News: Performance Management
Targets and deadlines 'key part of performance management'
24 March 2009
Performance management training must emphasise the importance of setting staff realistic and useful targets and deadlines, an expert asserts.
Commentator Peter Honey writes in People Management that an effective session of this sort will involve giving employees goals and offering them the opportunity to either agree or negotiate on the issue.
He claims that the bad press targets often receive in the media overlooks their advantages, with benefits including being able to over-deliver, impress and identify problems or difficulties.
Among the advantages is effective performance management, giving executives the ability to review progress and develop employees, he says.
Mr Honey adds: "Agreed targets between consenting adults are the obvious antidote to imposed targets. Everyone has the right to be consulted about the targets and deadlines that affect them."
Ian Brinkley, associate director of the Work Foundation, recently advocated teaching a less intensive approach in management training as a way of improving efficiency.
