PeRfOrMaNcE mAnAgEmEnt....

Performance management meetings are in some organisations taken on more frequent basis than others, to analyse their employees performance, if employees have done well there is normally appraisal if the employees has not met all his or her targets there are strategic plans drawn to ensure that the employees exceed or at least meet the targets.

‘An assessment of an employee, process, equipment or other factor to gauge progress toward predetermined goals.’

The image is giving a brief overview of what performance management meetings consist of step by step how the process circulates, starting off from reviewing and appraising performance, going on to recognizing and rewarding performance, then performance planning ending with coaching and feedback.

Performance Management is an excellent way of analysing employee’s performance and setting goals and targets for individuals. As this opportunity allows employers to emphasise the importance of every individual in a workforce, allowing the employees to feel valued and part of the organisation.

The last time I had an appraisal at work was just after New Year’s, early January, as before Christmas all my targets had been raised due to it being a busier period of the year, however even though my targets had been raised I still managed to exceed the targets. This obviously encouraged my manager to hold a meeting and appoint me as employee of the catalogue and I received £50 high street vouchers which were spendable in a number of different stores. This was very encouraging for me to continuously exceed my targets as it keeps my manager happy which leads to her treating me as more of a valued member of staff, and it also allows me to hold a more valuable position in store amongst my other colleagues.  There were a number of outcomes to the meeting that was held, some of the main which were that there is always recognition if you are doing your job well, which like Maslow said that in order for an individual to be content it is essential for them to have self actualization, the individual needs to be aware of his or her value, Herzberg theory also states that recognition and achievement is also a motivator for individuals. Another outcome of the meetings other than recognition is self fulfilment; it allows the individual to be aware of what they have achieved and how valuable they are to the work firm, which allows the individual to be more motivated to work harder to achieve goals and targets. The meeting that was carried out was effective as it made me feel more valued and motivated to work even harder to enable higher recognition within the workforce.

‘Mentoring is about one person helping another to achieve something. More specifically, something that is important to them. It is about giving help and support in a non-threatening way, in a manner that the recipient will appreciate and value and that will empower them to move forward with confidence towards what they want to achieve.’

Mentoring is almost like a role model figure, someone who helps you achieve whatever it is that you need to achieve, without putting you down, and just helping you in every way possible. Working with your mentor aids you in achieving your goals to an achievable level; it can also be a great way in which an individual can build upon their confidence.

The following are the skills that are required from a mentor:

·        Ability to listen

•       Ability to give you a wide range of options to overcome an issue or problem
• Be open
• To be honest
• Be successful and experienced in life
• Maintain confidentiality
• Ability to motivate and support the mentee
• Needs to be able to act like a role model for the mentee

All the above skills are essential for a mentor to hold in order to be of full help to their mentee, the individual needs to be of a trustworthy nature, so the mentee feels and sees enough trust to console in the mentor and turn for help needed. It is essential for the mentor to be approachable and to hold a caring and supportive approach, in order for the mentee to be able to build a comfort zone with his or her mentor.

My mentor is my older cousin, who is an accountant, as my cousin already stands within the field that I am trying to enter, I feel that I am able to talk to her in regards to anything career wise. She is able to advise me in what to do and what steps to take in order for me to be successful. I take advice from her on every step, as to what to do, what steps to take and what jobs to be doing so that I can progress and get closer to my goals.  I am able to turn to my cousin in any situation whether it is university, social life, working life anything she is able to advice and give me a minimum of 3 solutions to each situation with all drawbacks and a reasonable argument as to why I should go ahead with my decision and why I shouldn’t. This then leaves me with broader options as to what I should do, and where I can go and take my next step, I get left with a number of options from which I make my decision as to what to do.

Overall performance management is a fantastic way of analysing and reviewing employees performances and it should be used in working firms as it aids employees to be aware of their value and place within an organisation.

http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/performance-management.html

http://www.howtobooks.co.uk/business/coaching-mentoring/role.asp

http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/entrepreneur/article3778514.ece