Performance Management

What is Performance Management

Organizations don’t get results, people do.

Performance management is managing the organization and its people so they achieve their goals.  Strive! specializes in supporting performance management at two levels of the organization, the board and the senior management team, along the continuum from hiring (or board member selection), to providing performance feedback to re-directing.

The Steps in Performance Management

Determining the Goals

Since we seldom reach a destination we weren’t heading for, the organization and its people must decide what goals to strive for. This requires the development of a strategic plan, a business or implementation plan, and more detailed action plans.

Assigning Responsibility

To avoid duplication of effort and attention being given to only some of the goals, whoever sets the goals must decide who they will make responsible for progress on each goal.

Communicating Expectations

Big picture goals must be made known to everyone in the organization. More specific goals must be made known to the people who will be working towards achieving those goals. Everyone must be informed what their responsibilities are in each goal area. Those working on a specific job must be clearly advised of any requirements in completing the job.

Providing Necessary Resources

Once the organization and its people know what is to be done, they must be provided the resources necessary to do the job. Such resources include people, time, equipment, training, supervision, space, and money.

The right people will only be available if there are appropriate job descriptions and selection procedures. Time must be committed to the job, not eaten up by other things. People must have the ability and confidence to do the job. Adequate training and quality supervision are required. People must be managed as is appropriate for that individual, in that job, at that time. Treating everyone the same will seldom yield best results.

Monitoring Progress

The organization must have a formal system for monitoring progress towards goals. Good managers have an informal monitoring system as well. Every person must be held accountable for achieving their goals through periodic reporting. Where necessary, the staff or project manager provides assistance to bring off-track work back on track.

Rewarding Achievement

About 80% of what human beings do is influenced by the results we get from our actions. For high performers to perform well continually their good work must be recognized. Possible rewards include a thank you, involvement in making decisions, enjoyable tasks, or a cash bonus.

STRIVE! offers:

• Myers-Briggs Type Indicator testing
• Development of effective job descriptions and performance management systems
• The Hersey-Blanchard Situational Leadership^® model and its application to staff supervision and training
• 20/20 Insight^®, the most flexible 360° performance feedback instrument available
• In-house 20/20 Insight^® performance feedback system for your company
• Facilitation of post-assessment discussions of performance feedback
• Assistance to staff preparing their personal development plans
• Customizable executive search services to fill in the gaps where your organization is seeking support including:


• identifying target skills and competencies,
• documenting job descriptions,
• advertising the position,
• pre-screening interviews,
• developing the finalist interview process.