Performance Management

Gather Employee Input Before You Try Managing Their Performance

By Ed Adkins ⋅ September 24, 2008 ⋅  Email this post ⋅  Print this post ⋅ Post a comment

Before you craft your performance management strategy, don’t miss this valuable tip for capturing your employee’s loyalty and valuable ideas. As our VP of Marketing Erica Olsen says, “recognition is the number one motivator of employees.” You can try yelling at them. You can try tossing money at them (well, probably not in this economy), but people are still moved more by incentives that increase their quality of life in the workplace. The question is, how best should employees be engaged?

Of course, you can’t just give your people a condescending “you did great!” plaque and call it a day. I can’t remember if my face ever decorated an “employee of the month” sign at the fast food joints I worked at in highschool, but I can say that it wouldn’t have motivated me. What would have, though, would have been having a say-so in a few of the areas where I could have contributed valuable ideas and insight.

Include Me

If you’re serious about great performance (who am I kidding- you’re reading our blog, so you must be!) then you need to be serious about taking your employees serious. OK, that might be confusing, but picture this: what’s going to engage your people better- your executive team presenting your company’s business strategy and performance management system as if you just climbed down from the mountain with them written on stone tablets, or… you taking the time to ask them their ideas, needs and wants- FIRST?

Fall is usually the season for strategic planning. So, as we roll into it we all have a powerful opportunity to actively engage our employees and include them in the planning process. It may not always be possible or even best to include everyone in actually charting the final course, BUT by asking for input on the outset, we can secure a stronger bond that makes employees feel more capable, appreciated and needed. And during unsure economic times, employee loyalty is a costly thing to ignore.

Unleash My Potential

So how can we include our employees?

• Survey your staff. Ask questions about how they see their roles, what direction they think the company should take, or what you should be doing better, or even not doing at all.
• Re-visit your company’s values and vision. While your mission shouldn’t change often, many companies find re-aligning their vision and/or values an important part of keeping their company competitive and acknowledging the changing culture of our environment.
• Sit down and chat. Managers can learn a great deal when they give employees a chance to talk openly and honestly about their every day tasks, perceived inefficiencies, or even how their performance is managed.
• Keep them posted. Let your people know exactly what stages you are in with your strategic or performance management planning process. Let everyone know who is involved, when and why. Even if you’re calling the final shots, everyone finds value in being able to shape their destiny.

Lastly, as Erica says, “helping your employees see the vision that you have for success and growth helps you work toward that goal. Organizations that have a clear direction have committed people.”