Human Resource Management
Performance Management is Not a Dirty Word
Sally Balwin
Recruitment | HR | Business Development
“Never confuse accomplishment with activity.” (Renowned basketball coach John Wooden (UCLA))
Performance Management … Managing Performance … Reviewing Performance … (you get the picture) … the mere utterance of these words in some organizations sends the culture and performance plummeting.
Why is this process so revered and, for some, down-right hated?
… I am too busy performing for this talk fest.
… no one takes it seriously – it’s just a compliance thing that wastes my time.
… it’s an opportunity for my manager to tell me all the things I’ve done wrong in the past year.
… it’s not worth the time or paper it’s written on – nothing happens afterwards – there’s no follow through.
… I can’t see any consistency in performance reviews.
… doesn’t matter how you perform – if you are liked you get the benefits.
… and so on ….
Performance Management is a tremendous opportunity for both the business and the individual – if done well. So, let me suggest another way to think and go about managing performance.
Let’s start from the base idea that people go to work to perform. That’s right – if your organisation offers a good working environment with well packaged work in each job, your staff will front each day with the view to performing in their role. Where performance management can become an asset is when it builds on this base with transparent opportunities, recognition and linkages to other processes.
So, let’s replace the Performance Management System now with the Growth and Development Management System. The Growth and Development System will still have the necessary parts to deal with under-performance and will comply with legislative requirements to manage unsatisfactory performance, but this part of the system will not be the focus. Rather, this system promotes:
- ongoing feedback which includes praise as well as suggesting improvements.
- a clear and visible culture of what is expected and what is rewarded – and in what way.
- ongoing opportunities for staff to contribute to improvement through ideas and leading initiatives.
- a clear and visible opportunities for staff that benefit both them individually as well as the organisation, for example, flexible work practices, training and development opportunities, promotional opportunities, major project involvement opportunities, to name a few.
- recognition and rewards.
- a collaborative culture where everyone can speak without fear or favour.
- a clear understanding by all as to how their work fits into the overall business and how vital everyone’s best contribution is.
- an equal sense of value for all efforts and contribution.
Everyone is not the same and everyone’s motivations are different. A healthy Growth and Development Management System [Performance Management System], operating well in a business, can harness the diversity of your team and motivate them into high performance. Wouldn’t that be good!
Contact me today if you would like some help!
Recognise and Reward Staff with NO BUDGET
Sally Balwin
Recruitment | HR | Business Development
I am regularly asked by buisness owners/managers how to reward and recognise the great contributions of your people with little or no budget to do so.
Firstly, congratulations for wanting to – you are on the road to being an Employer of Choice!
To help you further, here are some no cost suggestions to show them they are noticed:
- Post a thank-you note on the employee’s or team member’s office door.
- A very senior person call/visit a team member at the workplace to thank them for a job well done.
- Greet team members by name when you pass their desks or pass them in the hall.
- When discussing a team member’s or a group’s ideas with other people, peers, or higher management, make sure you give credit.
- Acknowledge individual achievements by using people’s names when preparing status reports.
- Name a continuing recognition award after an outstanding employee.
- Have lunch or coffee with an employee or a group of employees you don’t normally see.
- Share verbal accolades. Don’t forget to forward voice mail messages that compliment a team member’s work.
- Ask a person to teach or share his accomplishment with others as a way of recognizing the person’s ability and role.
- Ask a person for advice or their opinion; this demonstrates respect.
- Recognize an individual’s accomplishments in front of peers — yours or theirs.
- Practice positive nonverbal behaviours that demonstrate appreciation.
- Make a large calendar that can be posted. Call it the “celebration calendar” and use Post-Its and written notes of recognition tacked onto specific dates to honour contributions made by team members.
- Give the team member more responsibilities/activities.
- Allow the team member opportunities for learning and development.
- Flexible work practices.
Talk to Sally (Balanix Solutions) today for more assistance towards best practice Human Resource Management in your business – (07) 3264 4783.
Do You Lead a Horse to Water or Milk
Sally Balwin
Recruitment | HR | Business Development
Reading an old BRW, Giam Swiegers (CEO Deloitte Australia) mentions (in the ad-Defence Reserves Support) that –
We have a saying in our business, “Leadership isn’t about leading people where they want to go, but where they ought to go”
My thoughts are that Leadership would be a combination of leading to the vision, goals and values of an organisation, married with the individual’s personal vision and goals. The asset we have in our people is their ability to think and the diversity, skills and experience they bring with them to a job. Great leaders harness this competency and strategically link it in the best way to their organization to maximize achievement/success.
But I don’t think this can be successful if individuals’ motivators are not factored in.
Hop over to Balanix’s Facebook page and share your view.
Employees, Contractors and Registered Business Names
A myth surrounding the employee or contractor decision is that having a registered business name makes a worker a contractor.
David Balwin
CPA | Accountant | Business Advisor
The ATO advise that having a registered business name makes no difference to whether a worker is an employee or contractor for a particular job. You need to examine the details of the working arrangements to check whether your workers are employees or contractors.
A worker who has a business name might be a contractor for one job, and an employee for another. It all depends on the specific terms and conditions under which the work is performed.
The ATO’s online Employee/contractor decision tool will help to correctly determine whether your workers are employees or contractors. By answering some simple questions, the online tool will provide you with an answer you can rely on. It is free, anonymous and easy to use.
Too hard doing it this way, contact Balanix Taxation Services (07 32644783) – we can help.
(Source: ATO – SME Communicator December 2012)
“These comments are general in nature and in no way intended as tax advice as Balanix Solutions is not a tax advisor and it is recommend that you seek the advice of a registered tax agent to ensure your specific needs/requirements are addressed.”
17 Low Cost Staff Retention and Reward Initiatives
Sally Balwin
Recruitment | HR | Business Development
As businesses continue to experience difficulties with staff attraction and retention these 17 simple low cost ways show your people you appreciate and value them.
- Movie Tickets.
- Gift Certificates or vouchers.
- Book of Stamps.
- A framed memento/letter/certificate.
- Inscribe a favourite book as a gift.
- Balloons decorated with appropriate messages.
- Purchase a plant or flower arrangement with appropriate message.
- Buy the person something to use in his/her hobby.
- Lunch-on-me voucher or take the person to lunch as a form of thanks or to mark a special event.
- Doughnuts, bagels, or rolls as an early morning starter.
- If your people are outside during the hot seasons (eg, Real Estate Agents) have Icecreams/blocks in the freezer for them.
- A “funny” trophy that is passed among team members based on “inside” criteria.
- Submit the person’s name for a Wall of Fame.
- Something engraved with the person’s name, such as a pen set, business card holder, plaque, or portfolio.
- Paid subscription to a professional magazine or newsletter.
- A small contribution to their favourite charity in the person’s name.
- Time-off; full day or half-day.
Balanix Solutions HRM Services
