Managing Performance

According to Armstrong & Baron (2005) performance management is a process which contributes to the effective management of individuals and teams to achieve high levels of organizational performance.

Managing or measuring performance is a crucial aspect of running any successful organ;ization. It provides employees with guidance and develops the necessary attitudes and skills required to achieve organizational objectives. Another reason it is so important is that it identifies any factors which may be limiting the progression and development of performance allowing for managers to take adequate and strategic action. This enables the organization to improve both its performance and efficiency and helps them to ensure that they learn from any mistakes they may have made.

Another beneficial feature of successful performance management is a mutual understanding amongst employees of what must be done in order to attain a high level or performance and efficiency. As a result this motivates employees to maintain a higher standard of performance which in turn assists the organization in achieving its objectives.

There are many different ways in which one may choose manage performance. For example, mentoring; a process of personal development through sharing knowledge and support, probation; a period of time which is given to the new employee in which he/she must prove that they are suitable and responsible enough for the job.

How does the university measure your performance? What role do your lecturers take in the process and your personal tutors?

Our lecturers role in the process of measuring our performance stems from a quantitative approach; a method which uses numbers as the basis of its evaluation. The way that our lecturers choose to do this is by using our grades as an indication to how well we are progressing. For example, if I gain a grade such as 40%, this indicates that I am barely scraping through and there is much room for improvement. However if I gain 70% or higher (First) then both us and our lecturers become aware that we are achieving highly and are on course for excellent results.

On the other hand, our personal tutors tend to take a more qualitative approach to performance management. They tend to be more hands on in their style as it is their job to show an interest in the students thoughts and opinions of what and how they are doing, rather than measuring our performance based solely on figures. During our one to one meetings at the end of each term for example, we have a brief discussion which assesses my progress. During these meetings we are asked questions concerning our own interests and how we feel things are personally going for us. I feel that this is a more effective and fair approach to measuring performance as it combines both qualitative and quantitative aspects to generate a successful, accurate and motivational outcome.

Read the article from The Times on mentoring. What skills do you think are required to be an effective mentor?

A mentor is someone who provides help, support and guidance to others with the intention of developing them in different ways that improve and assist them in performing to the best of their ability. Mentors usually already have extensive experience and understanding of their area of expertise and tend to use this in teaching others. According to Stone (2008) mentoring is a bit like having a board of non-executive directors.

On the other hand, an effective mentor doesn’t necessarily have to be an expert in their particular field or industry, it is much more important for mentors to be open-minded and honest, as honesty is what builds trust between the mentor and the mentee.

Overall I feel that mentors are vital influential tools for both individuals and organizations in order to expand and grow. By having a mentor we are encouraged to do better and think about the outcomes of our actions before doing things rather than making irrational decisions.

Identify someone from your college/uni, school, work, social life who has been a mentor to you. How have they affected your life?

Throughout my life I have been fortunate enough to have had various different mentors to support me and offer their experience. During high school I had a mentor who inspired me to be more motivated and dedicated to being successful and encouraged me to achieve highly academically. I have also had a mentor during college who encouraged and inspired me to do my best through difficult times. However the mentors who have been there since the very beginning of my life and are still here for me to this day are my family.

My parents have always been there to offer guidance and advice through both good and difficult times and have been the most significant mentors/role models in my life. They have influenced me to have a positive outlook on life through their own experiences and have encouraged me to do my very best at whatever I choose to do and focus on moving forward. They have passed down their knowledge, expertise and philosophy of life to me so that I am able to have a better quality of life then they had growing up. It is for these reasons that I believe my parents have encouraged me to have an optimistic attitude and have had an extremely positive effect on my own life

Conclusion

From what I have learnt about managing performance this week, I understand its importance in personal development and achieving goals and objectives. By monitoring employees performance managers are encouraging self development which results in increased productivity. Another beneficial aspect of performance management is that it sets clear targets which are incentives for employees to work harder in return for reward.

Reference List:

1) Armstrong, M & Baron, A. (2005). Managing performance: Performance management in action. London: Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.

2) Stone, A. (2008). Entrepreneurs: a mentor can tune your skills [online]. Available from : http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/entrepreneur/article3778514.ece [Accessed 2nd April 2010]