Overview
Gain confidence and skills to manage and improve staff performance. This course provides a framework to understand how to set SMART individual targets for team members and then assess them fairly, both formally and informally against agreed standards. Participants will also learn how to give effective feedback, using recognised feedback models. How to manage underperformance in the workplace is also covered from the identification of potential areas of underperformance to the causes and actions to restore it. The course is rich in opportunities to reflect on current workplace practices and how to enhance them.
Learning objectives
Following the completion of the course and assignment, the leader will be able to:
- Describe the value of formal and informal performance assessment in the workplace
- Explain the role of the first line manager in performance management
- Identify ways to ensure fair and objective formal assessment
- Explain how to set SMART objectives for a team member
- Explain how to set performance standards for a team member
- Explain how to measure performance against agreed standards
- Explain the importance of feedback to improve performance
- Describe how to give effective feedback
- Identify potential areas of underperformance in the workplace
- Identify causes for failure to meet agreed performance levels
- Describe actions to restore performance to acceptable levels
Course content
Day 1
First line manager’s responsibility for managing team and individual performance and meeting objectives
The purpose and value of formal and informal performance assessment at work (formal assessment includes performance review/appraisal)
Ways to ensure fair and objective assessment (including objectives and on-going monitoring)
Preparations necessary for effective, valid and reliable assessments
Roles and responsibilities of individuals in the performance assessment process
Appropriate assessment records
How to conduct formal appraisals
The relevance of SMART objectives, and how to agree them with a team member
How to set performance standards
How to measure performance against agreed standards
A range of methods for measuring performance and how to select the ideal one
Techniques for performance monitoring and evaluation
Range of performance improvement methods available to the manager
A series of mini-activities are used to give practice in the different steps of the performance management process.
Day 2
The importance of feedback to improve performance
Principles for giving effective feedback on performance
Range of performance improvement methods available to the manager (Coaching, training, review of the job role etc)
Causes of poor performance (lack of skills, lack of knowledge, poor motivation, lack of incentives, lack of information etc)
The second half of the day has an extended experiential exercise so that new tools can be applied in increasingly life-like scenarios. Peer and instructor coaching is used to ensure the tools and concepts are being applied effectively and to help participants overcome barriers.
