MAN 443-01

Usama Ahmad
21701153
Hartford Case

1. Do you agree with the executive team’s decision to scrap league tables, personal targets and
incentives in branches?
The success of the business is based on the relation to its customers. The top order gives
little attention to the financial success of the company and focus more on customer service.
But still the idea of scrapping league tables, personal targets seem a bad idea. Achievements
and feelings valued are directly related to job performance. It has become difficult for these
employees to gauge how well they are performing, leading them to feel lost as to what to
aim for.

2. How can the Hartford keep an informal approach to performance management while
providing greater clarity to employees?
The top management should communicate its company goals to everyone: branch
managers, employees, and customers. Establishing a direct contact with the branch
managers can be helpful in measuring the performance of each branch. Informal surveying
during team meetings can be a way to collect data on the achievements and the areas where
improvement might be needed. If the employees get direct information from the executives
on the goals and mission, there will be more clarity.

3. Could the Hartford benefit from introducing a strategy map? What would it look like?

Members Sales through Do what we Fairness Transparency

come service do
first best
Are you Are you Are current Are you Are you
listening to focused on process following adhering to
the service efficiencies standard risk and
members? delivery and being procedures for regulatory
not product improved? product standards?
delivery? delivery?
Are you Are your Are you Are you happy Are you
focusing on behaviors offering with your advising clients
each aligned with competitive performance appropriately
members core values? mortgage appraisals? on risks
particular rates associated
situation? and high with products?
savings
account rates?
What does Are you an
customer engaged
feedback say? employee?
4. Which performance measures should the Hartford focus on?
Hartford should focus on adhering to risk and regulatory standards, listening to clients, and
collecting customer feedback.
5. Provide feedback and recommendation on how the Hartford can strengthen its performance
review – that is, the clarity of strategic goals and validity of objectives.
They need to communicate the strategy goals to frontline staff first and then and then focus
on “members come first”. By listening to members, the company can customize its approach
based on whether a customer wants a technology centric approach to banking or a personal
approach.

6. What can the Hartford do from a performance management point of view to keep being true
to its values while becoming more explicitly business-focused?
The Hartford can offer more feedback to its lower-level employees based on
performance objectives, but not in a competitive numerical form, to keep being true to
its values while becoming more explicitly business-focused.