An Analysis of Managing Performance - Essay Example

Performance management Any organized human activity, which is done in-group, will be most times constituted into structure called organization. So, Organization is a structure with a ‘collage’ of humans doing their allocated work under the supervision of a leader, for the benefit of the organization as well as them. These workers will normally be apportioned into different departments for better arrangement or streamlining of work. Physically speaking, this activeness is due to the functions or ‘organized activity’ of the various body organs. Even though various organs play their part, it is the brain, which plays the chief part, by initiating and controlling the various parts. Likewise, the organization will be active, physically, statistically, economically etc due to the organized activity of the workers and the departments. Like brain in the human body, the leader of the organization in the form CEO (Chief Executive Officer), MD (Managing Director), Chairman, manager, supervisors etc will put his/her brain and manage the various human filled departments. So, organized human activity is planned and controlled flow of human energy. So, if organized or planned activity is carried out with precision, the organization will be a success. But, precision in organizing or planning cannot be done without the initiatives of the workers and departments and also without a knowledgeable, capable and powerful initiator. Like the five different fingers in one’s hand, each human is different from one another having different characters, attitudes, education, background etc, etc…And the unison of these different humans under a single organization to reach a target is, and will always be a difficult proposition. As these different humans could only create a different working culture, the success rate will be minimal. If a common working culture, if correctly said, the perfect, feasible and winnable working culture is ‘operationalised’, through out the organization, the organization will be a success story. The script for the success story could only be scripted by an effective leader or manager. With this optimum working culture the performance of the management can be increased manifold. So, this paper will critically explore the difficulties in efforts to manage employee performance and how the organization and its leader or manager can try different methods to get optimum performance. While trying these different methods or approaches, the organization would face potential problems, but if the methods are carried out perfectly it will bring in the maximum benefits for the individual and the organization. Imposition of manager’s or leader’s assumptions could be constructed negatively One of the important first tasks of a leader in an organization is the creation of a Culture. That is, the task of the leader is to create a working culture, embed the working culture in the working group and environment, sustain it and also rectify it, when faults occur. According to Edgar Schein (2004, p.17) “The culture of a group can now be defined as a pattern of shared basic assumptions that was learned by a group as it solved its problems of external adaptation and internal integration, that has worked well enough to be considered valid and, therefore, to be taught to new members as the correct way to perceive, think, and feel in relation to those problems”. A vital element one needs to understand is that, culture “coevolves” with the organization as success brings growth as well as ‘aging’. Normally, Culture is created by shared experience of the group working, but it is the leader who initiates this process by imposing his or her beliefs, values, and assumptions at the outset. As leaders are the man in lead, they usually have a major impact on how the group initially defines and sets into an organization. Typically, leaders have strong assumptions about the nature of the world, the role that organizations play in that world, the characteristics that make up human nature and relationships, how truth is arrived at, and how to manage time and space (Schein, 1983). They will, therefore, be quite comfortable in imposing those views and personal cultures, on their partners and employees as the organization copes with challenges and targets. This imposition of founder’s assumptions, as a form of good culture is one of the good leadership traits, because as the workers mind will be fresh in their new organizational setup and also as their mind will be willing to make a good beginning, the new culture could be easily adopted. “The key to successful leadership today is influence, not authority” (Kenneth Blanchard). But, in some organizations, the challenge to this imposition of a new culture will come in the form of experienced workers who will be slugging out in the same job in the same environment, importantly in the same mindset for years and changing them to accept the new effective assumptions and work culture will be difficult Not getting involved in all the process Another method of the leader that could play a part in the management of employee performance is the leader’s inability to involve him/her in the process. That is, the leader or the manager should get involved in all the processes that will take place in the organization. The role of the leader should not be limited to just starting and funding an organization, he/she had to become the integral part of the organization. His / hers ‘touch’ both mental wise and physical wise should be found in all aspects of an organization. He/she should not shy away from his responsibility because apart from having a negative connotation on the subordinates, it would also be a sure recipe for the failure of the company. As the role of the leader is to motivate his/ her subordinates through his/ her action, their inability or disinclination to involve themselves, will surely de-motivate the employees. “Good management consists in showing average people how to do the work of superior people” (Rockefeller). Also, the leader should live and work as an example for others to follow. This trait, one of the important for the leader to imbibe, will fast track the formation of culture. Because setting personal examples only can allow the leader to point out the faults in his workers and correct them, which will only formalized into a work culture. So, if they avoid setting good personal examples, the employees will not have any positive guidance and will function very irregularly, which will diminish their performance. Awarding of employees Another method which could affect the performance of the employees is awarding individuals purely on merit, not on any other considerations. This is because, the management overriding tried and trusted individuals; could give important posts and responsibilities to individuals who might be their family members, friends, and persons with negative influence etc. If this practice is followed, it will create disenchantment among workers and will show the organization in poor light. In many companies, because of this ritual of awarding plum posts for the family members by the management team and shielding them when they committed mistakes, many members of the organization banded together in a kind of mutual protection society that developed a culture of its own. They were more loyal to each other than to the company. So, to keep the core group of good workers in a motivated state, the organization needs to award the right individuals. Involvement of the workers During the process of decision-making, one of the approaches the leader or the manager could try is, putting for discussion their thoughts among the workers, and involving them productively. This strategy will have unexpected at the same time favorable results, because one may never know from where, when and importantly from whom a great idea could come. “Dont tell people how to do things, tell them what to do and let them surprise you with their results” (Patton). So, involving and allowing co-workers to play a part in the decision-making, but at the same time being the final authority is a good method for optimum employees’ performance management. And, if the employees are just treated as low rate workers, without any prominent roles, they will work with minimum motivation, providing minimum performance. Working environment An important method for optimum performance management, which a manager or a leader could practice, is providing a perfect and comfortable working environment for his workers. For that, the best option is going for an open-office layout. That is, cubicles should be preferred instead of offices with doors because, in an office set up where team work will have prominent place, face to face interaction would bring in more ideas, than one calling other into a closed room and having a closed discussion. Also minimization of the use of status symbols such as private offices, special dining rooms for executives, and personal parking spaces should also be curbed down. This is one of the important needs because it will give even the lower staff, the feeling that all are treated equal, irrespective of the salary, experience etc. So, special rooms and other special facilities will create hierarchy inside the organization and non-involvement from the workers. Also, divided or specialized working environment will make the workers stay, at organization, a non-enjoyable and unpleasant experience Discipline The management of the organization should always recognize the fact that excess freedom would be a bane to the organization, so discipline will be implemented thoroughly. And, it is one of the important methods for optimum performance management because in some situations and in some sectors, discipline was essential to getting things, done. That is, the employees should be given the space and freedom to think and act in a way that could benefit the company but at the same time should be controlled and disciplined if that thought process and action is detrimental to the organization. Consistency Another important trait of a leader or the manager of an organization is showing consistency in all aspects of management. That is, if the leader wavers from his/ hers set principles or rules and act according to the situation, that too, in front of his/ hers subordinates, it will result in a disgrace for the leader in the mind of the workers and initiate a series of problems. The employees ‘encouraged’ by the undisciplined behavior of the leader or manager will also indulge in bad behaviors, affecting their performance. So, leaders should be consistent in all his decisions, activities, commitments, communication etc. Consistency can only be considered as a complete victory for the leader in every sense of the term. Some of the mechanisms that leaders use to communicate their beliefs, values, and assumptions are conscious, deliberate actions. Getting angry and getting work done Another trait the leader or a manager should adopt is using one’s anger as a weapon of mass change. That is, to get angry is human trait, but leader should get angry only when the situation demands it. Always getting upset and showing one’s anger on others, will only result in degradation of respect, one have for their leader, causing problematic situations. So, one have to subdue his/her anger, when it will not work, and use it only when it will work, on the workers. The practice of Ken Olsen, described by Fortune magazine in 1986 as the most successful entrepreneur in the history of American business, involves, when the company was doing well; he often had emotional outbursts reflecting his concern that people were getting complacent. When the company was in difficulty, however, he never punished anyone or displayed anger; instead, he became the strong and supportive father figure, pointing out to both the external world and the employees that things were not as bad as they seemed that the company had great strengths that would ensure future success (Schein, 2004, p.255). This kind of support or behavior on the part of the leader, will surely have an effect on the performance of the employees. Focusing on the target The trait of merging different humans and focusing all of them on a single target is one of the methods for the employees’ performance management. Because as any organization will be a hotbed of human activity, it could give rise to groups and subgroups, which will eventually share enough experience to create subcultures based on occupational, national, and uniquely historic experiences. Once such differentiation has taken place, the leader will find it difficult to coordinate, align, or integrate the different subcultures. In those times, there will be more of discord among the employees, leading to drop in performance. So, building an effective organization is ultimately a matter of meshing the different subcultures and the leader should do this job, by encouraging the evolution of common goals, common language, and common procedures for solving problems. Open to criticism One of the most difficult aspects of managing an organization, but which will be an important aspect if practiced, is to stay open to criticism and even encourage it. Because, when one is occupied with managing a big organization with lot of decisions, goals, pressures, workers etc, etc, the leader as well as the organization as a whole sometimes tend to overlook the mistakes or blunders they have committed, leading quite big problems. In that case, they should be open to critical views from the subordinates or employees, then only the organization can correct it for their future use. So, leaders for their part without any complex issues should keep their mind open and be open to criticisms from the employees. The employees for their part while airing the views will become more involved in the organization and thereby improve their performance. Inept employees A crucial method for optimum performance management is that, the organization’s leaders or managers should need to show decisiveness in some cases. That is, when the employee becomes too lazy, self-seeking, troublemaker and having many bad attributes. In those cases, the decisiveness can be outputted, by firing all of them from the organization. The organization would do well without these individuals. Actually these types of employees could be the obstacles in the growth and if the leaders show his/her authority and weeds out these individuals, the organization could be on the success path, with other employees improving their performance. That is, if the employees understood that they will be fired if they perform or function in an inept manner, they will automatically their performance. ” Executives owe it to the organization and to their fellow workers not to tolerate non performing individuals in important jobs” (Peter Drucker). Conclusion So, the organization, its leader and employees should not stagnate and saturate. Schein (2004, p.418) pushes forward this idea by “perpetual learner”. Perpetual learner in the sense, the leader or the manager and the employees should learn new levels of perception and acquire lot of insights for running an organization. As discussed in this paper, they should start by playing an important role in the development of a work culture. Then, by getting involved in all the process of the organization, the manager should motivate oneself to learn new things and importantly motivate the employees working under him/her. Then, the involvement of employees in the process of decision-making will also have positive effect on the employees’ performance. So, Unison of humans with an urge to usher an organization into a leading ‘utopia’ will be a successful endeavor, if the leader and the employees of the organization show undaunted, unabated and unabashed conduct. And, if the all the above discussed issues related to performance management is focused, corrected and optimized, the organization would have a ubiquitous presence all over the world. References Blanchard, K. Leadership Quotes. Viewed January 10, 2008 from http://www.wisdomquotes.com/cat_leadership.html Drucker, P, Inspirational Business Quotes, Viewed January 11, 2008. http://www.woopidoo.com/business_quotes/leadership-quotes.htm Patton, G, Leader values, Viewed January 11, 2008 http://www.famous-quotes-and-quotations.com/leadership-quotes.html Rockefeller, John D. Church Champions Update, Mar 13, 2001 Schein, E. H., 1983, The role of the founder in creating organizational culture, Organizational Dynamics, Summer, 13–28. Schein, E. H., 2004, Organizational Culture and Leadership, 3rd. ed. Jossey-Bass. Read More