Essay Sample on Performance Management: Ensuring Results & Achieving Goals

Introduction

Performance management is a critical concern in all organizations because it is what ensures that results are achieved in line with the companies set goals and objectives. It monitors employee output against personal and company goals. It can, therefore, be said to be a process that is used to examine employees and establish their effectiveness in attaining the organizational objectives (Bruce 2015). It entails coming up with business actions, overseeing the development of the activities, and ensuring that they are bringing the business closer to its goals. Several issues between the company managers and employees can curtail the desirable achievement results within the organization. When there is performance mismanagement, it becomes difficult for an organization to realize its objectives because it curtails the process (Bruce 2015). There are several ways that lead to performance mismanagement, and they include not giving employees timely feedback, setting unrealistic and inappropriate goals, failure to show a clear way of improving, among others (Bruce 2015). The paper will, therefore, explore a scenario at the workplace, which entails a performance management aspect that was not properly handled and finding the reasons behind the mismanagement and establishing the best ways the issue would have been executed.

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Scenario

At my workplace, the performance management manager is an autocratic kind of leader who does not involve employees in making decisions, even in matters directly affecting them even when it is necessary. Our company consists of employees from different racial backgrounds as well as mixed gender. One morning in a performance meeting, a staff member who is a person of color and at the same time a woman gives an extremely valid opinion on suggestions that would help in improving employee performance in general. It happened that targets for the last six months had not been reached as poorer results were being posted every month. Worried about the trend, a crisis meeting had to be convened. The employee s described above suggested that the major reason for the dropping performance level is because employees are not allowed to express what is affecting them and not given a chance to explain what can be done to help them improve.

She further stated that it would be helpful if the manager allowed them to air out their grievances and be allowed to participate in the process of decision making, especially in critical issues that touch on them and performance in the organization. Before she could finish explaining her point, the manager told her to take her seat because women do not have any valid opinion to share before him and that people of color have nothing good to offer except to rant. The situation was not only embarrassing to the employee but to the whole team apart from the manager who looked satisfied when he gave the mean comments. Every one stood leaving the meeting as they were all agitated and felt disrespected.

Reasons for the Management Issue Going Wrong

The scenario above is uncalled for, and the manager was wrong when he approached the issue from the point of gender bias and failure to embrace diversity. The reason why the performance management issue went wrong is that the manager is a racist and does not appreciate diversity in the workplace. He should not have made mean comments to the employee who only wanted to give an opinion, which would be helpful in salvaging the bad performance trend that has been ongoing. Diversity is an issue that all employees should be sensitized about, and the management should ensure that diversity training is conducted to avoid such issues from being experienced.

In the Harvard business review, the aspect of diversity training is explored and considered as one of the critical aspects of boosting performance and ensuring respect, understanding, and better treatment of all employees. The article looks at the typical scenario of a manager who cares about diversity not only professionally but also personally. The article states, "Lana was the head of Human Resources for Bedia, a company in the media industry that felt, at times, like an old boy's network. Diversity wasn't just a professional issue for her; she cared about it personally" (Bregman 2012). It is an indication that it is the role of a manger to ensure that diversity at the workplace is embraced for the good performance of employees. It is to be their culture, and they have the desire to ensure that all employees follow it (Bregman 2012). Bregman also explains the importance of diversity training explaining that it has to be redone if the employees are have not understood it implies that it is important and management should ensure that it is well understood

Diversity is not only a way of bringing unity and respect among the employees but a strategy through which exemplary results can be achieved. Thomas, in Harvard business review, explains about diversity as a strategy that has done several businesses to have a turnaround in its performance (Thomas 2004). He gives an example of IBM's success story of which was able to make millions because of its way of embracing diversity. The author explains that Lou Gerstner brought a turnaround in IBM, although it was already embracing diversity and advocated for respect and equal treatment of its employees (Thomas 2004). Gerstner took diversity to a new level, which was ensuring that not only employees were diverse but also the management.

In this regard, the organization should put diversity at the top as a tool used to bring respect to all employees, which in turn makes them give a great performance. Thomas explains that diversity should be embraced and applied to both the management and employees, just like Gerstner did. He states, "But when Gerstner took a look at his senior executive team, he felt it didn't reflect the diversity of the market for talent or IBM's customers and employees. To rectify the imbalance, in 1995, Gerstner launched a diversity task-force initiative that became a cornerstone of IBM's HR strategy" (Thomas 2004). It is evident that diversity is primary not only to employees but also to the management who will head by example.

Over the years, gender issues have become a controversial topic, and in the scenario above, a sensitive issue touching on demeaning women can be realized. The manager is not only mean but has failed to exercise diversity because women can give valid opinions just as men. In this regard, it was unprofessional for the manager to state that women have no valid opinion, a gesture that shows gender bias and failure to embrace diversity (Ely 2004). Robin .J. Ely state that for an organization to embrace diversity and counter issues relating to gender and race, it has to ensure that an aggressive affirmative accomplishment is exercised right from hiring. Through a case study of city financial services, the process was applied, and great results were achieved as half the population was employees, and 53% was made up of people of color (Ely 2004). It is a strategy that needs to be implemented so that diversity is realized employees feel accommodated and respected.

Another aspect that is evident from the scenario is that the manager being autocratic did not have any relationship, either formal or informal, with his employees (Casciaro & Lobo 2005). Good relationships at the workplace are crucial not only horizontally but also laterally so that managers can interact with their juniors in an easy way and be able to identify their problems. Tiziana Casciaro and Miguel Sousa Lobo in the June issue of the HBR explain that relationships are important in the achievement of results (Casciaro & Lobo 2005). The authors explain that having good relationships ensures that people interact in ways that ensure that work is done. It enhances collaboration and helps employees in achieving great results as they will have the necessary support system.

In my view, the issue would have been done in a better way by the manager by giving audience to the employee and no judging them by the color of their skin or gender. The manager should have embraced diversity and understand that performance and opinions of people have nothing to do with their gender or race. It was a wrong gesture that indicates a lack of diverse knowledge in the manager. All employees need to be trained on the aspect of diversity to avoid such occurrence from being experienced in the future.

The organization would have ensured that all employees, both junior and senior, are trained on diversity issues so that they are able to embrace and apply it practically at work. It is the role of any organization to ensure that employees are motivated, respected, and accepted regardless of their race or gender. It should have also ensured that junior staff is involved in the decision-making process, especially on matters affecting them directly, such as performance. On the other hand, the manager would have listened to the opinion of the employee and note it done for action. Similarly, he should embrace diversity and understand that employees need to be respected regardless of their race or color. Also, he should not make decisions alone but allow the employees to be part of its autocratic management style is traditional and brings little results.

Conclusion

If I were the manager, I would have ensured that respect and diversity are among the top goals in ensuring that employees stay motivated for better performance. I would also not impose decisions but allow employees to be part of the decision-making process, especially on matters that directly affect them, such as performance. The employees involved would have aired out their grievances to a higher authority.

References

Bregman, P. (2012). Diversity training doesn't work. Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2012/03/diversity-training-doesnt-work

Bruce.S (2015) 10 Flaws of a Typical Performance Management System retrieved from https://hrdailyadvisor.blr.com/2015/03/30/10-flaws-of-a-typical-performance-management-system/

Casciaro .T.& Lobo. S.M (2005) Competent Jerks, Lovable Fools, and the Formation of Social Networks https://hbr.org/2005/06/competent-jerks-lovable-fools-and-the-formation-of-social-networks

Ely, R. & Vargas, I. (2006). Managing Diversity at Cityside Financial Services. Harvard Business School Publishing. https://www.hbs.edu/faculty/Pages/item.aspx?num=31836

Pichler, S. (2012). The social context of performance appraisal and appraisal reactions: A meta-analysis. Human Resource Management, 51 (5), 709-732.

Thomas, D.A. (2004). Diversity as a strategy. Harvard Business Review.https://hbr.org/2004/09/diversity-as-strategy