In my last column, I explained how to manage performance at the big picture level.  That is, how organizations can achieve their overall goals.  This column is going to focus on how to manage the performance of individual employees.

To me, employee performance is a function of five primary components: 1) the way you select, train, develop and treat your workers; 2) the tools (computers, software, manuals, physical plant, information, etc.) you provide them; 3) the expectations you set and the manner in which you give them feedback; 4) their performance; and 5) the degree to which there are reliable consequences for every level of performance. Let’s look at each component in a bit more detail.

The Way You Select, Train and Develop Your Workers

The higher the quality of the employees you select, the better the performance you will get and the fewer the problems you will experience. It’s that simple. Accordingly, it is extremely important that you spend sufficient time and energy finding the right people. Remember, it is better to make no selection than to select an applicant who becomes a poor employee.

Training and developing your employees starts on the day they begin work for you. Make sure you have an effective on-boarding program that sets the right tone and imparts the right values to your newest workers. From there, train your employees so they develop the right skill sets, have the right attitude and know they have the opportunity to grow.

Finally treat your employees well. That sounds simple enough but remember the number one reason most people leave their organization is because they have a poor relationship with their supervisor.

The Tools You Provide Them

Organizations that provide employees with effective tools have a huge advantage because they make it much easier for the employees to do their jobs better and meet expectations. On the other hand, agencies that have inferior or outdated computer systems/software, poor or non-existent work manuals and provide less than optimal information to their workforce, place the employees at a great disadvantage, make it more difficult for them to meet expectations and contribute to an overall feeling of frustration, resentment and cynicism.

Another tool, often overlooked is the physical plant. Most government physical plants are rather nondescript, and in my opinion do not contribute to excellent performance. Now imagine providing your employees with a work environment that is effective and efficient, honors the mission and the agency’s history, celebrates the good work of the employees but also helps to hold them accountable, shares information in a logical and strategic fashion and positively shapes the outside world’s view of the work you do, always with the goal of improving performance. Wouldn’t that provide you with a big advantage? Such an approach is known as visual management. For more information on the concept, see the following article that was featured in Government Executive Magazine.

The Expectations You Set and the Feedback You Give

One of the most important parts of managing individual performance is setting expectations and then providing feedback. After all, if people don’t know what is expected of them and/or don’t know how they are doing, it will be virtually impossible for them to deliver what management is looking for.

That is why it is vitally important to provide written performance standards at the beginning of the rating period, so the employees will clearly focus on your goals from the get go. By the same token, it is essential you provide them with periodic feedback throughout the period (at least on a quarterly, if not a monthly basis), so they know how they are doing and can reliably predict their appraisal and any possible rewards/actions. Feedback should be open and frank; and where possible, be supplemented with a written report card. Remember, the more employees can see actions coming, regardless of whether they are good, neutral or bad, the less pushback you will receive from them.

Their Performance

Once you have provided your employees with the training and tools needed to succeed and let them know what is expected, it is time for them to perform. Management needs to carefully track their performance, provide clear feedback as stated above, and take appropriate action to intervene when problems occur.

The more employees see that performance is important, and they cannot simply do whatever they want, whenever they want to, the more you will develop a culture where performance is valued and where everyone will strive to do the best job possible.

Reliable Consequences

If you want your performance appraisal system to work properly there must be reliable consequences for every level of performance. By this I mean the top performers must be reliably rewarded and promoted when appropriate, average employees should retain their jobs and receive their within-grade increases and action should be taken to deal with poor performers, up to and including removal when it is the right thing to do.

When employees see the system will be reliably applied, they are much more likely to follow the system and try and give you what you want. On the other hand, if they believe the system is being inconsistently applied, this will cause frustration and cynicism and there will be far less focus on achieving your organization’s goals.

Conclusion

If you successfully apply the five components of individual performance management as described above, your employees will undoubtedly perform at a higher level. When that happens, you organization’s overall performance will most certainly improve.

Stewart Liff writes on human resources management issues in government for OhMyGov. A recipient of the President's Council on Management Improvement Award, he is the author of five books, including the just-released Improving the Performance of Government Employees. His expertise includes employee relations, labor relations, Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO), performance management, staffing, training, rewards and recognition, metrics, systems design and succession planning.