Ontario Municipal Human Resources Association

Setting clear expectations and engaging in meaningful performance management is critical to help encourage and ensure accountability, achieve organizational goals, and strengthen workplace culture. Unclear performance expectations can lead to increased employee stress, reduced productivity, and ambiguity that can foster distrust and conflict; lead to higher employee turnover; and ultimately result in increased costs and liability to an employer.

Good performance management begins at the outset of any employment relationship – or at any time thereafter – it is never too late to incorporate these 5 key ingredients:

1. Set and Communicate SMART Goals

Goal setting is a process of establishing objectives to be achieved over a period of time. It is the performance criteria an employee will be evaluated against.

Goals should be SMART:

• Specific, clear and understandable.
• Measurable, verifiable and results-oriented.
• Attainable, yet sufficiently challenging.
• Relevant to the mission of the department or organization.
• Time-bound with a schedule and specific milestones.

Where appropriate, give employees a say in setting their goals. When employees have input in crafting their stated goals, they often have a higher degree of respect for and investment in achieving them.

2. Identify Performance & Other Gaps

In order to decide whether an employee’s performance necessitates performance management, ask yourself two questions:

1. Did the employee know what to do?
2. Did the employee have the required skills, tools, time, and ability to do the task?

If the answer to both questions is yes, a need for performance management exists. This indicates that the employee can, but is choosing not to do the job for reasons within their control. This is also known as “culpable conduct”. Examples of culpable conduct include things like an unacceptable attitude; failure to follow direction; or culpable absenteeism.

If the answer to at least one of the aforementioned questions is no, an employer is likely faced with a situation of “non-culpable conduct”: conduct that is beyond an employee’s control and that is preventing them from doing the job. In this situation, providing the required coaching, support, and assistance, as well as any necessary accommodations will clarify expectations and equip the employee for success.

3. Document Performance Reviews

Whenever an employer assesses an employee’s performance, it is important to document the employee’s strengths and weaknesses. The benefits of a solid paper trail are plentiful and include:

• Refreshing memories – comprehensive and detailed records are essential to refreshing a Manager’s memory.
• Identifying patterns of conduct – sometimes performance concerns appear to be isolated events but in fact are part of a larger pattern.
• Transferring knowledge – in the event of a change in management, an incoming manager is provided with a complete and accurate picture of their employee’s performance.
• Mitigating legal risk – in the event a particular employee’s performance or a manager’s actions are under scrutiny, these records can help resolve legal disputes.

4. Focus on the Fundamentals

Many managers can shy away from engaging in performance management because it can feel awkward or confrontational to point out things an employee is doing wrong. But avoiding tough conversations can lead to team resentment and burnout as other employees step in to shoulder the burden of the work that is going underperformed.

If you find yourself feeling reluctant to performance manage, remind yourself of these fundamental truths:

• Employees are at their best when they have clear tangible goals and access to the right tools and resources to achieve them.
• Most employees’ performance can and will improve if they are made aware of any issues with their performance and that improvement is required.

5. Periodically Re-Evaluate Processes

As the saying goes, you are only as strong as your weakest link. Ensure that performance management processes reflect up-to-date policies that are reflective of industry best practices; align with the needs of the business (i.e. reflect the size, operations and technologies of the company); and work to reflect a diverse workforce and maintain a positive culture. Outdated or cumbersome processes can derail otherwise productive performance management.

Written by: Lesley Campbell, Lawyer