Exit Interviews are the "last rites" in the employee life cycle and most reporting managers or the busy HR professional; would do little justice to such an important HR process

TAPPING  HIDDEN  VALUE  

IN   EXIT INTERVIEWS

Many employers ignore the opportunity that exit interviews offer, given the potentially subjective and 'fuzzy' nature of the results; the time involved; and the unspoken corporate urge to avoid exposure to criticism.

The primary aim of the exit interview is to learn reasons for the person's departure, on the basis that any honest feedback (sweet or sour) is a helpful driver for organizational improvement. Exit interviews are also an opportunity for the organization to enable transfer of knowledge and experience from the departing employee to a successor or replacement, or even to brief a team on current projects, issues and contacts. In leaving an organisation, departing employees are liberated, and as such provide a richer source of objective feedback than employed staff do when responding to normal staff attitude surveys. Exit interviews provide direct indications as to how to improve staff retention…hence it is a important tool in the talent management game.

·       Exit interviews are seen by existing employees as a sign of positive culture. They are regarded as caring and compassionate - a sign that the organisation is big enough to expose itself to criticism. From the departing employee interviewee perspective, an exit interview is a chance to to leave on a positive note… shake hands and leave friends, not enemies. In certain situations (where appropriate) the exit interview also provides a last chance to change a person's mind, although this should not be the main aim of the exit interview situation.

 Exit interviews are best conducted face-to-face because this enables better communication, understanding, interpretation etc., and it provides far better opportunity to probe and get to the root of sensitive or reluctant feelings. However, postal or electronic questionnaires are better than nothing, if face-to-face exit interviews are not possible for whatever reason In some cases perhaps a particularly shy employee may prefer to give their feedback in a questionnaire form, in which case this is fine, but where possible, face-to-face is best.Ideally the organization should have a documented policy stating how exit interviews happen, when, and by whom.

TECHNIQUES OF A GOOD EXIT INTERVIEW

Obviously the style of exit interview is different for someone who is being asked to leave, retiring, being made redundant, dismissed, or leaving under a cloud, compared to an employee leaving whom the organization would prefer to retain. However everyone who leaves should be given the opportunity of an exit interview, and the organization can learn something from every situation.

·       In terms of managing the interview, listen rather than talk. Give the interviewee time and space to answer. Coax and reassure where appropriate, rather than pressurize. Interpret, reflect and understand (you can understand someone without necessarily agreeing). Keep calm, resist the urge to defend or argue - your aim is to elicit views, feedback, answers, not to lecture or admonish.

·       Ask open 'what/how/why' questions, not 'closed' yes/no questions, unless you require specific confirmation about a point. 'When' and 'where' are also more specific qualifying questions, unless of course they are used in a general context rather than specific time or geographic sense. 'Who' should be used with care to avoid witch-hunts or defamatory risks (moreover many exit interviewees will be uncomfortable if asked to name people or allocate personal blame - exit interviews are not about 'blame', the allocation of which is not constructive and should be avoided for anything other than very serious complaints or accusations, which must then be suitably referred as follow-up would be beyond the normal exit interview remit.

·       In face-to-face interviews particularly, use the word 'why' if you want to probe, especially if the first answer is vague or superficial. Questions beginning with 'what' and 'how' are better for getting people to think and convey to you properly and honestly about their views.

·       Prepare your exit interview questions and topics that you'd like to explore, especially when you believe that the interviewee has good experience, appreciation and understanding. Take notes and/or use a prepared questionnaire form.

·       Remember simple planning aspects such as arranging a suitable time and place, avoiding interruptions, taking notes, preparing questions, being aware of the body-language and feelings of the interviewee and adjusting your own approach accordingly, etc.

·       When the interview is complete say thanks and wish the interviewee well. If there is some specific checking or follow-up to do then ensure you do it and report back accordingly.

·       After the interview look at the answers and think properly - detached and objective - about what their meaning and implications.

·       Take action as necessary, depending on your processes for analysing and reporting exit interview feedback. If there's an urgent issue, or the person wants to stay and you want to keep them, then act immediately or the opportunity will be lost.

  

20 EXIT  INTERVIEW  QUESTIONS

Pick the questions that are most relevant to the leaving circumstances, the interviewee and your organization situation.

1.     What was your chief reason for leaving?

2.     What could have been done early on to prevent the situation developing/provide a basis for you to      stay with us? How would you have preferred the situation(s) to have been handled?

3.     What opportunities can you see might have existed for the situation/problems to have been averted/dealt with satisfactorily?

4.     What specific suggestions would you have for how the organization could manage this situation/these issues better in future?

5.     What has been good/enjoyable/satisfying for you in your time with us?

6.     What has been frustrating/difficult/upsetting to you in your time with us?

7.     What could you have done better or more for us had we given you the opportunity?

8.     What extra responsibility would you have welcomed that you were not given?

9.     How could the organization have enabled you to make fuller use of your capabilities and potential?

10. How would you describe the culture of the organization? And the behavior and cooperation of your team members?

11.  What is the gap in your expectations from the time you joined to today?

12. What can you say about the way your performance was measured, and the feedback to you of your performance results?

13. What can you say about the way you were managed and motivated ?... On a day to day basis?....... And on a month to month basis?

14. What things did the organization or management do to make your job more difficult/frustrating/non-productive?

15. What prevented you from having a long tenure  and developing career with us?

16. What can the organization do to retain its best people (and not lose any more like you)?

17. Have you anything to say about your treatment from a discrimination or harassment perspective?

18. Would you consider working again for us if the situation were right?

19. What, is your new venture offering that we are not?

20. (If appropriate:) Could you be persuaded to renegotiate/stay/discuss the possibility of staying?

CONCLUSION:

For many organizations, exit interviews provide a major untapped source of 'high-yield' development ideas and opportunities. Actions resulting from exit interview feedback analysis, in any size or type of organization, fall into two categories:

·       REMEDIAL AND PREVENTATIVE, for example improving health and safety issues, stress, harassment, discrimination., etc.

·       STRATEGIC IMPROVEMENT OPPORTUNITIES, for example improved induction, management or supervisory training, empowerment or team building initiatives, process improvement, wastage and efficiencies improvements, customer service initiatives, etc.

The head of HR or Personnel would normally be responsible for raising these issues with the board or CEO, and the conversion of exit interview feedback into action is a critical factor in justifying … I am trying to build a directory of best practices in Exit Interviewing …if you have some good ideas please share with me.

Best of luck

Dr Wilfred Monteiro

so many HR managers lament that the good intentions and the best of initiatives are nullified by the indifferent if not the callousness of the line managers .

HOW TO NURTURE GREAT MANAGERS

 TO PARTNER YOUR HR PROGRAM

 

 A program driven by the CEO and enabled by the human resource department cannot take-off; if the line managers do not invest in the belief that PEOPLE ARE THE STRATEGIC PARTNERS for the success of any business. I have seen so many HR managers lament; that the good intentions and the best of initiatives are nullified; by the indifferent if not the callousness of the line managers . So any strategic plan to build a great company must first be started by creating managers, who are believers in the company motto, that a great workplace begins with great managers.

 

WHAT GREAT MANAGERS BELIEVE

 

1.      Great Managers believe that people are innately good. Without this core belief and faith in people, great management is not possible.

 

2.      Great Managers believe they do not work on their people, they work with them; they enable and empower them.

 

3.      Great Managers believe that “empowerment” comes from within, and has more to do with self-motivation and innate talent than with the acceptance of authority. They get their cues from the person, not from the task or process.

 

4.      Great Managers believe that all people have strengths which can be made stronger, and that their weaknesses can be compensated for to become irrelevant.

 

5.      Great managers ,  do not believe they train people,  they believe they help people learn by providing their best inputs.(         Great Managers believe they coach and mentor people, and they love doing so — not “like,” love.)

6.      Great Managers believe that the people they manage are more than capable of creating a better future. They hold great faith and trust in the four-fold human capacities of physical ability, intellect, emotion, and spirit.

 

7.      Great  Managers believe in the power of positive, affirmative thinking, and they have a low tolerance for negativity. They are confident and eternal optimists.

 

8.      Great Managers believe it is their job to remove barriers and obstacles so people can attain the level of greatness they are destined for. They believe that “can’t” is a temporary state of affairs, and that everything is only impossible until the first person does it.

 

9.      Great Managers believe that their legacy will be in the other people they have helped to achieve worthwhile and meaningful goals. They believe that success is measured in people who thrive and prosper.

 

 

What are the observed behaviours of Great Managers 

 

Just as there is a need to develop a leadership pipeline and succession planning in the  HR strategic plan for organisation development; it is equally important that HR department verbalizes and propagates behaviours of "GREAT" Great Managers. As part of the appraisal process many would need a direct and blunt feedback if their attitude is lukewarm and their behaviours even damaging. Some would need training and counselling and in extreme cases relocation to a less sensitive position where managing people is less critical. You cannot have a manager disinclined to accept and practice " people are our strategic partners" motto in a place where team climate is critical

So  let us develop the profile of a ideal PEOPLE ORIENTED MANAGER ( so we know where to begin) 

GREAT MANAGERS...    Enjoy helping people grow. Few things feel better than helping someone who is new to a role, or who has been struggling, into becoming a productive, confident person. There’s a kind of satisfaction in helping someone figure out how to be successful that doesn’t come from many other living experiences. Great mangers love seeing this happen on their teams. 

 

·        GREAT MANAGERS...Love creating positive environments. A great manager creates a team and and office environment that makes it easy for smart people to do good things. They love that moment when they wander the halls and see all sorts of amazing things happening all on their own, with passionate, motivated people doing good work without much involvement from the manager. 

 

·         GREAT MANAGERS...Want to correct mistakes inflicted on them. Some great managers are looking to undo the evil managers they had. Rather than take it out on their subordinates, they want to do a kind of pay it forward revenge: prove to themselves and the world that it can be better that what happened to them in the past. This can create the trap of fighting the last war: your team may not care at all about avoiding the mistakes of your previous manager. They want to avoid the mistakes you, and your blind spots, are probably making right now. 

 

·         GREAT MANAGERS...Care deeply about the success and well being of their team. Thoroughbred horses get well cared for. Their owners see them as an expensive asset and do whatever they can to optimize their health, performance, and longevity, even if their motivations are largely selfish. A great manager cares deeply about their staff, and goes out of his way to protect, train, care for, and reward their own team, even if their primary motivation is their own success. 

 

 

·       GREAT MANAGERS... have the   Succession mentality. A successful manager eventually realizes their own leadership will end one day, but if they teach and instill the right things into people who work for them, that philosophy can live on for a long time, long after the manager is gone. This can go horribly wrong but the desire to have a lasting impact generally helps people think on longer term cycles and pay attention to wider trends short term managers do not notice. 

 

·         GREAT MANAGERS... Long term sense of reward. Many of the mistakes managers make involve reaping short term rewards at the expense of long term loyalty and morale. Any leader who inverts this philosophy, and makes short term sacrifices to provide long term gains, will generally be a much better manager. They recognize the value of taking the time to explain things, to build trust, to provide training, and to build relationships, all of which results in a kind of team performance and loyalty the short term manager never believes is possible.

 

 

·         GREAT MANAGERS...Practice  the golden rule. It’s funny how well known this little gem is, and rare in life people follow it. But I think anyone in power who believes in it, and treats all of their employees the same way they truly would want to be treated, or even better, treats employees as they actually want to be treated, will always be a decent, above average manager. A deeply moral person can’t help but do better than most people, as treating people with respect, honesty and trust are the 3 things I suspect most people wish they could get from their bosses.

 

·     GREAT MANAGERS... are     Self aware, including weaknesses. This is the kicker. Great leaders know what they suck at, and either work on those skills or hire people they know      make up for their own weaknesses, and empower them to do so. This tiny little bit of self-awareness makes them open to feedback and criticism to new areas they need to work on, and creates an example for movement in how people should be growing and learning about new things. 

 

  GREAT MANAGERS... Sets tone of healthy debate and criticism. If the boss gives and takes feedback well, everyone else will too. If the boss is defensive, passive-aggressive, plays favorites, or does other things that work against the best idea winning, everyone else will play these destructive games. Only a boss who sees their own behavior as a model the rest of the organization will tend to follow can ever become a truly great manager. Without this, they will always wonder why the team behaves in certain unproductive ways that are strangely familiar. 

 

·        GREAT MANAGERS...Willing to fight, but picks their battles. Great managers are not cowards. They are willing to stake their reputation and make big bets now and then (I’d say at least once a year, as a totally random, put possibly useful stake in the ground). However they are not crazy either. They are good at doing political math and seeing which battle is worth the fight at a given time. A manager that never fights can never be great – they will never have enough skin in the game to earn the deepest level of respect of the people that work for them. But a manager that always fights is much worse. They continually put their own ego ahead of what their team is capable of. 

 

 

CONCLUDING

 

Remember that those who are under your supervision are the backbone of your company. Treat them with respect and dignity. The Law of Mutual Exchange demands that you do. When you pick up one end of the stick, you get the opposite end also..

 

Long year of trial and error shoud make you realize that every employee is a never ending, vast supply of human potential. Tap the supply while opportunity is ripe. Every human being is a diamond in the rough waiting to be brought to full brilliance. As a GREAT manager, you must help to develop every facet until the whole person emerges. Every person is a unique individual. Find that uniqueness and tap into it. Develop it to its full potential, your first priority is to be a GREAT teacher. A GREAT manager is one who others will want to follow. Not because he is their manager, but because of what he stands for. 

 

That’s why managers matter, and why people management is the core of every organisations success DNA

 

With best compliments

DR WILFRED MONTEIRO

 

www.synergymanager.net

 

Drawing on lessons learned from real-time experience with client companies, Dr Wilfred Monteiro presents a strong case for the whys of performance management—why spend time doing it right, why insist that senior executives model the process, why track how well the system works, and most of all, why demand that managers become skilled users of the system. In other words, why will an effective performance management system give your organization a competitive edge?

10 KEYS TO  BETTER

PERFORMANCE APPRAISALS  

“...Skepticism arises in my company  .... It has been doing formal appraisals for at least 10 years and we still struggle to do them right; my people only want to know the increment they receive and managers’ want to do a quick- and -slick job... Do I have to repeat last year’s boring rituals and futile processes once over again ??“

Is this a common remark is made in you companies where performance appraisal is an   unavoidable ritual??? When used to its full potential, performance management is an HR system that can provide an organization with a substantial competitive advantage. Yet it remains a much maligned, poorly used process in most companies today. For these companies it is a boring, time-consuming ritual that yields little tangible benefit, without a hint of impact on the bottom line.

 My  approach to  developing and sustaining a performance management  system  are based upon two key tenets. The first tenet suggests that if appraisal processes operate as a system, a systems perspective must be applied to identify the critical appraisal system components and stages to make sure that organizational procedures and practices work in harmony. The second tenet is that individual managers play a pivotal role in achieving effective appraisals and that they need the right tools and support to be effective

The keys to effective performance appraisal systems can be organized into three critical components: effective systems design, effective managerial practice, and effective appraisal system support. Attention to all three appraisal system components is vital for a formal performance appraisal system to motivate employees and to improve organizations' competitiveness.

I have  identified 10 KEYS through my numerous client assignment ; that managers can apply to boost appraisal effectiveness.

KEY 1: CLEARLY DEFINE WHY THE ORGANIZATION CONDUCTS FORMAL APPRAISALS.

Carefully developed and clearly articulated goals will enable managers to choose appraisal criteria that support the organization's goals. Also, clear goals increase managers' motivation to conduct appraisals properly and boost their interest in performance management. When managers know that information collected during their appraisals is likely to affect decisions about employee development, planning, performance improvement, compensation, and performance planning, they will be motivated to execute their responsibilities competently This is especially true if managers are held accountable for the quality of their appraisals and performance management activities. When performance on key aspects of  your employees' jobs is ignored, it sends the message that those aspects are unimportant and should be ignored.

KEY 2: EMPLOYEE/MANAGER INVOLVEMENT IN SYSTEMS DESIGN IS CRITICAL.

Effective appraisal systems include input from managers and employees about appraisal practices and the criteria used to evaluate performance. Involvement of employees at all levels facilitates acceptance of the system and increases cooperation. When employees are all told to participate in the design of the appraisal system, sense of ownership increases. Attempts to save time by bypassing employee and manager input can short-circuit ownership of the system, lower the system's credibility, produce a system that does not meet staffs needs, damage the perceived connection between pay and performance, and lose the performance-enhancing effects of employees' commitment to organizational goals.

KEY 3: DEVELOP  SIMPLE AND  USER-FRIENDLY PROCEDURES AND FORMS.

Effective appraisal systems need forms that are simple and easy to understand. Performance criteria, rating procedures, and feedback should be expressed in terms that are focused and meaningful for both managers and employees. It is essential that the forms assess the degree to which employees perform their job duties and achieve specific organizational goals. Forms that include matters unrelated to performance of essential job functions or are deficient in measurement of important activities performed within a job function decrease the effectiveness of the system. Forms should be designed to aid communication between managers and employees about behaviors, work processes, and opportunities for improvement.

KEY 4: EMPLOYEES AND MANAGERS MUST KNOW HOW THE PROCESS OPERATES AND UNDERSTAND THEIR ROLES.

Surprisingly, managers frequently report that they receive very little training beyond a description of the rating form. An effective formal appraisal system cannot exist without the ongoing education of all key players in the appraisal process. In my consulting assignment 60% of the time is training and coaching managers in the art of writing job descriptions, goal setting , employee coaching and performance counseling. Several mock interviews of the performance D-DAY are done to give people the feel  of real time experience . My manual I write for my client is often not read and I have to devise ways for them to read and get thorough in the tenets and processes of performance appraisal. I only pity organizations where the HR manager has downloaded a form from the internet or photocopied them from his previous employment and hopes to be  a success in performance appraisal systems.

KEY 5: MANAGERS MUST CONDUCT EFFECTIVE PERFORMANCE PLANNING.

At the beginning of the appraisal cycle, managers must work closely with employees to review their job descriptions and duties, set clearly defined goals, and communicate expectations of behaviors and results for which the employee will be held accountable and be rewarded. Important behaviors and activities that critically affect performance and the appraisal form itself (which should include evaluation of these behaviors and activities) should be discussed early in the performance evaluation cycle. When performance on key aspects of  your employees' jobs is ignored, it sends the message that those aspects are unimportant and should be ignored.

KEY 6: MANAGERS SHOULD PROVIDE THEIR DIRECT REPORTS WITH ONGOING INFORMAL PERFORMANCE FEEDBACK.

Effective appraisal systems do not consist solely of once-a-year formal performance reviews. Failure to provide ongoing informal feedback allows minor, easily correctable problems to grow into more serious ones. Lack of ongoing coaching can lead to employees disengaging from work, looking for alternative employment, and demonstrating decreased productivity Lack of ongoing coaching also makes it difficult to conduct reviews of employee performance and can fray the bonds between managers and their employees, since employees may interpret the lack of feedback as a sign of supervisors' disinterest in employees' professional growth.

KEY 7: APPRAISING MANAGERS  MUST BE MOTIVATED TO CONDUCT EFFECTIVE APPRAISALS.

Did the CEO reprimand anyone who went through his duties as a appraising manager in a slipshod manner? An organization will never achieve effective appraisal practices if the managers are not motivated to follow procedural guidelines and use information from training to conduct effective written and face-to-face performance reviews. Unmotivated managers can undo even the best performance appraisal system because they most directly impact the overall quality of the appraisal process and the motivation of employees to perform. Managers will be motivated to conduct effective appraisals when their supervisors conduct effective appraisals on them.

KEY 8: THE CEO  MUST SUPPORT AND DEMONSTRATE EFFECTIVE APPRAISAL PRACTICES.

 For appraisal systems to be effective, they must get support from the CEO  and top management. Support for effective appraisal practices can be demonstrated through written and oral communications with managers and employees in memos, testimonials, videotaped messages, and company newsletters. Top executives can also show support by practicing the same appraisal practices when they appraise managers. My experience in my client assignments, clearly indicates that when top managers don't practice what they preach, lower-level managers emulate those practices instead of stated policies.

KEY 9: EFFECTIVE APPRAISAL SYSTEMS LINK PERFORMANCE RATINGS TO ORGANIZATIONAL REWARDS. 

Do your penalize  underperformance swiftly and stiffly (even with job termination) and reward star performers very meagerly ? Research consistently indicates that, to maximize the effectiveness of a pay-for-performance program, organizational rewards must link greater rewards to superior job performance. There should be a clear distinction between above-average performers and star performers. This sends the golden rule which should be framed on the walls of the company “AVERAGE PERFORMANCE IS NOT TOLERATED HERE”

 When employees feel that their rated performance is accurate and reflects the full range of their contributions to the organization, their motivation to perform increases. On the other hand, when employees feel that performance ratings are inaccurate or a function of politics, they tend to perform only to minimum standards. Do a little soul searching how many star-performers left in the last few years ...because they were dissatisfied with the performance appraisal rewards or recognition program.

KEY 10: APPRAISAL SYSTEMS REQUIRE ONGOING SYSTEMS REVIEW AND CORRECTIVE ACTION. In fact this is the first step in my consulting assignment ... HOW GOOD BAD OR UGLY is the current performance management system?  What were the failures and pitfalls? This follows the Deming’s Wheel... Plan-Do-Check-Act....

Examples of measures that can be used to assess the health of your appraisal system include employee acceptance and trust of the appraisal system; the relationship between level of performance and rewards-, level of individual performance and organizational financial performance; consistency of implementation of policies and practices across levels, departments, and locations-, and turnover and absenteeism rates compared to other organizations or to levels at the organization itself before and after the start of the performance appraisal system. All the support components function to encourage effective rating practices on the part of individual managers who determine the ultimate effectiveness of most appraisal systems.

CONCLUSION:

If your organization does formal appraisals, it is imperative to do them right. This requires time, effort, discipline, and proper support. While I have outlined the PMS system and process outline, I would like to tell what the spirit of the PMS is....TO HELP PEOPLE GROW This is done through feedback and organization support so that they are just not employed in my company Furthermore the company has to build competencies for them TO BECOME EMPLOYABLE FOR A LIFETIME.

Every company is bound by growing competition and threat … the law of business states that there is SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST. And a robust performance management system will become a useful tool to attract and retain talent and lower your talent turnover rate. If you do appraisals in a casual  or ineffective fashion you are making trouble for yourself in a time when the last thing organizations need is more people problems and time-consuming rituals; which make people cynical over, other worthy people management policies as well.

Best of luck

Dr Wilfred Monteiro

One of the primary reasons that writings about performance appraisals are such detested ; is that the advice proffered is so often either stale or wrong. Triteness abounds in performance - appraisal literature.

WHAT’S THE NEW FACE

 OF PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT IN 2016

Today most companies  realize that pruning the organization is becoming recognized as a necessary, legitimate survival tool. To overcome resistance, CEOs must confront the human tendency to avoid confrontation and accept that the process will unavoidably be emotionally charged. Look at your people the way you look at your products. Few managers would urge retaining a non-performing product simply because it had acquired years of tenure and once delivered fabulous results.

"Culture change" is a term commonly spoken about, but at these organizations it's serious business. In the past, as long as my manager was diligent and dependable and my secretary was loyal and industrious, that was all that a company felt it could ask. Now loyalty and diligence are viewed as threshold factors taken for granted, the price of admission and continued tenure with the organization is contingent upon employees' delivering the goods. Both behaviors and results are assessed in the performance-management systems of top-tier organizations.

3 WAYS TO REVAMP YOUR

PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

One of the primary reasons that writings about performance appraisals are such detested ;  is that the advice proffered is so often either stale or wrong. Triteness abounds in performance - appraisal literature.

DEFINE PERFORMANCE

"SBU Head " is offered up as a job example-but the content of a SBU head's job rarely bears any relation to the real jobs a CEO has to assess. The banal acronym SMART is ceaselessly served up, each time by an author who assumes that the idea of creating objectives that are specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and time-bound is fresh and enlightening. Managers are continually admonished to present no surprises in the appraisal interview, but often the trigger of a performance - appraisal deadline crystallizes a manager's vague concerns about a subordinate's shortcomings and forces a conversation that otherwise would not have occurred.

A glaring error on too many performance - appraisal forms is that desired performance is defined but not described. It's easy enough for a form developer to stick in a Oxford Dictionary  definition of accountability, leadership, or teamwork. But what does it look like in practice? How do you know it when you see it?

Far more useful than definitions are mastery descriptions-narrative portraits of the behavior that one who mastered the area would likely engage in.The process for determining which competencies will be assessed is remarkably different from the one used to set goals and objectives. In setting goals and objectives, the manager and the subordinate are the key players with an enormous amount of work to do. They must determine the specific accountabilities of the subordinate's job and identify the various roles she is expected to play. For each of those roles or accountability areas, they must determine the goals and objectives to be achieved. In some cases, the objective will be merely a maintenance one: to keep things running as smoothly in the future as they have run in the past. In other cases, the objective will involve significant stretch and growth.

Having determined goals and objectives, they will set checkpoints along the way and determine what satisfactory performance will look like. Then, over the course of the year, they will revise objectives as missions are accomplished and strategies change.

OBJECTIVITY IS A MYTH IN PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

 "Listen to what the individual has to say" is advice that appraisers are perpetually given, but nobody tells them exactly what it is they should listen for. Perhaps the worst advice that appraisers are urged to swallow is to be objective, to keep their judgments and personal feelings out of the assessment process.The flaw in the objectivity admonition is the bogus notion that objective means quantifiable; that if something can't be counted then it isn't objective and therefore shouldn't be used. That's nonsense. The talent of a singer is not measured by the number of notes she plays. The quality of a sales manager  is not a function of the number of  sales calls done.

The issue isn't whether or not behaviors can be quantified, it's whether or not they can be verified. Numbers just happen to be easy to verify. While numerical measures would be nice to have for every objective, the search for meaningful ones is often fruitless.

REWARD AND PUNISH IN EQUAL MEASURE

 Engage every manager in frank, tough discussions of each subordinate-and insisted that the same demanding discussion process be carried down. I would recommend sorting your population into four groups, ranging from poor to superior, and then asking for a specific plan for the people in each group. Always focus first on the bottom group; weed out the poorest performers will foster a climate of continual improvement. If everyone in the bottom quartile is replaced, the third quartile becomes the new bottom group and the focus of subsequent improvement efforts.

 Jack Welch legendary exCEO of GE says "You have to go along with a can of fertilizer in one hand and water in the other and constantly throw both on the flowers," he says. "If they grow, you have a beautiful garden. If they don't, you cut them out. That's what management is all about."

With best compliments

Dr Wilfred Monteiro

www.synergymanager.net