Performance Evaluation and Career Development
Chapter 12: Performance Evaluation and Career Development Strategy
Introduction
Effective administration requires a thorough understanding of how managers plan, organize, staff, direct, and control. This chapter explores performance evaluation methods and strategies for career development.
Selection of Evaluation Criteria
Performance in Meeting Targets
Evaluating performance based on verifiable targets chosen in advance is highly valuable. These targets should be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART).
Performance as Managers
In addition to meeting objectives, managers should be evaluated on their overall performance in their roles. This includes their leadership skills, communication skills, and ability to motivate and develop their team.
Evaluation of Managers Based on Verifiable Targets
A network of attainable and meaningful targets is crucial for effective management. Supervisors assess managers based on the extent to which they set and achieve these objectives.
Different Views on Assessment Issues
There are various perspectives on performance evaluation, including:
- Subjective or Objective Evaluation: While evaluation should focus on results, it’s important to avoid relying solely on numbers and consider qualitative factors.
- Self-Judgment: Some believe that administrators, with their authority, should be the sole judges of their subordinates’ performance. However, this approach assumes that verifiable objectives are established beforehand.
- Evaluation of Past Performance or Future Development: Learning from past mistakes is important, but the focus should be on using this knowledge to create development plans for the future.
Three Types of Reviews
Performance evaluation can be categorized into three types:
- Formal Comprehensive Evaluation: This should be conducted at least annually, with more frequent analysis as needed. Comprehensive reviews should be supplemented by regular progress reviews.
- Periodic Reviews or Progress Reviews: These can be shorter and less formal but still help identify potential problems or obstacles to performance.
- Ongoing Monitoring of Performance: There’s no need to wait for a formal review to address deviations from performance plans. Supervisors and subordinates should address issues immediately.
Advantages of Evaluation Based on Verifiable Targets
The benefits of this approach align with those of management by objectives. It promotes effective management and provides a means of improving management quality. Evaluating performance based on verifiable targets is a practical and objective procedure.
Disadvantages of Evaluation Based on Verifiable Targets
One limitation is that achieving or failing to meet goals may not be entirely attributable to individuals. External factors and unforeseen circumstances can also play a role.
From an operational management perspective, a significant drawback is that it primarily evaluates operating performance and may not fully capture other crucial aspects, such as an individual’s management skills.
A Programmatic Proposal: Evaluation of Managers as Such
The most suitable criteria for evaluating managers are the foundational elements of administration. This program involves classifying managerial functions and developing a series of questions related to each function. These questions aim to reflect the critical underpinnings of administration in every area. Managers are evaluated based on their performance in these activities, using a scale from 0 (inadequate) to 5 (superior).
Sample Questions for the Evaluation of Managers as Such
- Planning: Does the administrator consistently set verifiable short-term and long-term goals for the department that align with those of their superiors and the company?
- Organization: Does the administrator delegate authority to subordinates based on expected results?
Advantages of the New Program
This program provides a consistent framework for understanding and evaluating various aspects of management, such as budgeting, target setting, personnel integration, functional authority, and delegation. It has proven effective in management development.
Disadvantages of the New Program
It primarily focuses on administrative aspects and may not fully address technical skills (e.g., marketing, engineering) that could also be essential for a given role.
Rewards and Stresses of Administration
Rewards of Administration
Candidates for management positions have diverse needs and motivations, but common rewards include opportunities for growth, power, and income.
- Pay for Performance: Rewards should be timely, meaning they should be given immediately after the successful completion of work.
Tensions in Administration
Administrative roles can be stressful. Stress is an adaptive response influenced by individual differences and psychological processes. It can result from external demands (environmental) that exceed a person’s psychological or physical capacity.
Formulation of the Career Development Strategy
Individuals should develop their own career strategies to leverage their strengths, address weaknesses, and capitalize on opportunities.
- Developing a Personal Profile: Clarity about personal values helps guide career direction.
- Development of Personal and Professional Goals in the Long Run: Long-term goals should be translated into short-term objectives. This requires a thorough assessment of the external environment, including threats and opportunities.
- Environmental Analysis: Threats and Opportunities: Identify external factors that may impact career progression.
- Analysis of Personal Strengths and Weaknesses: Understand your capabilities and areas for improvement.
- Development of Strategic Career Choices: The most effective strategies align personal strengths with opportunities.
- Testing Congruence and Strategic Choices: Ensure that career choices align with personal values and interests.
- Development of Career Goals and Short-Term Action Plans: Develop specific objectives and action plans that contribute to long-term goals.
- Development of Contingency Plans: Prepare for unexpected events by developing alternative plans based on different scenarios.
- Tools of the Security Plan: Professional goals and personal ambitions should be considered in selection, promotion, and training program design.
- Progress Monitoring: Regularly evaluate progress towards career goals and make necessary adjustments to plans.