Here are some key reasons to formally evaluate employee performance:
- Provide feedback and recognition. Evaluations allow you to recognize employees' accomplishments and areas for growth. This feedback can boost motivation.
- Set goals and expectations. Evaluations are an opportunity to jointly set goals and performance expectations for the coming review period. Clear expectations help employees succeed.
- Identify training needs. Evaluating performance highlights skills that need improvement. This informs training plans to enhance employees' contributions.
- Inform compensation and promotion decisions. Performance against objectives factors into compensation changes, bonuses, and promotion eligibility.
- Document performance issues. If issues arise, past evaluations document performance trends and coaching attempts. This supports disciplinary decisions if needed.
2. Employee Discipline
• Good managers will handle conflict in a
manner that improves the organization.
• Employees poor performance and poor
attitudes directly and negatively affect your
work unit’s efficiency and effectiveness.
• Poor employee performance effects morale
and performance of your entire work unit.
3. Discipline
Actions taken with the purpose of correcting problems
and improving performance
• Employee discipline can be a positive experience when
done in the right way.
– Discipline is defined as actions taken with the purpose of
correcting problems and improving performance
– Punishment consists of actions taken for the purpose of
causing pain or embarrassment to someone in retribution for
some perceived error (never in the workplace)
• Two main reasons to discipline your employees exist:
– Performance problems – employees fail to meet their
performance goals
– Misconduct – employees behave in ways that are
unacceptable to you as a manager and to the organization
• Always carry out discipline as soon after the incident as
possible - you can deal with problems before they escalate.
4. Performance
• If your employees are performing above standard, reward
them for their efforts – you get what you reward.
• If your employees are performing at an acceptable level
reinforce their positive behavior and encourage improvement
• If they’re performing below standard, you need to find out
why (conduct problem-solving to determine if it is possibly a
process, motivation, or training problem out of your
employees’ control) and, if necessary, discipline them.
• When you apply discipline, use it consistently and fairly.
5. Two Tracks of Discipline
• The two-track system of discipline includes one set of
discipline options for performance problems and
another for misconduct.
• Progressive discipline means that you always select
the least severe step that results in the behavior that
you want.
• You definitely don’t want to make discipline only an
annual event by saving all your employee’s problems
for his or her periodic performance appraisal.
6. Performance Problems
• If you’ve done your job right, each of your employees has
a job description and a set of performance standards –
measurements that you and your employees agree to use
in assessing your employees’ performance.
• When it comes to employee discipline, you’re primarily
concerned with correcting unacceptable performance.
• Use the least severe discipline step first. The steps below
are listed in order of severity.
– Verbal counseling.
– Written counseling.
– Negative performance evaluation.
– Demotion.
– Termination.
7. Misconduct
• Misconduct is usually considered a much more serious offense
than performance shortcomings because it indicates a problem
with your employees’ attitudes or ethical beliefs.
• When you discipline your employees for misconduct, you put them
on notice that you won’t tolerate their behavior.
• The following discipline steps are listed from least severe to most
severe.
– Verbal warning.
– Written warning.
– Reprimand – given by manager higher up in the organization
– Suspension – leave without pay
– Termination.
8. Five Parts of Disciplining
(The Discipline Script)
• Describe the unacceptable behavior.
– Specify exactly what the employee did wrong and when the
behavior occurred.
– Focus on the behavior and not on the individual.
• Express the impact to the work unit.
– When an employee engages in unacceptable behavior the
behavior typically affects a work unit negatively.
• Specify the required changes.
– Tell your employee the exact actions that you want him or her to
adopt.
– Tell the employee that his or her behavior must be in accordance
with an established performance standard or company policy.
9. Five Parts of Disciplining
(The Discipline Script) continued
• Outline the consequences.
– If the unacceptable behavior continues, you need to have a discussion about
the consequences.
– Make sure that you get the message across clearly and unequivocally and that
your employee understands it.
• Provide emotional support.
– Give your employee an emotional boost by expressing your support for his or
her efforts.
– Make this support sincere and heartfelt—you do want your employee to
improve, right?
• Mold it all together.
– Put the five parts together into a unified statement that you deliver to your
wayward employees.
– Although you’ll undoubtedly discuss the surrounding issues in some detail,
make the script be the heart of your discipline session.
10. Performance Improvement Plan (PIP)
• The performance improvement plan (PIP) is a crucial part of the
discipline process because it sets definite steps for the employee to
undertake to improve performance within a fixed period of time.
• PIP is used if your employee’s poor performance is habitual and
you’ve selected counseling or a more severe discipline
• A PIP consists of the following three parts:
– Goal statement.
– Schedule for attainment.
– Required resources/training.
• To assist your employees in implementing their improvement plans,
schedule regular progress reporting meetings with them on a daily,
weekly, or monthly basis.
• Stick to your plan.
11. Determining Misconduct
• Break into teams
• Consider the following: You work in a consulting
firm. Two consultants, one male and one
female, have to travel to a client's location. The
female consultant comes back from the trip and
claims that the male consultant "hit on her"
during the trip.
• Develop your options for discipline
12. Summary
Although disciplining an employee can be an
unpleasant experience, it can also be an
opportunity for growth for yourself and the
employee. The employee will learn how to improve
his or her performance, and you will gain practice
in dealing with conflict in a positive, manageable
way.
13. Supervision: Managing to Achieve Results
Chapter 8
Inspiring Employees to Better
Performance: Developing and
Rewarding Employees
14. Employee Development
• There are two ways to motivate employees: rewards (positive consequences)
and discipline (negative consequences).
• The best employee development is ongoing and requires that you support and
encourage your employees’ initiative.
• The terms training and development can have two distinctly different
meanings.
– Training usually refers to teaching workers the short-term skills that they need to know
to do their jobs
– Development usually refers to teaching employees the kinds of long-term skills that
they’ll need in the future as they progress through their careers
• There are numerous reasons why developing your employees is a good idea. A
few are listed below.
– You may be taking your employees’ knowledge for granted
– Employees who work smarter are better employees
– Someone has to be prepared to step into your shoes
– Your employee wins, and so does your organization
– Your employees are worth your time and money
15. Career Development Plan
• The career development plan is the heart and soul of
your efforts to develop your employees.
• All career development plans must contain at
minimum the following key elements:
– Specific learning goals.
– Resources or opportunities required to achieve the
designated learning goals – including assignments to
teams, job shadowing, stretch assignments, formal training
etc.
– Employee responsibilities and resources. Career
development is a joint responsibility of an employee and
his/her manager
– Required date of completion for each learning goal.
– Standards for measuring the accomplishment of learning
goals.
16. Helping Employees
• As a manager, your role is to be alert to the development
needs of your employees and to keep an eye out for
potential development opportunities.
• To develop your employees to meet the coming
challenges within your organization, follow these steps:
– Meet with your employees about their careers.
– Discuss your employees’ strengths and weaknesses.
– Assess where your employees are now.
– Create career development plans.
– Follow through on your agreements, and make sure that your
employees follow through on theirs.
17. The Top Ten Ways to Develop
Employees
1. Provide employees opportunities to learn and grow.
2. Be a mentor to an employee.
3. Let an employee fill in for you in staff meetings.
4. Assign your employees to teams.
5. Allow employees to pursue and develop any idea they have.
6. Provide employees with a choice of assignments.
7. Send your employees to seminars on new topics.
8. Bring an employee along with you when you call on customers.
9. Introduce your employees to top managers in your organization
and arrange to have them perform special assignments for the
managers.
10. Allow an employee to shadow you during your workday.
18. Mentoring
• A mentor is most typically an individual high up in the
organization who isn’t your boss.
• Mentors provide definite benefits to the employees they
mentor, and they further benefit the organization.
– Explain how the organization really works
– Teach by example
– Provide growth experience
– Provide career guidance and discussion
• Recognizing the potential benefits for the development of
their employees, many organizations have formalized the
mentoring process.
19. Rewards
• You can develop employees by giving them habits that
will make them successful.
• If managers reward their employees at all, most
managers reward the wrong things.
• For an incentive program to have meaningful and
lasting effects, it must focus on performance.
• Everyone, regardless of how smart, talented, or
productive they are, has the potential to be a top
performer.
20. Performance
• Managers must focus on performance-based
measures to recognize and reward employees.
• A well-thought-out and planned rewards system
is important to creating a motivated, effective
workforce.
• There are several simple guidelines for setting up
a system of low-cost rewards in your
organization.
– Link rewards to organizational goals
– Define parameters and mechanics
– Obtain commitment and support
– Monitor effectiveness
21. What Employees Want
• Bob Nelson’s survey presents the top ten
most important items to employees.
– A ―cash reward‖ ranked thirteenth in importance
to employees.
• Instead of using threats and intimidation to
get things done, managers must create
environments that support their employees
and allow creativity to flourish.
• Employees report that the most important
aspects at work today are primarily the
intangible aspects of the job that any manager
can easily provide.
22. What Employees Want
Top ten items Bob Nelson’s survey found employees
said were most important
• A learning activity (No. 1) and choice of assignment (No. 9)
• Flexible working hours (No. 2) and time off work (No. 7)
• Personal praise – verbal (No. 3), public (No. 8) or written (No. 10)
• Increased autonomy (No. 5) and authority (No. 4) in their job
• Time with their manager (No. 6)
23. Motivating
• The simplest way to find out how to
motivate your employees is to ask
them.
• Often managers assume that their
employees want only money.
• Plan to provide employees more of
what they value and stick with your
approach over time.
24. Being Positive
• You’re more likely to lead your employees to
greater results by focusing on their positive
accomplishments rather than by finding fault.
• Years of psychological research have clearly
shown that positive reinforcement works better
than negative reinforcement.
• Seek out the positive in your employees and
reinforce the behaviors that you want
– Have high expectations for your employees’ abilities
– Give your employees the benefit of the doubt
– Catch your employees doing the right things
25. Being Positive
• Reward your employees for their small successes as
well as for their big successes.
• Remember that praising your employees’ progress
toward the goal is perhaps even more important than
praising them when they finally reach it.
• Praising guidelines – a basic foundation for a positive
relationship is to give a good praising.
– As soon
– As sincere
– As specific
– As personal
– As positive
– As proactive
26. Rewarding Employees
• Although money, in the form of a raise or bonus, may
be the most obvious choice it is not always the best
choice.
• Many managers have thrown lots of money into cash-
reward programs, these programs didn’t have the
positive effect on motivation expected.
• Because you know that money is not the most
effective motivation tool, you can focus on using tools
that are more effective—and the best forms of
recognition cost little or no money!
• Every employee needs to be recognized when they
do good work in their job.
27. Employee Recognition
• In Bob Nelson’s book 1001 Ways to Reward Employee he lists
thousands of real-life positive rewards, most of which cost little or
nothing.
• The findings are prioritized in order of greatest importance and
includes:
– Support and Involvement.
– Personal Praise.
– Autonomy and Authority.
– Flexible Working Hours.
– Learning and Development.
– Manager Availability and Time
– Written Praise, Electronic Praise, Public Praise
– Case or Cash Substitutes
• Use the proven recognition strategies to create the most motivating
work environment in which every employee feels valued, trusted, and
respected!
28. Something to Consider
You own a fast-food restaurant with many
employees. What are some cost-effective ways
for you to develop your employees and lower
turnover?
29. Summary
Developing and mentoring employees not only
gives them the skills they need to be excellent at
their current job but also prepares them for future
jobs in their career. In addition to development,
rewards and praise also motivate employees.
Using these skills will increase the efficiency and
productivity of your staff as well as improve
employees’ morale.
30. Supervision: Managing to Achieve Results
Chapter 9
Evaluating the Team Members:
Measuring Projects and
Performance
31. Measuring Progress
• Your primary goal in
measuring and
monitoring your
employees’
performance is to help
your employees stay
on schedule.
• The first step in
checking your
employees’ progress
is to determine the key
indicators of a goal’s
success.
32. Quantifying Goals
When you quantify a
goal in precise numerical
terms, your employees
have no confusion over
how their performance is
measured and when
their job performance is
adequate (or less than
adequate).
(SMART goals)
33. Giving Feedback
• Although noting when your employees attain their
goals is obviously important, recognizing your
employees’ incremental progress toward attaining
their goals is just as important.
• The secret to performance measuring and
monitoring is the power of positive feedback.
• You’re much more likely to get the results you want
when you put group performance measures out in
the open for everyone to see, but keep individual
performance measures private.
34. Performance Monitoring
• Build your performance feedback system on the
MARS system
– Milestones – checkpoints
– Actions – reaching your milestones
– Relationships – sequencing your activity
– Schedule – establishing your timeframe
• You may not always measure the results in terms of
the number of widgets produced or the percentage
increase in an employee’s contributions to profitability.
• You may simply want to measure your employees’
morale and their productivity.
35. Performance Improvement
• If your workers performance is
lagging consider implementing
a multiple step approach to
improve performance.
– Create a program based on
the behaviors you want.
• Attendance
• Punctuality
• Safety
– Assign points to the desired
behaviors.
– Measure and reward
employee performance.
36. Charting Progress
• For measuring your
employees’ progress, reading
and understanding a
graphical representation of
the project is often much
easier for complex projects.
• Bar charts, also known as
Gantt charts, are probably
one of the simplest means for
monitoring project progress.
• Gantt charts include a
timeline, actions, and bars to
indicate length of time and
degree of completion for each
action.
37. Charting Progress
• Flowcharts are graphical
representations of the
sequential flow of projects.
• Flowcharts include actions,
events and time.
• Longest path in terms of
time is the critical path.
• Once the employee
performance data is
obtained,
– Determine whether the
expected results were
achieved.
– Record the results.
– Praise, coach or counsel
your employees.
38. Measuring Progress
• You decide you want to get a new job within the
next six months.
• Write down the milestones, actions, relationships
and schedule for this goal
39. Evaluating Performance
• You can find many good reasons for conducting regular formal
performance evaluations with your employees.
• Positive elements of performance evaluations include:
– A chance to summarize past performance and establish new
performance goals
– An opportunity for clarification and communication
– A forum for learning goals and career development
– Formal documentation to promote advancement or dismissal
• One of the most important things you can do as a manager is conduct
accurate and timely performance evaluations of your employees.
40. Evaluating Performance
• There is a broader scope of the performance appraisal process than
just the formal, written part of it.
• Five steps that help encompass the broader scope of performance
appraisal are:
– Set goals, expectations and standards
– Give continuous and specific feedback
– Prepare a formal, written performance evaluation with your employee
– Meet personally with your employees to discuss the evaluation
– Set new goals, expectations, and standards
41. Common Mistakes That Evaluators
Make
• Performance evaluators can easily fall into certain
traps in the evaluation process. The mistakes include:
– The halo effect – employee is good in one area so
must be good in all
– The recency effect – most recent behavior is poor
– Stereotyping – preconceived notions.
– Comparing – evaluating two employees and
comparing their performance
– Mirroring – like people who are most like yourself
– Nice guy/gal role – managers dread
acknowledging employee failings
42. Why Evaluations Go Bad
• Few employee evaluations are done well
and often fail to have the kind of impact
that managers intended.
• Real apprehension can surround the
evaluation process from both sides of the
equation.
• Don’t be among the many managers who
fail to give their employees ongoing
performance feedback and, instead, wait
for the scheduled review.
43. Evaluations
• If you’re doing your job as a manager, the
evaluation holds no surprises for your
employees.
• The average manager spends about one
hour preparing for an employee review that
required an entire year of performance.
• The performance evaluation process begins
on the day that your employees are hired,
continues each and every day that they
report to you and doesn’t end until they
move out of your sphere of responsibility.
44. Continuous Feedback
• Performance evaluation is
a year-round job.
• Providing timely and
continuous feedback to
employees makes the
process easier for the
manager, and also makes
the evaluation a lot more
meaningful and
productive for your
employees.
45. Summary
Project and performance evaluations can
greatly impact an organization. If they are done
poorly, they have a negative impact leading to
lower employee morale and poor performance.
If they are done well, the positive impact can
translate into high employee morale and
improved financial performance.