Our impact

Evolving a rating-less performance management system

We helped IT ‘early adopters’ to leverage neuroscience research and evolve to a rating-less performance management system.

The Challenge

The leaders of a dedicated IT solution provider chose to evolve their existing performance management system to enable even higher levels of employee engagement, retention and development. Leaders saw an opportunity to better align roles and work with core organisational objectives. The challenge was how to promote, educate and embed a new way of guiding performance throughout the organisation by setting a pattern of more frequent and higher quality performance conversations.

The Approach

The client invited us to design a number of learning sessions to promote the new approach. The sessions gave participants an opportunity to practice the skills critical to managing performance. During the Launch session, the executive team outlined the new strategic objectives and reinforced the importance of defining meaningful team and individual objectives relevant to work timeframes. All leaders also explored and practiced key skills required to ensure team members stay on track, such as setting meaningful objectives, checking in and providing feedback, coaching, and acknowledging successes.

To reinforce the changes that would take place over time, all leaders formed ‘Walk-Talk’ trios. They were tasked with informal discussions (while walking) to explore and resolve any challenges arising from the shift to more frequent, meaningful conversations with team members. In parallel, the client’s online system was adapted to line up with the new work practices.

The Outcome

Since the launch, there has been strong buy-in from leaders across the business. Not only has removing artificial definitions and ratings streamlined the performance management process, but leaders are also more attuned to relevant timeframes for performance conversations. Anecdotal evidence is that leaders support the evolution and see benefits for themselves and others. ‘Walk-Talk’ trios are continuing to support each other in resolving the challenges in managing performance more intentionally.

The organisation will be looking for cues over the coming cycle to assess how to fine-tune the process, support leaders in adapting their habits, and continue to remove barriers to individual and team performance.