Practices that support high performance

High performance work practices

Actions

Utilise the APSC Diagnostic tool

Undertake the Performance Management Diagnostic process across the agency or focus on Divisions within agency where weaknesses have been identified. Follow the instructions as described in the Diagnostic workflow table. Information about the Diagnostic tool is available at http://www.apsc.gov.au/aps-reform/current-projects/performance-framework.

Commit to agreed action plans and set timeframes for implementation of changes. Conduct a Diagnostic exercise 12-18 months after changes have been made to assess year-on-year improvements.

Utilise the APSC Performance Management training module

All managers and aspiring managers should undertake the core skills: APS Performance Management learning program. The program is designed to improve managerial capabilities, including skills in the design of performance agreements and receiving and providing constructive, targeted, relevant feedback.

Information about the APS Performance Management learning program is available at http://www.apsc.gov.au/projects/performance-management-learning-materials.

Reflect on the benefits of leading effective performance management

Think about the benefits of effective performance management to:

The employee? You (the manager)? The agency?

Note your thoughts on paper. Go back to your notes when you are going to have a performance conversation (formally or informally) and build on your notes as your perspective evolves. Reflecting on why performance management is important will help set a positive tone for the conversations.

Change mindset Reflect on the Principles for High Performance Government http://www.apsc.gov.au/ projects/performance-framework.

These Principles will assist agencies to optimise existing performance management frameworks, thereby lifting performance across the APS. The Foundation elements are central to giving effect to the Principles. These Foundation elements need to be in place, providing an enabling environment for the operation of the Principles, building capability in the APS workforce and a culture of high performance.Task: How does your agency fair with the following? Mark ‘no’ ‘in part’ or ‘yes’ for each of the following items.

Checklist – at my agency No In part Yes

High performance at the agency, group and individual levels is well defined?

High performance work practices

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Leaders consider the strategic purpose of having an effective performance management system?

Identification of areas of strength and high performance is used for future development?

The current system encourages a focus upon performance and goal alignment?

Employees are encouraged to develop ownership of the performance management system, including mutual processes?

Managers are assessed on how they manager their staff?

Changes in the environment or to agency goals are reflected in the performance management system to enable flexibility?

The agency uses appropriate data and information to make performance management decisions?

Managers and employees are supported in implementing the performance management system in ways that encourage high performance, mutual ownership and constructive conversations (moving away from performance management being perceived as solely being about managing underperformance)?

For each of the Principles and Foundation elements, reflect on your work area and note your ideas for action for your agency context:http://www.apsc.gov.au/projects/performance-framework.

High performance work practices

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Source: http://www.apsc.gov.au/projects/performance-framework

Link the APS ICARE values to performance management. Think about how effective performance management helps to embed the APS values. What behaviours would be demonstrated by APS leaders and managers to achieve the APS Value? Note these down and actively model the behaviours in your workplace.

High performance work practices

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Information about the APS Values is available at http://www.apsc.gov.au/aps-employment-policy-and-advice/aps-values-and-code-of-conduct/code-of-conduct/aps-values.

Reflect on how you play an important role in helping the agency to achieve its objectives and outcomes

Good agency performance is the result of the combined efforts and achievements of a highly aligned workforce. Each employee plays an important role in helping the agency achieve its objectives and outcomes. Managers and leaders are responsible for linking performance management systems with organisational planning, systems and processes, and engaging and developing the agency’s workforce to focus on achieving its outcomes. They take a lead by being role models.

Task: Think about what this all means for your agency context? Reflect on the following questions:

How can performance management help to achieve specific strategic and operational objectives? How do your own individual goals link to your agency’s strategic goals?

Set clear expectations early

Performance expectations need to be set early, within 2 weeks of starting a new role and/ or job. Use the performance management process to manage expectations by setting clear goals and targets for employees. For example, clearly articulate the level of performance required to achieve a rating outcome in order to provide employees with confidence that there was a fair and consistent basis for establishing and assessing good performance.

A performance expectation is a description of the results, behaviours and/ or values expected for fully satisfactory performance of a role function/ task. These expectations should define ‘how well’ each function/ task must be performed, and/ or the behavioural standard that is required. Performance expectations provide a benchmark against how to evaluate work performance, behaviour and capability. In this sense, the performance of an individual can be identified as the accomplishment of a recognised, defined task, but it can also be the way in which the task is undertaken.

High performance work practices

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Expectations should be:

Derived from agency strategy, goals and values Be mutually understood Developed collaboratively, if appropriate Descriptive of what good performance and expected behaviours looks like SMART. That is (Specific; Measurable; Attainable; Relevant; Timed)

Task: Write an example of a performance expectation goal using your own role and required business outcomes as inspiration.

Performance Agreement Cycle: 1 July – 30 June *Business (work) Outcomes and Performance and Behavioural Measures

Outcome Performance & Behavioural Measure(s) Strategic Priorities

What is 1 key outcome you have agreed to achieve over this performance cycle?

How will the achievement of the business outcome be measured?

Identify up to 3 performance measures (both quantitative and/ or qualitative) for the identified business outcome

Identify the relevant linked strategic priority

What will the expectation area/ goal accomplish?How and why will it be accomplished?

Specific

How will you measure whether or not the expectation/ goal has been reached? (list at least 2 indicators)

Measurable

Is it possible? Have others doen it successfully?Does the person have the necessary knowledge, skills, abilites and resources to accomplish the expectaion/ goals?Will meeting the expectation area/ goal challenge the person without defeating them?

Attainable/ achievable

What is the reason, purose, or benefit of accomplishign the expectation area/ goalWhat is the result of the expecation area/ goal?

Relevant/ results-focused

What is the established completion date and is the completion date pragmatic?

Timed

High performance work practices

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State how your behaviour and interactions within the workplace will demonstrate y our commitment to agency and/ or APS Values and Code of Conduct

Monitor performance regularly

Checklist: Agree on performance expectations and objectives. Discuss monitoring methods. Ensure an ongoing process. Use a range of methods. Document, document, document. Meet regularly. Listen and provide feedback. Adapt agreements in response to changing environment and priorities.

Think about:

How can you monitor performance on work tasks? How can you monitor any behaviours described in set performance objectives?

Task: Rank up to 7 ‘monitoring methods’ in order from 1-7, with 1 being the technique you use the most and 7 being the technique you use the least.

Evaluate performance

Think about:

What characterises high performance in your environment? What characterises moderate performance in your environment? What characterises underperformance in your environment?

Quantify performance

Quantifying employee performance is a part of all managerial and leadership roles. These assessments should be based on an application of specific examples of performance to a scale that has been defined and applied to the role. Good managers have clearly defined and discussed what performance looks like at various levels, and they use those expectations to help staff understand what it means to be successful. Evaluation ratings are arbitrary when leaders don’t take the time to define expectations.

With any type of rating scale, before engaging in quantifying performance, it is recommended that you ask yourself:

What are your observations, examples and evidence? Why are these important? Do I have all the information that I need? Is there another side of the story? Where are my biases?

Given performance expectations and goals across agreed work outcomes and behaviours, on a scale of 1-3, where 1= requiring significant development and 3= performing exceptionally:

What does a ‘3’ look like? What does a ‘2’ look like? What does a ‘1’ look like?

Identify development needs

To uncover development needs, determine:

High performance work practices

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1. The critical capabilities required for the role. Key inputs include: Position/ role/ job descriptions Enterprise Capability models (e.g. APS ILS; other frameworks) Work level standards

2. The level of capability required (e.g. developing to expert)3. Assess current capability levels4. Key 70:20:10 development actions to bridge capability gaps as well as to build on strengths (developed collaboratively)

Task: What tools do you use, or are available to you to use, to determine the developmental needs of your employees?

Structure performance conversations

The GROW model is an adaptable conversation model that helps to structure performance conversations to get maximum participation from a person. It is used for performance conversations, including performance reviews.

Source: Adapted from Institute of Executive Coaching and Leadership 2011

The various GROW elements are:

Goals: (e.g. for performance and development) are necessary for a person to work towards. Make this goal as specific as possible. It should be such that it should be easy for a person to make out whether the goal has been achieved or not.

Reality: Setting the goal is useful but being aware of the current reality is also important. It is important to know where the person is going but it is equally important to know where they are right now. The person (and you as their manager) should be aware of the start point in order for them to reach a goal.

High performance work practices

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Options: Now that the current reality and goal are known, you can explore options to get from the starting point to finishing point. The person and you can collaborate on the best possible options in order to reach the goal.

Way Forward: The options then need to be converted into action steps which will take the person to their goal.

GROW question guide

Source: Adapted from Institute of Executive Coaching and Leadership 2011

Provide effective performance feedback

Performance feedback should be immediate and year-round. Managers should take the time to have regular informal ongoing conversations and make the performance agreement relevant to an individual’s job. Sustained performance improvements results when an individual’s values and goals are taken into account.

Performance conversations are tools to:

Manage and clearly link to expectations Link performance to strategic outcomes Provide iterative feedback Identify necessary corrective action Identify relevant development and support needs

Goal related questionsWhat is your main challenge?What would you like to develop?In terms of this, what would be the ideal scenario?If you achieved this, what would this be like? What would you be thinking, feeling?In terms of goals, what would you like to happen now that is not happening now?

Reality related questionsWhat is the situation right now?What are your strengths and how have you been using them?In past situations, how did you go?What is standing in the way of you and your goals?What are the major concersn you have right now?What would be the implications of doing nothing?

Options related questionsWhat are you options for action?What is another option (x3)?What other approaches have you seen others use in this situation?What criteria will you use to judge the options?Based on that criteria, which looks like hte best option now?

Wrap-up related questionsWhat are the immediate next steps you need to take?What or who might get in the way?What do you need to do to overcome that?Precisely when will you take these next steps?What will the situation look like once you have taken these steps?

High performance work practices

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Link to reward and recognition Discuss employee aspirations Remain agile and flexible due to changing situations

Task: Think about when have you seen feedback delivered well? What did the feedback provider do and say?

A useful feedback structure to use is described below. It is a 5 part model that focuses feedback on specific, behaviourally-based observations, as well as the importance of describing the impact and consequences of that behaviour. The framework also illustrates the importance of checking in, and seeking further information from the person to whom you are providing feedback. In the case of good performance, you would also seek to recognise and praise a person, when appropriate. The five steps to effective feedback are:

Checklist for providing effective performance feedback

Before providing feedback, ask:

What are my observations? Why are the observations important? Do I have all the information that I need? Is there another side to the story?

When providing performance feedback:

Make it timely Maintain a perspective of what is good and what is not Be direct and genuine

1. Describe current behaviours

2. Identify specific situations

3. Describe impact and consequences

4. Seek further input

5. Listen and recognise/ praise (if applicable)

High performance work practices

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Be specific: provide observations and examples of behaviour Avoid generalisations (e.g. ‘you did a great job’) Note the impact and the consequences of the behaviour Avoid focusing on the person rather than the behaviour Ask for the other person’s input Listen, recognise and praise (if appropriate) Give constructive feedback face-to-face (whenever possible) and in private Self-monitor and ensure two-way feedback

On-the-job:

Provide ongoing, iterative feedback – there should be no surprise feedback at the time of formal performance reviews.

Prepare for the formal performance review discussion

The formal performance review is an opportunity to align staff goals, gain mutual agreement on progress towards these goals and overall performance. It can also build your relationship, trust and shared understanding. A check-list of managing a review conversation follows:

Checklist: Pre-conversation preparationPurpose

What do you want from the interaction/ conversation? What do I not want? What do I want from the relationship? How will I know if the staff member has accomplished the task or is achieving the desired results after the discussion? How will progress or

success be measured?

Before the conversation

How will I act in a way that will help me to achieve my purpose? (level of confrontation, questions to ask, etc) What are the personal needs, tendencies, or characteristics of this person that you need to consider?

Preparation actions and reflections

Gather and review examples and evidence Ask the employee for a self-review of performance prior to the conversation Reflect on what the employee has done well Reflect on what the employee could improve and his/ her possible development needs

Prepare notes, from your perspective

High performance work practices

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Compare the actual specific performance results and behaviours against goals and expectations Focus on behaviours, outcomes and impact rather than personality Consider feedback that you would like to provide

Checklist: Conducting the performance reviewThroughout the discussion, engage the staff member and seek input

Listen, ask questions, and use silence effectively Manage yourself (body language, interest) Reflect your understanding back to the staff member your understanding Aim for the staff member to be talking much more than you Be non-judgemental

Review progress against expectations

After an introduction and opening question, let the employee start on a self-assessment of performance Keep this review open to employee input Provide feedback (after inviting self-assessment) Don’t avoid the honest messages the staff member may need to hear (if applicable)

Set new expectations and goals

Focus on the future, not just on the past Set goals, expectations, and standards together for the next time period, linking to Division, agency and APS objectives and values Discuss development plans and options with the employee Confirm the way forward with SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Timed) goals and planning

End the discussion

Summarise the session and end on a positive note Get the staff member to reflect back key take-outs Set regular discussions between formal reviews

Checklist: Post-performance reviewDocument

Document the outcomes of the discussion

Maintain a continued, ongoing partnership

Remember that performance management is not ‘the review discussion’ Exchange iterative, ongoing feedback about performance goals/ expectations, as well as development priorities, throughout the year

High performance work practices

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Agree on quality and timing of informal and formal catch-ups

Manage underperformance effectively

Staged decision points

Task: Where can underperformance situations go wrong? For what potential reasons might this occur?

Approaches to underperformance require tailoring to match required action to the individual. It is important to consider the level and stage of underperformance as well as the potential root causes of the performance gap. A step-by-step approach that may heighten management effectiveness in dealing with many underperformance situations follows:

High performance work practices

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The first steps of this process focus on how as a manager you might manage informal discussions to manage underperformance issues. While the principles and core skills you apply to all performance management conversations remain the same, there are techniques when applying tools such as the GROW (Goal, Reality, Options, Way forward) model that will help you manage underperformance conversations most effectively.

Checklist: Steps to managing underperformanceStep 1: Prepare

Determine the issue/ performance gap Consider what might lie behind the gap – lack of knowledge, skill, confidence, motivation or obstacles Work out what you know Work out what you don’t know (and how you can get the information) Determine what you would like to see Determine what you don’t want to occur Prepare for an interaction in a way that will help achieve your purpose

Step 2: Interact

Lead a two-way conversation to discuss the gap and the causes (provide constructive feedback) Collaborate to set and clarify objectives Plan to resolve underperformance by jointly devising solutions

Step 3: Monitor and follow-up

Monitor and review progress against plan Provide feedback

High performance work practices

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Acknowledge improvement If no improvement over time – consult HR and consider formal processes

Manage and acknowledge talent

When managing and acknowledging talent:

Review potential motivators for your good to high performers Identify motivators that as a manager you can influence, how what makes individuals ‘tick’ Have conversations with good to high performers

Task: Think about the following factors of your work. Tick the top 6 that motivates you are work (i.e. that make you feel excited about going to work and performing the best that you can)

My own motivating role factors Tick

Autonomy: given appropriate responsibility, capacity and freedom to make decisions, empowerment

Benefits: flexible work hours, maternity leave, on site gym, etc. (doesn’t refer to money)

Career Development Plan: having opportunity for promotion or sideway career moves

Achieving and succeeding: being coached toward ‘achieving’ clear goals and motivation to succeed

Compensation: salary, superannuation scheme, vehicle and other allowances

Organisational culture: atmosphere, quality of leadership, staff attitudes and team spirit

Corporate image: working for a high profile, well-known organisation

Job fit: having work that you can do with confidence and enthusiasm (skills and interest match the task)

Job security: little likelihood that position will be made redundant

Professional growth: getting continuous training and development, learning on the job

Recognition and reward: feel appreciated and recognised for what you do

Support: feeling ‘in the loop’, supported by the people you work with and for

Work conditions: the physical work environment

Task: Identify the most popular 6 factors, then go through each of the role aspects and identify which aspects the manager can influence. If you feel that it is:

High performance work practices

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Solely the responsibility of the agency, mark it with an ‘A’ Solely the manager, mark it with an ‘M’ Both, mark it with an ‘A/M’

General motivating role factors Top 6? A or M or A/M

Autonomy: given appropriate responsibility, capacity and freedom to make decisions, empowerment

Benefits: flexible work hours, maternity leave, on site gym, etc. (doesn’t refer to money)

Career Development Plan: having opportunity for promotion or sideway career moves

Achieving and succeeding: being coached toward ‘achieving’ clear goals and motivation to succeed

Compensation: salary, superannuation scheme, vehicle and other allowances

Organisational culture: atmosphere, quality of leadership, staff attitudes and team spirit

Corporate image: working for a high profile, well-known organisation

Job fit: having work that you can do with confidence and enthusiasm (skills and interest match the task)

Job security: little likelihood that position will be made redundant

Professional growth: getting continuous training and development, learning on the job

Recognition and reward: feel appreciated and recognised for what you do

Support: feeling ‘in the loop’, supported by the people you work with and for

Work conditions: the physical work environment

Retain good to high performers

The RETAIN factors are noted below. If done well, this focus can help to motivate and retain your good to high performers. Note that it is not about retaining high performers in your team forever, rather it is about doing what it takes so that they continue to contribute to the success of your agency and/ or APS as a whole.

R Recognition and rewards

E Encourage professional growth

High performance work practices

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T Targeted selection

A Achievement

I Individual and team support

N Nurturing career development

Task: Note down RETAIN ideas that would be useful for you and your team.

Conversations with good to high performersTask: Using the GROW model, think about and note what do conversations with good to high performers focus on? For what reason(s)?

Source: Adapted from Institute of Executive Coaching and Leadership 2011

Task: Prepare and discuss an upcoming conversation with a good to high performer. How will you approach the conversation? What will you highlight (with what evidence)? What questions can you ask to draw out strengths?

Prepare a Personal 70:20:10 Learning approach

Goal related questionsWhat is your main challenge?What would you like to develop?In terms of this, what would be the ideal scenario?If you achieved this, what would this be like? What would you be thinking, feeling?In terms of goals, what would you like to happen now that is not happening now?

Reality related questionsWhat is the situation right now?What are your strengths and how have you been using them?In past situations, how did you go?What is standing in the way of you and your goals?What are the major concersn you have right now?What would be the implications of doing nothing?

Options related questionsWhat are you options for action?What is another option (x3)?What other approaches have you seen others use in this situation?What criteria will you use to judge the options?Based on that criteria, which looks like hte best option now?

Wrap-up related questionsWhat are the immediate next steps you need to take?What or who might get in the way?What do you need to do to overcome that?Precisely when will you take these next steps?What will the situation look like once you have taken these steps?

High performance work practices

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Action PlanThis learning approach is based on the notion that 70 percent of learning comes from on the job or action learning; 20 per cent comes from relational based activities; and 10 per cent from formal training events. Research in adult learning has indicated that the 70:20:10 model of development is central to knowledge and skill development. This is because the use of multiple methods can assist capability to grown over time.

PERSONAL ACTION PLANWhat?

The goal that I would like to achieve? What are the measures of

success?

How?What steps can I take to achieve

this goal using the 70:20:10 learning approach?

When?My set timeframe to achieve my

goal?

Who?What resources can I use/ target?