D(esign) Playbook - People

Performance Management

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Keys to Performance Management:

Goal Setting:

Goals should be i.) clearly aligned with organizational strategy of the firm at multiple levels (top, your unit, your team, etc) and linked to the highest priority outcomes as understood to the company and its customers/benefactors.

ii.) Specific and measurable, specifically constructed in a way that clearly defines how to know when team members have reached their goal.

iii.) Framed in time, with clear start time and deadlines.

iv.) Achievable but challenging, allowing the goal to serve as a reinforcement for growth.

and v.) Tailored to the individual, not only from the perspective of promoting ownership to these desired outcomes, but also at the macro level of including personal practice and growth goals within this construct.

Also consider the method of formalizing, communicating, and presenting a visual form for reinforcement and tracking. Reach out to me to share my past explorations (see “goals bingo cards or baseball cards” for team members).

• Consider how you might collaboratively develop and update these goals year over year with your team members (TO BE DEVELOPED IN FUTURE UPDATE).

Keys to Active Performance Management:

i.) Regular and intentional one-on-ones that

• a.) make use of and remain grounded in the well thought-out goals you have established (its key both that you have developed these goals well and that you are then reinforcing and remaining grounded in them through your one-on-ones)

• b.) recognize and reinforce excellence, including always taking the opportunity to shout-out individuals and their contributions but also making certain to set appropriate expectations regarding promotion and growth potential and following through

• c.) are well documented, including a digital record of one-on-ones that

  • record the date and specifics of what happened

  • stick to facts, not judgments, populating this log with only agreed upon materials will allow the record to be clear for future use…this includes noting associate statements especially regarding unique views or descent

  • are generated the same day (or even better in real time) of the one-on-one

  • are supported by a file of communications, accomplishments (think praise or unsolicited feedback from partners), or other artifacts that may be transmitted between you and the team member outside of regular one-on-ones

Performance Reviews:

Often times the formal procedure for this exercise may be beyond your direct control. However, some tenets to consider during formal reviews include i.) building from the strong goals, and performance tracking you have developed and encouraged ii.) ensure that the process is transparently communicated in terms of what and how it functions (especially with regards to its impact on promotion/leveling, team structure, etc) iii.) ensure that there is an adequately clear system that informs how people managers across your unit/group express this exercise for their team members and iv.) wherever possible, check against any incentive towards biases reviews of any type.

• Consider sharing the linkage of past leveling frameworks and design performance frameworks.

Citations/Learn More:

*Last updated 4/24/2020, please note this is for the purpose of allowing me to document and evolve my thoughts, experiences, and approach. I’d very much appreciate the opportunity to learn from you sharing yours. Reach out to me at jaydubois@gmail.com or @jaydubois