Workscape Institute

I want to talk about performance management. But first, a little adventure story.

Imagine you are one of ten passengers and crew on a boat sailing across the Pacific. A violent storm comes up, the boat goes down, and all on board are washed ashore safely on a tiny tropical island a thousand miles from civilization.

The weather clears and the group gathers to discuss what to do. Having a quick mind and firm voice, you emerge as the castaways’ leader. Everyone agrees that getting off the island, idyllic as it is, and back to civilization is the objective. Several suggestions are made about how to accomplish that and you help the group reach a consensus – to build a raft.

The group divvies up tasks – two members of your crew gather drift wood and logs to form the raft’s platform, one collects vines to fashion into ropes to lash the logs together, another weaves palm fronds together to form a primitive sail, one member gathers fruit for sustenance on the anticipated long journey, and so on. Each member agrees to gather so much material and a date is set to complete assembly of the craft.

You and your fellow castaways labor diligently. You coordinate the work, moving about the island to offer encouragement and pitch in when an extra hand is needed. You observe one of your crew weaving together different types of vine to give extra strength to the rope he is making and you acknowledge his creativity. You catch another castaway asleep under a palm when she should be collecting fresh water and you admonish her, reminding her of the importance of her task and the deadline for its completion.

At the end of each day, the castaways gather around a campfire, eat mango and papaya, and review the day’s progress, looking ahead to the work yet to be done. Problems are brought to the forefront, discussed, and resolved. You help castaways who are behind on their tasks figure out how to catch up.

Finally, launch day arrives. You and the crew drag the raft into the surf, set sail, and head home.

Do you see elements of performance management in this tale? You and your castaways were a small organization. Your mission was to get off the island. Each crew member had goals – specific results they were expected to deliver. You, as manager, tracked progress, gave feedback, and kept performance-related information flowing. You acknowledged exceptional performance and counseled individuals whose performance fell short. Crew members, as a consequence of performing challenging tasks under pressure, undoubtedly grew in know-how, skill, and self-confidence. The mission was achieved and there was a payoff for each castaway for effective performance. All the elements of good performance management are here.

The point of the tale is that performance management is a naturally occurring process. Put a group of people together and give them a goal to be achieved. Some form of performance management will arise. (You and your gang of castaways did not even use the term “performance management,” but you practiced it.) The more skillfully the group puts together the basic elements of this natural process, the more likely they will be to achieve – or exceed – their goal.

In formal organizations, HR departments take this natural process and institutionalize it. If they do a good job of it, the elements of performance management – setting and aligning goals, tracking performance, making adjustments, promoting development, rewarding achievement – coincide with day-to-day management practices. Everyone speaks a common language of performance. “Performance management” becomes synonymous with “management” – it is, after all, a core management function. And you get off the island, figuratively speaking.

If HR does a poor job of institutionalizing performance management, managers lose touch with the natural process. They obsess over the forms and the requirements – filling in the boxes, conducting mandated discussions, getting signatures, meeting deadlines – grousing all the way. The process becomes a bureaucratic overlay completely disconnected from the original purpose of performance management. The natural process is subverted. Performance management becomes a once- or twice-a-year administrative exercise. And you’re stuck on the island filling out forms and trying to satisfy the bureaucrats.

Which path has performance management taken in your organization?

If the natural performance management process is thriving, which I believe is a rare state of affairs, why is it thriving? I’d love to hear your story, although I may seek independent corroboration!

If the natural process has been disrupted by the dark forces of bureaucracy, how can you free it? As you may have guessed, I have some thoughts on how and will be sharing them soon, but I am eager to hear your ideas first.