People often think performance management is about putting people through some kind of disciplinary process so that their performance improves.  But what about the high performers out there?  How are businesses managing them?

Losing people who perform well is a risk any business is taking if they are not able to offer more development, promotion and increased pay and benefits to people.  There’s hot dogs everywhere as well, they are not just the loud people.  It’s worth looking at processes and who is performing well so that people are retained by a business.

Recognition is just one thing that a business can do.  Without being cringe, think about how people can be acknowledged.

Looking at systems and processes to ensure that everyone has an opportunity to shine is good.  People are able to manage things so that some people may be blocked and a good business will be looking for this to ensure fairness.  Team meetings and one-to-ones should help as should regularly looking at job design and performance. 

How is a business going to measure performance?  What are the subtle things that are involved, emotional intelligence, how situations are handled, building relationships etc.  There’s plenty to think about.  People will have their own aims and want their career path developed along the way.  Some people will not be delegating as they should so that they get all the meaty work to bulk up their CVs and add value to themselves in the market.  A business should be aware of this and take steps to ensure that everyone has a bite of the cherry if they want one. 

Micromanagement can also create problems in the workforce and hold many people back if they are working for someone who does not trust them.

An organisation should look at why people may feel insecure and unwilling to delegate and trust others.  What type of culture has been developed in the business and how are the leaders behaving?

It’s all part of the mix.