities of the staff members job. Start with the job description if you
have one. If not, work with the staff member to identify the five to seven key things that comprise the staff
member's job. concentrate on what the person does generally, for example "develops..., maintains...,
manages...", etc. If your list is long, combine the elements that produce the same output. Select as may areas of
focus as you think are manageable.
Special Projects or Assignments: Often staff members will be assigned large projects that are part of their
annual performance goals. These projects are usually related to the staff member's job role, but focus on
initiatives larger than completion of day-to-day tasks. Special projects could include things like documentation of
new procedures, finding ways to improve a process, or implementing new systems.
Discussing and reaching agreement on objectives at the beginning of the cycle, in addition to providing periodic
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feedback and modifications as needed, will lead to a successful end of the cycle appraisal discussion with minimal
anxiety and no suprises.
The number of goals (typically 3-5 for each individual) should reasonably reflect the most important
accomplishments required for success. Consider the work to be done, and the desired result. Describing the goals
using the three elements below will increase the probability of you and your staff member having the same
understanding of the goal.
Outcome: An outcome describes what needs to be achieved. Outcomes will vary in scope. Some
performance goals may be single tasks. Other performance goals may be large scale projects. For
example: To improve the resopnse time required for student inquiries.
Measurement: the measurement describes how both you and your staff member will describe the
work to be done and assess whether the goal has been successfully completed. For example: Reduce
the response time required for student inquiries from the current 10.5 hours to 7.5 hours.
Timeframe: The timeframe establishes a specific target date for the results to be achieved.
Establishing a clear timeline enables the staff member to set appropriate priorities when completing
multiple tasks. It also avoids differing assumptions between staff members and managers about the
priority of the task. For example: Reduce the response time required for student inquiries from the
current 10.5 hours to 7.5 hours by the end of the fall semester.
Do the goals that I've just articulated for my staff member link to the overall goals of the
school/department in a clear way?
Will my staff see how their work contributes to the goals of the school or department?
For staff members with lower current performance levels, you will want to have a direct role in specifying the
actions required to meet the performance goals. Staff members with higher levels of performance will be able to
develop their plans more independently.
The probability of goals being achieved increases significantly with detailed planning. Consider who should own
building the action plan. Whether you, the staff member, or both of you build the plan, it is the manager's
responsibility to ensure that a viable plan is established.
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Coaching requirements are not the same for all staff members.
In fact, coaching requirements are not even consistent for one staff member as he or she works on different
tasks. Staff members have differing levels of skill for all the tasks they perform. As an effective coach, you need
to be aware of the areas where your staff member requires support.
Staff members who have lower levels of performance may require greater coaching support. Staff members who
have higher levels of performance may require less coaching support.
Coaching takes place throughout the year. How frequently you meet to discuss progress will depend on two
things: the expectations of your school/department, and the performance levels you have identified for each of
the tasks required to achieve the performance goals.
Confirm with your staff how frequently you will meet to assess progress. Be explicit about whether you or the staff
member is responsible for establishing your meetings. Continue to discuss development needs and keep ongoing
documentation of both accomplishments and development needs.
Tips for both informal and formal coaching opportunities with your staff:
As manager work to resolve barriers and leverage enablers, they create a supportive environment for their staff
members.
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enables of success.
At least once a year you will be expected to formally review the performance of your staff, and provide
written feedback.
Reviewing Performance, the final step in Performance Management, is heavily dependent on the previous
two steps. In order to be able to provide accurate and balanced performance reviews, it is essential that
managers take the time to do a quality job in establishing performance goals and coaching.
The notes you created about initial goals and progress throughout the reporting period will enable you to
approach the final performance review with clarity and confidence. The final feedback should contain no
surprises for either the manager or the staff member.
Each element of Reviewing Performance should be completed by both manager and staff member, with the
manager having responsibility for documenting the final performance appraisal.
Both the staff member and manager should compare what the staff member achieved against the stated
performance goal (Outcome/Measurement/ Timeframe).
Additionally, you should review how the staff member achieved those results. Consider your school or
department's stated or generally understood values.
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Are there particular behaviors your school or department promotes – integrity, collaboration, valuing
diversity, continuous learning, etc.?
What actions did the staff member take to achieve the results?
How did the staff member behave with others to achieve results?
Were there special circumstances that made the goal particularly challenging?
Reflect the time available for each type of work. If an individual is expected to spend 90% of their time on
daily job responsibilitiesand 10% of their time on projects, then the feedback should reflect that ratio.
Be balanced, with input from both staff member and manager, and with acknowledgment of both positive
and negative experiences through the review period.
Include reflection by both manager and staff member. The purpose is to assess what has happened, but
also to identify ways in which the staff member, the manager, or the school or department could have
created even better results.
Be based on your direct observations or on validated input from reliable sources.
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The Columbia University rating system in the recommended Performance Appraisal form is below. You must
understand, and be able to explain, how you determined the overall rating for the work you are reviewing.
Exceeds Expectations: Performance was clearly superior, consistently exceeded the expectations and the
requirements of the position.
Meets Expectations: Performance met the expectations and the requirements of the position. Meets the
high performance standards of the School or Department.
Needs Improvement: Performance was inconsistent with regard to the expectations and the requirements
of the position. Steps must be taken to further develop targeted areas which will improve overall
performance.
Does Not Meet Expectations: Performance was below standard with regard to the expectations and the
requirements of the position. Steps must be taken to improve overall performance.
It is helpful to allow the staff member to assess their own performance, including their view of the rating score
because:
Encouraging discussion about why they selected the rating can lead to productive insights.
It allows the staff member to articulate the things they did well, that support a positive rating. It allows the staff
member to examine ideas about the tangible differences that would have allowed a higher score.
These insights can be used in the final element of Reviewing Performance, as you both consider opportunities for
this staff member's ongoing development.
If the manager has consistently used the Performance Management Process to guide and enrich the
capability of the staff member, this step will be viewed with enthusiasm and interest.
If the process has been judgmental and not supportive, then this step will be viewed as an administrative
requirement which will not receive attention and action.
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The areas that are selected for development should be clearly defined, in much the same manner as the original
performance goals that were established using the Outcome, Measurement, Timeframe format.
The staff member should be able to see how the new skills or knowledge will be acquired, and how they are
expected to be applied - to the current job role, and as preparation for future job roles. Specifically:
If the planned development is a requirement to achieve satisfactory performance in the current job role,
then the specifications for achieving the development must be very precise, with tightly controlled
timelines.
If the development efforts are focused on longer-term staff member development, for a job role that may
not yet be determined, the timeliness may be more relaxed.
Links
[1] http://hr.columbia.edu/helpful-tools/hr-manager-toolkit/managing-staff/goal-setting-managing-
performance/guide-performance
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