Powering up Performance Management

Citation

Bowden, C. (2001), "Powering up Performance Management", Leadership & Organization Development Journal, Vol. 22 No. 7. https://doi.org/10.1108/lodj.2001.02222gae.001

Powering up Performance Management

Powering up Performance Management

Richard Hale and Peter WhitlamGower Publishing LimitedAldershot2000214 pp.£450-566-08189-X (hardback)

Keywords: Organisations, Behaviour

Powering up Performance Management is a behaviourally-oriented approach on how to get the best out of an organisation's performance management system. The book focuses on the behaviours required for organisations to achieve success, rather than the outcomes of the behaviours. Each chapter begins with a set of objectives to focus the reader's learning in the chapter. Each chapter also recaps the previous chapters, which serves to remind the reader of previous important points and how the previous chapters fit in with the current chapter. The authors illustrate their points through the use of case studies. The introduction emphasises that the purpose of the book is to determine how to best develop people in order to improve performance. As such, the model described and the methodologies used are behaviour-focused.

Chapter 1 focuses on the psychological and motivational factors for the individual that contribute to overall performance for the organisation. The chapter also describes a holistic model to performance management by defining performance management and its relationship with selection, coaching, target setting, appraisal, and mentoring. The remaining chapters focus on each of these parts of the model from the perspective of how to use behavioural profiles in each of these areas.

Chapter 2 looks at defining successful performance and covers job analysis techniques and the concept of triangulation of methods to improve the reliability and validity of the job analysis data. In particular, Hale and Whitlam focus on the generation of a behavioural profile as the end result of the job analysis, rather than the usual job description. In addition, they distinguish between personality-related behaviours and behaviours that can be developed.

Chapter 3 addresses selection processes and how the behavioural profile information can be used as a basis for interview questions and in assessment centres. The selection processes described in this chapter assess the personality and values of the applicants through critical incident and repertory grid techniques for developing interview questions. No reliability or validity information is given for this approach. It would appear that the behavioural interviewing approach is largely left to the interviewer's skill in assessing the person's values and personality, a practice that some may consider dubious. The chapter is more descriptive, rather than critical, of the methods used for selection and does not compare which methods are better.

Chapter 4 looks at coaching and how people learn. Hale and Whitlam advocate coaching over sending employees on courses and provide a detailed model of coaching, and behavioural techniques to identify developmental needs. The chapter outlines the seven key characteristics of effective coaches and seven key characteristics of empowered individuals, together with a competency framework of a successful coach.

Chapter 5 addresses target setting and performance review and focuses on the benefits of continuous feedback processes compared with the usual twice-yearly appraisal. The chapter sets out some good guidelines for providing feedback, as well as a description of Management by Objectives and various rating systems. Again, the chapter is more descriptive than critical.

Chapter 6 discusses the benefits and pitfalls of mentoring schemes. In particular, the chapter shows how to use behavioural profiles to select mentors and to match them with "mentees". The chapter outlines what the content and boundaries of the mentoring relationship should be.

Finally, Chapter 7 summarises the previous chapters and draws together the holistic process of performance management, describing how each stage fits together. The book finishes with several detailed and extremely useful appendices on how to administer a skills analysis questionnaire, examples of focused questions, coaching effectiveness questionnaire, mentoring competencies, mentoring case studies, and a detailed appendix on competency development together with some excellent examples of competency wording.

Overall, the book is well-structured, practical and easy to read. It presents the reader with descriptive information regarding each stage of a holistic model of performance management model. This book would suit individuals with some knowledge of performance management systems and processes, but is also useful for individuals wanting to develop a performance management system and who need a descriptive illustration of how performance management fits in with organisational processes and goals. It is worth noting that the authors' techniques are very much behaviourally-oriented, with little focus on how job tasks and duties fit in to the system. Rather, the authors focus on the people attributes of the performance management system and how these can be measured.

Charlotte BowdenNew Zealand