Performance Management- Basic Concepts

There has been and is always a need for a management to assess time after time the progress towards the considered necessary and the desired goals of an organization. The employees are the integral part of an organization and they play a vital role in running the business, therefore, it is of a great essence to ensure if they fulfill their responsibilities to the best of their abilities and expectations. The management is at all times keen to make certain if the goals are unfailingly being met. If so, then, they are in an effective and efficient manner or not. Above and beyond, the management sees to it if there is a need to add the pertinent communication, coordination and action on the progress which is to be achieved so that it can help the organization in the attainment of its long term and strategic goals. With the aim of above activities to be performed smoothly, performance management has come in to practice.

The process of performance management entails monitoring the progress of a business as well as measuring the performance of the employees in order that the corrective measures can be taken in case there are deviations. Without this conceptualized function, it is as though that a horse rider has submitted his will and wish to the horse and does not even bother it takes wherever it wills and wishes. As regards the organization, the management, not giving careful attention, doesn’t monitor whether the organization performs well and leading itself towards growth or fails to do so. Thus, the implementation of performance management at any organizational level is indispensable.

It is through the process of performance management that the individual objectives are linked with the organizational objectives. Performance management concentrates on such tools that create the desired qualities in the employees in order to get the jobs done. In its most positive form, performance management will not only help the employees in understanding what is expected of them but also how they can contribute to achieving organizational goals. Development is not limited to the employees; it rather addresses the whole team. It builds the personalities of the employees and develops their necessary skills to allow them to reach to their full potentials so that there can be a great satisfaction in respect of jobs and skills, overall maximization and expansion of business, in terms of profits – organizational development, effectiveness and efficiency.

The Process undertaken by way of performance management should be regarded to be a sort of test and evidence to the desirable qualities and the integrity of the employees as well as to their shortcomings. Just as the capacity and the acquired knowledge of students is tested through their exams so that they may be aware of what they possess and what is needed to improve and that they may get maximum percentage of marks in case of their lower performance, performance management takes on its process through which the employees of the organization can excel in their abilities and performance at work. They can enhance their skills and competencies. Above and beyond, they can be aware of their short comings while they will be able to focus on their possible areas of improvement.

Performance management is carried out continuously- it is not one time action. It favors effective communication and relevant coordination with timely feedbacks in relation to the organizational goals. Feedback is the process of communicating the evaluations to the concerned authorities while evaluation is of much use to know what is being done and whether it is being done in an appropriate manner so as to proceed for further corrective actions. In this way, performance management is meant to evaluate employees’ performance at work in terms of predetermined standards in order that a sound system, by submitting the reports to the appropriate authorities, may be established. It is through this system the eligible employees may be rewarded as well as the employees whose performance is lower than the expected standards may become aware of their weaknesses and inefficiencies.

Performance management focuses mainly on the achievement of results. It differentiates the aspects, such as being engaged and producing results- which means, being busy should not necessarily be indicating that the results are being produced. There may be times when employees seem to be very busy but in terms of their performance, the results are in contrast to what has been expected. Systematic performance appraisal provides much assistance in assessing the potentials of the employees. Thus, performance management directs and leads the business to the overall achievement with the assessment of employees’ effectiveness by the implementation of performance appraisals at regular intervals.

By: K.A.Fareed (Fareed Siddiqui)
Pursuing PhD-Management;
MPhil – Financial Management; MBA – Finance;
MPhil – English; MA – English;
MIMC-Member of Institute of Management Consultants of India

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