Performance Management - Chapter 2 (Process Overview)

Overview of Performance Management Process

  • Five components: Prerequisites, Performance Planning, Performance Execution, Performance Assessment, Performance Review
  • Focused on linking past, present, and future performance through an ongoing cycle
  • Performance Review emphasizes looking at past behaviors and results, present status (e.g., compensation), and future goals and development

Prerequisites

  • Knowledge of the organization’s mission and strategic goals
  • Knowledge of the job (work to be analyzed/held)

Performance Planning

  • Develop a plan that links results, behaviors, and development needs
  • Includes a Development Plan to close gaps
  • Behaviors describe how work is done; results describe what is achieved

Performance Execution

  • Employee responsibilities
  • Manager responsibilities

Performance Assessment

  • Evaluation of results and behaviors
  • Involves manager and employee; may include other sources

Performance Review

  • Appraisal meeting that reviews past, present, and future
  • Aligns with the overall performance management process

Prerequisites in Detail

  • Prerequisites are foundational inputs for effective performance management
  • Explicit knowledge areas:
    • Knowledge of the organization’s mission
    • Knowledge of strategic goals
    • Knowledge of the specific job (role)
  • Without these prerequisites, planning and evaluation lack alignment with organizational direction

Knowledge of Mission and Strategic Goals

  • Strategic planning defined:

    • Purpose or reason for the organization’s existence
    • Where the organization is going (direction)
    • Organizational goals
    • Strategies for attaining goals

  • Cascade effect across the organization:

    • Mission/Goals cascade from Organization to Unit to Employee
    • Ensures alignment and clarity of expectations at all levels

Knowledge of the Job

  • Job analysis focuses on key components:
    • Activities
    • Tasks
    • Products
    • Services
    • Processes
  • KSAs required to perform the job:
    • Knowledge
    • Skills
    • Abilities

Work Analysis Methods and Data Sources

  • Use a variety of tools:
    • Interviews
    • Observation
    • Questionnaires (e.g., online questionnaires)
  • Data collected from:
    • Job incumbents
    • Supervisors
    • Individuals responsible for creating a new job
  • Follow-up involves incumbents reviewing information, providing feedback, and rating tasks/KSAs in terms of:
    • Frequency
    • Criticality

Rater Biases

  • Rating of frequency and criticality of tasks and KSAs is susceptible to biases:
    • Self-serving bias
    • Social projection and false consensus bias
    • Carelessness consensus bias
  • These biases can exaggerate the importance of certain tasks/KSAs based on the incumbents’ KSAs

Rater Training (Web-based, 5-step process)

  • Purpose: Establish a common reference to reduce rating bias and exaggeration
  • Five steps:
    1. Defines the rating dimensions
    2. Defines the scale anchors
    3. Describes behaviors indicative of each rating dimension
    4. Allows raters to practice their rating skills
    5. Provides feedback on the practice
  • Typical duration: about 15 minutes

Job Description Components

  • Job duties
  • KSAs
  • Working conditions

Generic Job Descriptions and O*Net

  • Generic descriptions can be sourced from O*Net
    • Occupational Information Network: http://online.onetcenter.org/

Example: Tractor-Trailer Driver Description (Illustrative)