Performance Management

Graphite provides critical support tools to enable organisations effectively manage performance to maximise the contribution of staff. This is about the strategic alignment of employee resources to achieve the organisation's goals. Our experience shows that employees perform best with there are clear performance expectations and goals are set that are core to an employee's activities. Effective performance management is not an annual goal setting and review process, but instead is a continuous two way process that is part of focussing and motivating employees.

Below are key ways in which Graphite can support your organisation:

Development of performance management policy and processes

• Consultation and agreement on what performance management needs to achieve
• Identifying process features - frequency, meetings, ratings, etc
• Integrating performance management with other change/HR initiatives
• Defining behaviour, competency requirements
• Development of materials, guidelines, resources

Implementation support

• Communication and briefings strategies
• Facilitation of team planning and goal setting
• Training/briefing for managers and employees
• Skills development on setting goals, performance measures, meetings, etc.

Monitoring and auditing implementation

• ODP employee survey to assess progress
• Auditing of process, goals, ratings
• Coaching for managers and teams

While much support is provided on a customised basis, built around an organisation's' own performance management process, Graphite also provide a one-day skills based Goal Setting and Reviewing Workshop.

This one-day workshop provides managers with the knowledge, skills, and techniques to both establish clearly defined goals and to effectively review performance. It is a practical workshop during which managers will understand the success factors in managing performance, practice writing goals and emerge with goals set for their employee/s.

The effective management of performance adds significant value to every organisation, both public and private, by:

• Clarifying individual roles and deliverables
• Cascading the organisation's goals
• Improving performance standards
• Dealing with underperformance
• Recognising different levels of performance
• Holding employees and managers accountable for their performance
• Demonstrating Senior Management commitment

From both Graphite's experience and HR best practice research, it has become evident that:

• Employees perform best with clear performance expectations
• Goals are best when core to employee's activities
• Defining goals and measures is not easy
• A continuous two way communication process is part of motivating employees
• Training and recognition tools are key
• Auditing and monitoring is necessary