Diagnosis is an important step of the #performancemanagement process. It is a step where both the Employee & the Manager pause & reflect on the reasons of non-achievement of goals.
In my experience as an #humanresources professional, this step is often ignored/avoided.
With the tight timelines to complete the self review, Manager feedback and closure of ratings and normalization, practically there’s no time left to spend on Diagnosis. Hence, what follows is the Manager’s assumption of what would have gone wrong.
– The individual lacked the necessary skills- We should put him in training.
– The individual lacked the intent- HR should motivate him by increasing his salary.
This is how most cause-effect performance analysis at #workplace happen.
Very rarely do we sit down with that individual to take his point of view. There is an underlying worry with this step:
– this can open up a can of worms regarding lack of direction, clarity, resources etc.
– the individual will always defend his performance.
– If he is doing, he can’t be knowing what’s gone wrong, someone else is better placed to tell him.
For these reasons, individuals aren’t really asked. They are told (if at all), that you couldn’t achieve this task because of this reason.
So, what’s a desired way?
– Regular Check-ins and performance conversations.
– A Mandated recording of observations by the Manager.
– A list of work completed on a daily basis by the employee.
– Sharing of notes on a monthly basis.
What would happen when this is done?
Absolute clarity. Higher Chances of achievement. Feeling of trust & respect between Manager & Employee.
A lot of HRMS Tech platforms have built this recording as a feature of their #PMS modules. Problem is adoption.
#communication always takes time & efforts. But it always is the only solution too. Choosing when to do it is in your hands as a Manager, Employee and HR.