Performance Management
We all have heard that a team works best when they feel in control and are allowed to make their own decisions. The word “management” is often confused and misconstrued, while its role can be an enabler and an influencer. Thus, performance management requires a suitable enablement framework to utilize employees' strengths and bring them up to speed on their shortcomings. Such a framework can be devised through employee training, but there is again a catch.
Training Or Enablement?
While any enablement framework or training in the business sense simply boosts job performance, they both do it differently. While training starts with the assumption that the employee lacks a particular skill or knowledge, enablement assumes that the employee can work better if they have the knowledge or skill. Both methods then bring the employee to a classroom or a portal to provide this skill through a video, eLearning, etc. Training then hopes that one day the gained knowledge shall be applied at the workplace, while enablement only removes the roadblocks in subtle ways to help the employee become successful.
Thus, training crams the knowledge while enablement draws it out. The enablement framework works by scheduling a time to meet the employee after the class. At the meeting, it answers their queries and offers practice and feedback. It then determines the skills needed to improve them further by adding prompts and checklists. Additional feedback is provided through different resources to strengthen employee knowledge further and help them apply the skill. Such an iterative feedback mechanism helps improve the employee more quickly than through conventional training methods. The most significant difference between these two methods is seen in the impact on the business. While training drives assessments, enablement allows performance management.
A New Definition Of Performance
Performance is defined by two considerations, namely the desired results and the way the results are achieved. Thinking of performance as "how much" in performance management only drives employees to gain the numbers through any means possible. This may be detrimental to the development of the team and may even be against professional ethics. But if the performance metrics are aligned to the team and its values, it drives performance through an enablement framework.
Empowerment Of The Employee
Once employees gain the skills and knowledge, managers need to stand back and allow the individuals to make decisions. Letting go is required to help employees grow. Managers in such situations need to stop being insecure or concerned about their role to control the team and the business. Implementing such an enablement framework will make them more valuable as they shift from being managers to becoming leaders. This empowerment will help them gain an engaged workforce. Such a shift will drive each individual’s performance in the team and is necessary for the organization to succeed.
How To Empower People
People are empowered when instead of providing the answers, the employee asks for their tasks. The staff is confident in their abilities, but one needs to continue reminding the staff to make their own decisions. Providing decision-making training that is based on scenarios helps the staff. Thus, an ideal training should occur in an informal setting, on a daily or weekly basis to keep the creative juices flowing and think of a suitable solution collectively.
Teach people about financial responsibility and its impact due to the decisions of the company’s bottom line. They need to be encouraged to solve problems that benefit the customer and the organization. Any new staff should be provided a solid start in their onboarding period through guidelines for decision-making. Their training should happen in a safe environment where the service, product, or customer is not inconvenienced. And the most important part of this enablement framework is to respond and not react. The staff needs to learn from their mistakes without the fear of punishment or repercussions.
Conclusion
The performance management of the organization is driven by each employee contributing to it. The role of the manager thus is truly indispensable in providing their teams with an enablement framework. This will help them to correctly onboard, orient, and empower them to feel great about themselves and be proud of their role in the organization. Such enablement of employees leads them to perform their best, which helps the customer and leads the organization toward success.
