People Dynamics Newsletter - People Matters
Issue 67, September 2010 | Back to Newsletters Index
PD News
September is a special month for us at People Dynamics. It is our 8th anniversary on the 1st!! In the past year we have seen a vast amount of growth in the services that we provide our clients. We will be continuing to make changes and improvements to ensure we provide the best possible service. Updates and improvements are happening at the moment to our online appraisal system (EPMS) and we will keep you informed of these.
There is also a sad piece of news this month. After 3 years with People Dynamics Emma will be leaving to continue her studies and placements in psychology. Em’s last day with us will be Tuesday 14th of September. Emma would like to thank all our clients for giving her the opportunity to be a part of their business. We wish her all the luck for the future and know she will be missed.
Perfromance Reviews- how to make them work!
It’s that time of year again—performance reviews! For those of you conducting six monthly appraisals, September marks a crucial time in the calendar. We know they are important, but for many of us it is seen as a chore. The first thing is to make sure you have the right attitude when it comes to conducting the reviews. A lot of managers see the review process as merely a way to manage under performing employees—but it is a lot more than that. The appraisal should be a meaningful discussion where two way feedback takes place. It is important that there not be a pre-determined outcome.
If the employee believes that no matter what they do, the outcome does not change, then it’s highly likely the discussion wont be a positive useful one and you will not see any improvements in behaviour if needed.
Discuss both the performance aspects of the role and the employee’s attitude. Both form an important part of the process. Managers should also encourage their employees to take ownership of their own work. To allow them to do this, give them time during the appraisal to express how they feel and what they feel about how they are going.
Try not to run the appraisal or tell them what they need to do to improvement—put it back on them. Ask them, ‘what are some of the things you could be doing? If you do that, what will that mean?’. This is a much more effective way of communicating and will mean the employee is more likely to make the changes they suggest. Other tips:
- outline performance expectations,
- discuss training and development needs,
- ensure employee needs were captured and actioned,
- follow up on agreed outcomes or action items.
Legal Update
Sexual discrimination laws have been extended. The Sex Discrimination Amendment Bill 2010 now ensures that protection from sex discrimination will apply equally to both sexes. It will also provide greater protection for students as well. Make sure you are protected—call us today about EEO, Discrimination, and Bullying training.