Most of the time, performance management is often placed in context of improving employees. After all, key benefits of continuous performance management (CPM) indicate the focus is warranted: More feedback helps employees do their job better, while greater managerial support and communication can improve staff morale, which all feeds into greater productivity.
That's not to say, however, that CPM is without any effect on manager quality and preparedness. Indeed, as modern work cultures are transformed by technology and new societal shifts, managers will need to keep up with the latest trends and skills needed to manage today's talent.
Much like communication and feedback, performance management is a two-way street: Managers must learn how they can not only improve their employees but also themselves. And looking at the ideals of CPM can help put leaders on the right path.
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Becoming human again
Clashes between management and employees can result from perceptions like the former being stiff, uninterested in rank-and-file opinions or ruling from on high. Whether true or not, the stereotype can hurt relationships and was recently addressed in an article published in the Harvard Business Review. In it, authors wrote about the need for managers to "humanize" themselves.
"Leadership today is about unlearning management and relearning being human," Javier Pladevall, CEO of Audi Volkswagen, Spain, told the writers, who recommended that leaders need to be personal, self-aware and compassionate.
Managers can strive to mirror these ideals by using CPM to facilitate more opportunities for engaging employees and connecting with them on a personal level. More than ever, this type of strategy will determine how successfully managers can shape productive, motivated and committed employees.
Resolve communication issues
Nearly 70 percent of managers are at least somewhat uncomfortable communicating with employees, according to a Harris Poll survey. That should be a big concern for businesses. It's also a problem that can be more easily solved with CPM. In the same survey, respondents noted recognizing employee achievements and giving clear directions were challenges. Under a normalized feedback structure, like CPM, managers have more opportunities to work on those hang-ups.
Instead of tense annual reviews, relationships between managers and employees can thrive on constant communication and feedback. For more information on what tools businesses will need to leverage CPM, contact BetterWorks today.
