In a modern, successful enterprise, business leaders know that in order for managers and employees to improve and achieve company goals, performance development™ must always be top of mind. Moreover, today’s employees want to work for companies where they can learn and leaders invest in their career growth.
At BetterWorks, we think the key to achieving these objectives is to foster a culture of ongoing performance development. By doing so, businesses can ensure their own long-term success as well as employee satisfaction. There are five key ingredients to achieving this culture that every enterprise should consider:
1. Clarity of Goals
Any company that wants to encourage a culture of ongoing performance development must first ensure everyone from top level executives to entry-level employees align on individual, team and company goals. By effectively communicating goals, employees can develop a better understanding of how their work impacts the larger mission. Additionally, managers can use this insight to help their teams set progress-based goals. One way to facilitate this process is to leverage goal setting software that is interactive and visible for everyone in an organization. This type of tool will allow employees, managers and executives to see how individual goals relate to team and company goals.
“Employees who receive praise perform at a higher level.”
2. Balanced Feedback
Enterprises can improve performance and drive ongoing growth by ensuring balanced feedback is shared with managers and employees. According to a study from Harvard Business School, employees who receive praise and positive feedback before tackling an assignment or project perform at a higher level than those who do not receive this input. Positive feedback is crucial to performance development, but so is constructive feedback.
At BetterWorks, we think there’s a very important difference between “negative feedback” and “constructive criticism” because while one promotes growth, the other hinders it. Leaders should share solution-oriented, progress based feedback with their employees that gives them a chance to improve and excel.
3. Engaged Managers
Managers who are engaged in the company as well as the performance management process are essential to creating a culture of constant growth. According to our paper, “Goal Science Quarterly Q3 2015,” great managers display the following qualities:
- They influence and lead, rather than control their teams
- They coach and connect with their team members
- They share their own goals with the team
- They foster productivity through action
- They are supportive during conversations about progress toward achieving goals
Companies that want to foster ongoing performance development must realize managers are crucial to facilitating that end. With the right leaders, consistent growth is possible.