Great Expectations

One day while traveling on our rapid transit system, I overheard two women talking about their jobs. During the conversation one of them expressed her total dissatisfaction with her employer, to be specific, her boss. She stated that her supervisor was unrealistic in his expectations of her. He provided no clear direction, few resources and did not appreciate her efforts. Does this sound familiar?

It is said that people do not leave their jobs because of the company, but because of the managers. The problem is that in the current market, not many are leaving their companies voluntarily, so they are more likely to put up with poor leadership, at least until the market changes.

In order for companies to be positioned for the eventual economic turn-around, they will need a highly skilled and talented workforce. The successful company will place a high value on its people process. (How does the company attract, hire and retain high quality talent that fits with its Operations Plan?). One way is a Performance Management system that consistently measures the performance of the employee.

Seven Success Factors for effective Performance Management

~ Make sure the employees know what is expected of them each and every day. The expectation should be clearly articulated by the employees.
~ Give them the opportunity to do what they do best every day, to play to their strengths.
~ Give them the tools and resources they need to succeed.
~ Develop clear goals that support the company’s overall goals.
~ Develop metrics that support and track the employees’ performance against established goals.
~ Implement a rewards system that rewards the right behaviors. Remember it’s not just about money.
~ Take the time to meet with employees individually, at least monthly, to discuss their performance and to give the appropriate feedback.

I am convinced that the two women I overheard on BART would have had a different conversation if they were exposed to an effective Performance Management system.

Do you know what is expected of you?