Episode 35: Performance Management as a Strategic Tool

A podcast for independent HR and people, professionals, and the businesses they support.

Hosted by Mary Asante of HR Independents Ltd.

DATE: 28h October 2024

Episode 35: Performance Management as a Strategic Tool

Guest: Lucinda Carney, Founder of Actus Software and Host of HR Uprising Podcast

In this episode of HR Voices, Mary Asante  is joined by Lucinda Carney, a trusted partner of HR Independents and a renowned expert in performance management. Lucinda shares her wealth of experience, discussing how businesses can use performance management as a strategic tool to enhance both individual and business-wide success.

In this episode we cover:

• Demystifying Performance Management: Lucinda breaks down the buzzwords and discusses how performance management is often misunderstood, explaining why it's much more than an annual appraisal.
• Performance Management as a Continuous Process: Learn how ongoing conversations, clear goal-setting, and regular feedback form the backbone of an effective performance management system.
• Aligning Performance with Strategic Goals: Discover how performance management can ensure everyone is working towards the same business objectives and how it helps smaller businesses, in particular, to grow and mature.
• The Manager’s Role in Performance Management: Lucinda emphasizes the importance of equipping managers with the skills to support their teams, particularly in difficult conversations around underperformance.
• Overcoming Challenges: The episode also addresses common objections from leaders and managers, including the time investment required for regular performance check-ins, and how to overcome these barriers by embedding performance management into the company culture.

Key Takeaways:

• Performance management should be a year-round, cyclical process rather than a one-time event focused solely on appraisals or bonuses.
• Effective performance management helps align individual goals with the overall strategic direction of the business, particularly for SMEs.
• Regular people-focused conversations can drive engagement, productivity, and ultimately, business success.
• Training managers in effective communication, coaching, and handling difficult conversations is key to making performance management work.

Top Tips from Lucinda Carney:

1. Make Performance Management a Strategic Tool: Align the process with the business's strategic goals and ensure managers are clear on expectations.
2. Equip Managers with Skills and Confidence: Give managers the training and tools they need to carry out effective performance management.
3. Engage Employees in the Process: Encourage employees to take ownership of their own development and performance by fostering open, two-way conversations.

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