Performance Matters.

The first 1:1 meetings we had during our shelter-in-place days included, among other items, team and individual goals: what’s priority, what’s being put on hold, what’s different? While many initiatives would continue within new guidelines (e.g., talent acquisition), others were placed on a temporary hold (e.g., assessment center rollout), and new priorities emerged (e.g., turbocharging learning and development offerings).  Our experience was certainly not an isolated one - most teams have reassessed how to maximize their operations, customer relationships, budgets, and initiatives.  

While team members have exhibited exceptional levels of agility, the changes in their priorities,  assessment of their productivity, and their ability to add value during a time of global crisis are undercurrents that will lead to anxiety and disengagement if left unaddressed. 

As we move into June- July, when Mid-Year Check-Ins tend to occur, we share our top 3 ‘must do’s’ to ensure your performance management process creates an engaging experience for colleagues. Add your own tips and talent practices in the comments below.

1 - Restate your objectives, even if they have not changed.

There has been significant disruption to most businesses, and revisiting company, division, or team objectives provides colleagues with a renewed focus.  Which priorities will remain the same?  Which parts of the business will accelerate? What’s new for the rest of the year?  What was a temporary priority?

Must Do’s: 

• As a Business or HR Leader, determine and capture any changes to business objectives for the year.  
• Cascade your strategy & objectives via email, team meetings, or a virtual town hall - even if they have not changed - to provide clarity of direction; align to any company-wide messaging.

2 - Be prepared to take your stance.

Be ready to share your company’s go-forward approach for performance management, ideally at the same time as you’re providing an update to objectives.  

Must Do: Take a pulse of your organization and determine if there will be flex in the model for global vs. local needs. There may not be a one-size-fits-all approach to your business this year. See the examples below as thought starters:

Steady State - Keep your performance management process as-is if your business and colleague performance were less impacted by the pandemic and goals continue to be measurable.  

Modified - If your business was impacted, but has remained fairly resilient, consider slight modifications to your process for the year.  For example: 

• Bonus & spot awards - If you have quarterly performance reviews and bonus payouts, consider keeping the bonus flat for one quarter as it may be more difficult to assess productivity and differentiate talent.  Reward those who may have played a more significant role during this period with a financial spot award, noting how they supported your company’s values/mission/leadership behaviors during the pandemic.
• New measurements, where appropriate - for example, in a call center we often focus on speed, volumes, and accurate resolution.  During this time, customer engagement/satisfaction may be most meaningful for the long-term viability of the business.  

A New Model - For those significantly impacted by the pandemic, there may be a need for a more radical change in performance management for the remainder of the year.  Consider changes in:

• Calibration - Allow an open, crowd-sourced, ‘calibration’ by enabling colleagues who have partnered through the year to send in rating recommendations. Include the colleague to have a voice and share their thoughts on their performance. 
• Ratings - By removing a focus on ratings you remove the anxiety associated with how productivity will be measured - consider assigning the same rating for all employees this year. Here is a link to an article about how Facebook took a stance early on. 
• Rewards and promotions - If the business was hit hard, colleagues can rally behind bringing the business back to life. This includes making financial sacrifices, such as reassessing rewards at all levels to keep jobs in place. It won’t be easy and leaders will need to tap into their inspirational leadership to continue to drive engagement and strong performance.

3 - Keep up the transparency

During check-in conversations, managers should be ready to address #1 and #2 above.  More importantly, these conversations should be transparent like never before. We have all lifted the veils of our personal lives, our living spaces, our children, partners, pets, and much more are now part of the fabric of our working relationships. This has been a gift to people leaders - it allows a different conversation to enter the workplace.

Must Do: Prepare self and others to have empathy during these stressful times by:

• Creating an open space for sharing
• Asking questions such as:
• How are you balancing your professional and personal responsibilities?
• What type of flexibility do you need in your workday?
• What can I do to better support you?
• And the magic question, And what else?

These are a few of our recommended ‘Must Do’s’ on performance management process for this year to match the trying times in which we are all performing. 

We invite your comments below on lessons learned, tips, and requests for future articles in our Talent Turning Point mini series.

Be well.

Co-authored by Mitra Agcaoili:

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Please note: The opinions and tips represented are those of Soni Basi and Mitra Agcaoili and not our affiliated organization.