Perception of Line Managers Towards Performance Management Systems

Perception of Line Managers Towards Performance Management Systems

 

Performance management (PM) refers to activities that ensure the consistent and

effective achievement of the goals of an organization. It covers the management of both

behavior and results of an organization, a department, an employee, the processes in

building a product or service and other areas as well. The process may be used to

reconcile the employees’ personal goals with that of the organization’s goals to increase

the latter’s productivity and profitability, and can be applied to a single individual or

section within an organization. A job mission statement which defines a job in terms of

purpose, customers, product and scope is drawn for each job position to determine the

latter’s continuous key objectives and performance standards. The strategic and

operational goals of an organization can be effectively realized by a performance

management system.[1]

The benefits of performance management include the concentration on results, rather

than on behaviors and activities, the alignment of all activities and processes to the

organization’s goals, the cultivation of a comprehensive, long-term view of the

organization and the generation of measurements that are useful in setting standards

for comparison with the best practices of other organizations. There are reservations on

the relevance of taking numerous measurements due to the rapidly changing structures

in today’s organizations. However, the main thrust of performance management is in

providing a consistent frame of reference during ongoing feedback on performance,

irrespective of the organization’s current structure. Many supervisors dread the filling

up of employee performance review forms because of the worry that they have not

spent sufficient time on observing an employee’s behavior and might commit a mistake,

and see the form and the various measurements that the process recalls as an end in

themselves. However, the ongoing communication around the measurements is the

crucial element in the performance management process.[2]

Traditionally, Human Resources (HR) handles performance management systems, but

in terms of performance in general, it is the line manager who is basically responsible

for a team’s performance. Line managers are focused on daily business processes

meant to produce business results, while HR devises programs to improve and

measure such processes. Performance management is only effective when line

managers recognize the value of the performance management programs chosen by

HR. In general, line managers do not exert much time and effort in managing

performance, if they can find a way to get around the system chosen by HR. Such

attitudes can be overcome if goals are given to people and they are measured as per

these goals rather than on regular competencies. The only way line managers can be

made to focus more on performance management issues is by educating them on its

benefits. A continuous process of feedback and development with line managers can

bridge the distance between them and performance management in organizations.[3]

Companies now have various processes such as goal alignment and succession

planning, apart from appraisal tools, that line managers can choose from in order to

maximize the use of technology in performance management. The alignment between

corporate and individual objectives must be made visible to reduce under-performance.

Performance management must consider the alignment of the goals of supervisors, the

line managers under them, and the employees below the line managers during goal

setting and measuring.[4]

Performance management processes are integrated with talented management

programs in well-run organizations. A talent mindset should be visibly built by senior

management for talent is essential to success, and performance management is one

tool that can be used in talent development. HR is tasked with reviewing performance

in order to raise the performance culture of the company, and must provide tools and

applications that are flexible to support different populations and their respective needs.

To be collaborative, a possible approach for HR is to allow line managers to audit

employee performance. HR must also align the achievement of individual goals with

that of key business results for the centralization of the role of line management in

performance.[5]

[1] “Performance Management”, Wikipedia, 9 June 2011, <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Performance_management>  [accessed 1 July 2011]

[2] Carter McNamara, “Performance Management During Rapid Change”, Free Management Library,

<http://managementhelp.org/performancemanagement/during-change.htm>  [accessed 1 July 2011]

[3] John Chaisson,“Executive Briefing.On the Line: The Manager’s Role in Performance”, Human Capital

Institute, 11 November 2005, pdf, <http://www.workinfo.com/free/Downloads/ManagersRole.pdf>  [accessed 1 July 2011]

[4] ibid

[5] ibid

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