Continuous Performance Management — What’s that all about?
Like many, I’ve experienced the failings of the annual performance review from both sides.
I experienced them early in my career as a software engineer and later as a manager when my team were invariably disappointed and disheartened with the overall outcome.
Surely, there has to be a better approach? Thankfully there is.
What is Continuous performance management, and why now
Continuous performance management is a modern, people-centred approach to real-time performance-focused conversations.
With it, people are empowered to own their career priorities, set and align their goals to business priorities and engage in real-time performance feedback throughout the entire year of work.
It’s needed now because the way and pace of work are changing for the better — shifting to prioritising agility, cross-functional collaboration, hybrid and remote teams and continuous feedback.
So it makes sense that how we manage performance and develop people would evolve too?
Continuous performance management is delivered in the flow of work.
When people do great work, praise and recognition are best delivered in the moment. Why wait months for a formal review to deliver it?
Companies are investing heavily in frameworks and tools that allow for frequent informal feedback and regular check-ins with managers and make performance more about them and less about the process.
Continuous performance management is about growth and development.
More than ever, people want to see a plan for their growth.
Creating a culture where people are comfortable giving feedback up, down, and throughout the business becomes a priority. Investing in managers to facilitate coaching conversations and aligning individual and business priorities ensures every person has a purpose in their work and a ‘growth’ mindset.
When companies get this right, great things happen.
Continuous performance management builds a culture of trust.
None of this goes to plan without creating the right environment.
An effective strategy for this begins with a foundation of trust and gratitude; There’s no doubt that manager-employee relationships are strengthened by improving communication, frequency and prioritising coaching conversations. People still need to feel comfortable engaging in and providing feedback.
With a positive, trusting culture, growth happens.
