The Evidence is Mounting: Great People Management Still Needs Structure
A recent Age article reports the results of a study by CEB, showing that companies that have abandoned formal performance management have experienced unexpected falls in productivity and employee engagement.
Given that almost all managers and employees loathe performance management, and the focus of the "post-PM" movement is on quality conversations, this result may be surprising.
The authors of the study, and several experts consulted in the Age report, agree that the problem is that without the structure of regular, formal performance discussions, managers have stopped giving the feedback and recognition high performing staff need.
As we argued in a recent article on our website the key is not to "throw the baby out with bath water" (in the words of John Shields, professor of Human Resource Management and Organisational Studies at the University of Sydney business school). Rather, you must transition to a new people management structure that clearly emphases professional development, teamwork and career planning.
The evidence is coming in. Don't follow the trend to agile feedback without a real underpinning structure. Look instead at how you can meet your people's needs in better ways.
Consultant, Melbourne
8ySteve a great article that highlights the tragedy of the deaths of the 5 police officers. There has been too many deaths by firearms. The extent of the violence, especially those enjoying freedoms that we would expect in our every day lives, is the most disturbing part of this story. While there isn't the political will to change access to firearms laws we have a police chief prepared to change the way the Dallas PD police their community and it is his officers whose lives that have been taken. I hope he has the courage and the will to keep his reform program going; needless to say it will his biggest leadership challenge of all and if he can't do so it will be the community who are the losers. The question remains just how many lives are to be lost before they have the will to fight for the most precious of all freedoms: to feel safe in their community (and, no, a gun does not guarantee safety)