Glorious or Rose Revolution or just a Evolutionary Reform in Performance Management: CFR?

The world history witnessed different degree of changes and transformations with deep or artificial intensity in the different geographies and cultures. Some of them are more organic and inside to outside in comparison to others mainly driven by external dynamics. With regard to performance management, the inclination and ultimate objective have been often towards a “continuous performance management” (CPM) in diversified paths and speed. To what extent, such a challenging objective is reachable is still a question mark given the fact that employees are strongly far way corporate targets and the purpose of them despite many so- called “strategic workshops.” In other words, there are lots of attempts and efforts used up to sustain and spread magic word of targets, smart, KPI.

However, the concrete result seems to be just a piece of cake (legitimate base) to calculate bonus and salary if not to use in decision-making process for career path and development. If the famous motto is “measure what matters”, the focus point and sources consumed on performance seem to be not correct but also precisely wrong. That’s to say, the fallacy of hypothesis on “human beings are rational individuals” could be also a reason for the collapse of so-called “modern performance management system” theory. To put it simply, prevention of alienation could only be possible with internalization/relevance of the concept and purpose which can be created through participation, bottom-up change and heart to mind movement. Insofar as human beings are generally “irrational” all decisions are mostly given via feelings and belief structure fed by heart rather than brain. That also explains the gap between perception and reality. It is in that context that, performance is perceived and presented as a mechanic/simply linear term not married with heart but only talking to left side of brain for a temporary period.

Thus, root cause for the failure to adopt/assimilate performance is actually its strength that is materially overriding based measurement structure usually isolated from competency and development. In that frame, OKR’s emphasis on CFR (communication, feedback, recognition) could be a correct cure for that illness. The implementation of bi-directional objective planning, continuous feedback and agile recognition could lessen the degree of negative perception of performance management to a certain extent. However, there are some conditions and requirements for that optimistic result and rose revolution.

• Objectives could be suggested/started from front line employees, doers and performers; rather than only N-1 roles at the top of the hierarchy. Bottom-up approach is to be main driven / input for dynamics of target planning in order for the pertinence of performance management.
• The weightiness of competency in the total performance score could be more/or less equal to business targets.
• The connection of performance result with bonus calculation and salary increase (if kept) is to be mainly limited with individual performance score disregarding corporate company performance.
• Individual business performance targets are to be mostly replaced by individual business targets and total reward strategy is to be linked with team based business targets. In that approach, employees are to be a stakeholder of the company serving to corporate goals through team-based motivations and shared goals.
• The impact of competency targets could only be reflected up on career-planning, organizational pipeline and talent management, rather than salary and/or bonus calculations.
• The assessors of the performance would be chosen from different stakeholders and customers.

The manifestation of such a “rose revolution” is to be considered and adjusted in line with social and corporate culture of the population and segment of employees. The organizational climate for open discussion, real participation of employees in decision making process and integrated leadership of management team could also shift up that transformation into a glorious revolution.

Accordingly, post-modern and contemporary age, particularly in that pandemic new normal, are not be wasted by 19-20. century thinking and experiments on individuals, simply because we could not get different and improved results with identical mindsets, ancient approaches and prejudices on rationality.