Has your team’s moral taken a dive? It’s time to rely on this proven performance management framework to get your team back on track.

1) Investigate – What’s really happening within the team? Is one member undermining the group? Or maybe the current challenges being faced by your company are distracting people from their jobs and causing a slump in mortality.
It’s typically related to performance – of either the entire team or of an individual. The reason may be that the wrong objectives have been established. It’s likely your team members feel their objectives are not doable or not practical. Performance management will help you to review these targets.

2) Execute – Performance management works best when there is an atmosphere of honesty and openness. It’s important to encourage this in your people. Workable, understandable objectives also need to be set. Ensure they are SMARTER (specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, time-bound, evaluated and re-evaluated). This useful mnemonic was developed from George T. Doran’s comments in Management Review and has been in use ever since. Help your team to understand how they can achieve their targets. They shouldn’t leave the preventive maintenance program until they understand the steps they should take to improve their work.

3) Give clear and ongoing feedback – Many managers, directors and even CEOs avoid providing feedback, likely because they see it as criticism. However, this really is not true. Everyone can benefit from being told in which areas they need to improve and which steps they should take to go about it. When giving feedback, it’s helpful to categorize it as “feedback,” making your intention of offering support evident.

4) Establish Goals – Make sure that all targets are clearly aligned to your company’s objectives. It should be clear to your team that their goals are closely aligned to the organizational goals. Make sure you repeatedly revisit this conversation, building a sense of purpose to the (sometimes) difficult days when your team is pushing through a tough project.

5) Praise! – When objectives are met, be sure to praise, reward and promote. Your team members must see that you, too, have an eye on their targets. The promise of promotion is a real motivator.

Dissatisfied teams can be extremely harmful to any business. When people perform poorly or in a negative atmosphere, no output, no matter how successful, will be maintainable. These performance management basics can tackle the problem head on. Individuals, teams and the company will benefit from a more positive working environment, which can only improve results. Who wouldn’t want that?

Leaders with the most impact are those who can build and successfully manage great teams. Every day, we help our clients and colleagues achieve their highest levels of professional presence and personal effectiveness. That includes everyone on the ladder, from company presidents to project managers, to staff members. Contact us at 800-282-3374 to find out how we can help you impact your own productivity and the productivity of your entire organization.