Skills and Knowledge Activity

Using your knowledge of performance measurement, personal development and goal

setting, produce an example of employee’s work performance.
Identify areas for development and explain what criteria must be attained in order for that
employee to qualify for a development opportunity. Select an area for improvement, such as
time management, and outline the training that your hypothetical employee could take in
order to improve their performance, such as by informing them of the effect their lateness
or slow pace has on the business and their teammates. Refer to the four main learning
styles, as explained in the Learner Guide and adapt your training proposal to suit each
learning style, so you have four choices available. Include your recommendations on
methods to achieve a healthy work-life balance and for participation in networks.

Measuring employee performance can be a challenge for many organisations. Currently we are
mentoring some of our large corporate clients to implement the right measures. This article is
the first in a series regarding the implementation of KPI's.

To adequately advise, coach and counsel people on how to improve their performance we must be
able to communicate what makes up performance. To be able to adequately appraise performance
of individuals in a team, the detail of the evaluation must be comparable between employees.

As an organisation you analyse your mission, identify stakeholders, and define your goals, then you
need a way to measure progress toward those goals. Key Performance Indicators are those
measurements.

Key Performance Indicators, also known as KPI or Key Success Indicators (KSI), help an organisation
define and measure progress toward organisational goals.

The adage "What gets measured, gets done" is true. KPIs focus employees' attention on the tasks
and processes that management deem most critical to the success of the business. Among all the
tools available to management, KPIs are perhaps the most powerful to change the organisation and
move it in a new direction.

KPIs can also be used in the following ways:

 To develop and monitor industry standards (benchmarks) for the organisation.

 To monitor the implementation and ongoing management of strategic business plans.
 To assist with development of performance based payroll remuneration systems.
 To encourage employees to create a sense of ‘ownership’ over key aspects of the business.

Many things are measurable. That does not make them key to the organisation's success. In selecting
Key Performance Indicators, it is critical to limit them to those factors that are essential to the
organisation reaching its goals. It is also important to keep the number of Key Performance Indicators
small just to keep everyone's attention focused on achieving the same KPIs.

So What Are Key Performance Indicators?

Key Performance Indicators are quantifiable measurements agreed to beforehand, that reflect the
critical success factors of an organisation. They will differ depending on the organisation. A business
may have as one of its Key Performance Indicators the percentage of its income that comes from
return customers.

How can you define a good KPI for your business? The following tips could be helpful:

1. Quantity: The number of units produced, processed or sold is a good objective indicator of
performance. Be careful of placing too much emphasis on quantity, lest quality suffer.

2. Quality: The quality of work performed can be measured by several means. The percentage of
work output that must be redone or is rejected is one such indicator. In a sales environment, the
percentage of inquiries converted to sales is an indicator of salesmanship quality.

3. Timeliness: How fast work is performed is another performance indicator important in nearly
every business. In field service, the average customer’s downtime is a good indicator of timeliness. In
manufacturing, it might be the number of units produced per hour.

4. Cost-Effectiveness: The cost of work performed should be used as a measure of performance only
if the employee has some degree of control over costs. For example, a customer-service
representative’s performance is indicated by the percentage of calls that he or she must escalate to
more experienced and expensive reps.

5. Creativity: It can be difficult to quantify creativity as a performance indicator, but in many white-
collar jobs, it is vitally important. Supervisors and employees should keep track of creative work
examples and attempt to quantify them.

6. Adherence to Policy: This may seem to be the opposite of creativity, but it is merely a boundary
on creativity. Deviations from policy indicate an employee whose performance goals are not well
aligned with those of the company.

7. Gossip and Other Personal Habits: They may not seem performance-related to the employee, but
some personal habits, like gossip, can detract from job performance and interfere with the
performance of others. The specific behaviors should be defined, and goals should be set for
reducing their frequency.

8. Personal Appearance/Grooming: Most people know how to dress for work, but in many
organisations, there is at least one employee who needs to be told. Examples of inappropriate
appearance and grooming should be spelled out, their effects upon the employee’s performance and
that of others explained, and corrective actions defined.

Performance Appraisal

Performance indicators must be assessed by some means in order to measure performance itself.
Here are some of the ways in which performance is assessed from the aforementioned indicators.

1. Manager Appraisal: A manager appraises the employee’s performance and delivers the appraisal
to the employee. Manager appraisal is by nature top-down and does not encourage the employee’s
active participation. It is often met with resistance, because the employee has no investment in its
development.

2. Self-Appraisal: The employee appraises his or her own performance, in many cases comparing the
self-appraisal to management's review. Often, self-appraisals can highlight discrepancies between
what the employee and management think are important performance factors and provide mutual
feedback for meaningful adjustment of expectations.
3. Peer Appraisal: Employees in similar positions appraise an employee’s performance. This method
is based on the assumption that co-workers are most familiar with an employee’s performance. Peer
appraisal has long been used successfully in manufacturing environments, where objective criteria
such as units produced prevail. Recently, peer appraisal has expanded to white-collar professions,
where soft criteria such as “works well with others” can lead to ambiguous appraisals. Peer
appraisals are often effective at focusing an employee’s attention on undesirable behaviors and
motivating change.

4. Team Appraisal: Similar to peer appraisal in that members of a team, who may hold different
positions, are asked to appraise each other’s work and work styles. This approach assumes that the
team’s objectives and each member’s expected contribution have been clearly defined.

5. Assessment Center: The employee is appraised by professional assessors who may evaluate
simulated or actual work activities. Objectivity is one advantage of assessment centers, which
produce reviews that are not clouded by personal relationships with employees.

6. 360-Degree or “Full-Circle” Appraisal: The employee’s performance is appraised by everyone with

whom he of she interacts, including managers, peers, customers and members of other
departments. This is the most comprehensive and expensive way to measure performance, and it is
generally reserved for key employees.

7. MBO (Management by Objectives): The employee’s achievement of objective goals set in concert
with his or her manager is assessed. The MBO process begins with action statements such as,
“reduce rejected parts to 5 percent.” Ongoing monitoring and review of objectives keeps the
employee focused on achieving goals. At the annual review, progress toward objectives is assessed,
and new goals are set.
Major Activity

1. To evaluate your position as a role model. Identify ways in which you can improve
your skills and knowledge, include your requirements to listen and question those
involved

Attend conferences and workshops

Attending conferences or hands-on workshops will give you a chance learn about the latest
developments in your field and keep your skills and knowledge up to date. It can also be a
great way to meet and exchange ideas with other professionals in your industry.
If you’re not sure what sort of workshops or conferences would be worth your time and
money, talk to your overseers and colleagues or take a look at some of your past
performance reviews to see if there are any specific areas you’d like to improve in.
Even if your employers aren’t willing or able to cover the cost of attending such events, you
may still be able to convince them that it’s worthwhile for you to attend on company time by
showing them how it will help you develop your skills and perform your duties more
effectively.

2. Develop personal work goals, plans and activities to reflect your organisations goals

1. List your goals, roles, responsibilities and accountabilities of your job. You may use the
formal organisation position description and or job specification or you can develop your
own with the support of your coach or other learners doing similar work.
2. How do you plan and organise activities to achieve the organisational plans efficiently and
effectively? What planning and organising tools and techniques do you use for this work?
3. What techniques and methods do you use with your team, customers, suppliers and
others to make sure that work in progress is on target and to plan in the short term e.g. up to
3 months and for the longer term 12 months or longer?
4. How does the organisation's plans, vision and mission assist you in carrying out your role
and responsibilities?

Constructing your understanding

To examine your understanding of managing yourself in workplace to achieve organisational
plans in accordance with your role and responsibilities complete the following questions:
5. What is the organisation's plan, vision or mission statement and targets/objectives? Write
your own vision/mission statement for your organisation and, if necessar, confirm it with
your immediate or senior manager as required.
6. How do the activities of your team contribute to and support the achievement of the
organisations plan's, vision and mission?
7. What initiatives have you taken to extend your personal goals outside of your normal role
and responsibilities to achieve the organisation's plans? What was the outcome and did it
result in a change to your role and responsibilities? Was the initiative undertaken on your
own responsibility or done in consultation with your management? Please explain.
8. Consult with your coach/team and others and identify any current team goals and plans
that do not support the organisation's plans.
3. Measure your performance against work place contexts and contingencies

A contingency theory is an organizational theory that claims that there is no best way to
organize a corporation, to lead a company, or to make decisions. Instead, the optimal course
of action is contingent (dependent) upon the internal and external situation. A contingent
leader effectively applies their own style of leadership to the right situation.

The context and conditions of assessment clarify the target group and purpose of the tool
and is recorded in instructions for the assessor, the learner and any contributing third party.
The instructions should be appropriate for the reader. The instructions can be included with
the assessment instrument or attached as a separate document. The context and conditions
of assessment considers those characteristics of the learner cohort that may impact on
performance. For example, an assessment tool could be developed to cater for particular
language, literacy and numeracy requirements; a learner’s workplace experience; or other
learner needs that require reasonable adjustment. The context of the assessment may also
take into account assessments already completed, and the competencies demonstrated in
these assessments. By looking at context you can consider the conditions under which
evidence for assessment must be gathered. Training package requirements and industry
consultation may identify conditions to be considered when conducting assessment such as:
 equipment or material requirements
 contingencies
 specifications
 physical conditions
 relationships with team members and supervisors
 relationships with clients/customers
 timeframes for completion.

4. Prioritise and facilitate competing demands to achieve personal performance levels

1. The to-do list. Don’t keep it on different post-it notes or in your head — at the beginning of
each day or week, write on a sheet of paper what you want to get done and by when. Rank
tasks according to importance or urgency to plan your day and focus your mind.
2. Review your workload regularly. Is there one task that always ends up at the bottom of the
pile? If you find you’re avoiding it, can somebody else do it? Consider delegating whole
projects that you don’t need to be involved in or allocate a specific time when you only do
your admin, for example.
3. Remember the 80:20 rule of workloads. It’s very simple — 80 per cent of our work
contributes to less than 20 per cent of its value. Concentrate on the most crucial 20 per cent
of your workload, because performance would still be strong.
4. Set realistic deadlines for your tasks. Look at your to-do list and estimate the time each task
needs to be completed but don’t be overoptimistic. Be honest of what you can achieve in a
working day or week so that you don’t feel overwhelmed from the start.
5. Allow time for interruptions. If you need to finish a certain task at a certain time, only deal
with urgent queries during this time. You can then quickly pick up again where you left off.
5. Use appropriate technology to write this report and use an electronic diary to draw a
timeline for the development of your personal goals

Greatest benefits of business productivity software: Using technology to maximize your

business productivity creates the platform to realize true business success. Business
productivity software ensures organizations have the tools to overcome the challenges of
executing on strategy every day and prospering in today's economic times. Increased
business productivity can be traced to the automation of processes allowing for faster
communication of strategy, increased time spent on strategic priorities and greater project
completion rates.

6. What steps will you take to ensure that you maintain a work-life balance and
minimise stress

Delegate. Delegate your business and family responsibilities. If your kids are older, get them
and your spouse to assist you with the family tasks. If you are at your job, then delegate
some of your responsibilities to your other qualified employees.
If you try to do everything, you will get upset and anxious. A person can only do so much in a
given day. If you feel like you are doing too much, then take a break and evaluate your
situation.
Prioritize your tasks. Determine what needs done right away and do those particular tasks in
order of importance. That way, you won't be constantly worrying about completing these
vital projects and can relax (a little bit) after they are complete.
Communicate. Don’t waste your time assuming that certain people will do what they need
to do. Talk to your coworkers and your family so that everybody is on the same page. This
can not only save you a lot of time but also will reduce your stress level.

7. Assess your personal knowledge and skills against your competency standards to
determine your development needs.

First, you need to conduct a job analysis to identify the knowledge, skills and attributes
required to perform your job. A job analysis will also tell you the qualifications, experience
and competencies you require to achieve your goals and successfully perform your job.
Secondly, the results of the analysis may identify gaps which you will have to address to
ensure you meet the competency standards.
Thirdly, you are now ready to plan how and when you will achieve the identified gap needs.
You may not be able to achieve all the needs, but you can prioritise them into the order of
most urgent knowledge and skills required, to the less important.
You can gain knowledge from: the organisation’s business or strategic plan; policies and
procedures; annual reports; and attending management meetings. Other sources of
information for enhancing your managerial role include: legislation; laws; and keeping
abreast with changes in the organisation and the global market.
8. Obtain feedback about your performance from work associates.

Receiving feedback can be equally valuable for leaders, who can gain powerful insights from
employees.
While it might seem awkward to turn the tables, asking your team members to provide
feedback on your performance as a leader can help you strengthen your performance. A
couple of ways to pose this question without making anyone feel uncomfortable is to ask:
“How can I make your job easier?” or “What type of support could I offer to help you
perform your job better?”
Another is to give your team members an anonymous survey (let’s face it: not many
employees would be bold enough to air a beef if their name was attached to it).
When you are on the receiving end of feedback, take pause and consider the comment
before either letting it go to your head or taking a defensive stance. Remember that the
objective is not to flatter you or to be mean-spirited; it is — or at least, it should be — to
help you improve. Have you heard similar comments from other people? Can you think of
instances where this comment may ring true? If it is negative in nature, how can you use it in
a constructive way?
If feedback is coming in the context of a verbal discussion, it is important to resist the urge to
argue. Instead, thank the person for their feedback. Whether you agree with them or not,
their feedback is based on their perceptions.

9. What method/s would you use to develop your competence in your weak areas so
you can develop your skills?

 On the job learning and training is an important way of developing competence.

 Participate in new projects / working groups in your workplace.
 Attend training courses / seminars / conferences in and outside your company.
 Pursue doctoral studies.
 Study for another complementary degree.
 Read and study on your own, use e-learning possibilities.
 Do web research on specific professional items.
 Write articles in magazines, scientific periodicals or on the web to make yourself known as a
professional.
 Learn through networking and discussion groups inside and outside your company /
organisation.
 Join expert groups of technical organisations.
 Reflect on what you have done and learned. That will deepen the knowledge and help you
look at things from new angles. Share and communicate your knowledge and expertise in
professional groups, engineering associations by giving lectures, coaching or training.

10. Review your network and Identify ways in which you can improve them.
Give example using the feedback obtained in Point Number 8
 To build your pipeline and reach potential buyers you wouldn't normally get access to, it's
essential to always be expanding your network. Here are some tips to help you improve your
networking skills.
1. Take a close look at the network and resources that you already have in place. Don't
overlook the hidden potential that is all around you. Creating new opportunities from pre-
existing ones is the most elemental of networking skills.
2. You can network anywhere, with anyone. When looking for organizations to join to help you
build your relationships and connections, choose groups where you can make a contribution
and will be interested in what is going on.
3. Communicating your message is a means of gaining credibility that is best accomplished
through substance, not style. Listening and asking questions helps you build rapport and
trust. Practice your communications until you feel confident that your message will come
across as genuine and unscripted.
4. Most of us can't just show up at an event, stand around, and expect people to come up
and talk to us.Be proactive and start conversations with others. This does not mean you have
to be the center of attention and the life of the party. Simply be yourself and the rest will fall
into place.
5. Keep the conversation fresh and interesting. Balance the amount that you talk with the
amount the other person is talking and ask open-ended questions.
6. Exit quickly from conversations that aren't good matches. When you find good
conversations with people who could be the right fit, don't be too quick to leave. A few rich
conversations and good new connections can make for a very successful event.

11. How can you develop new skills and knowledge to maintain a competitive edge in
your industry?

You should always be looking for ways to expand your existing professional skills and develop
new ones. No matter what role you’re in or how long you’ve been there, you always have
room for growth. If you ever find yourself saying, “There’s nothing more to learn,” you’re
kidding yourself. You’re just not looking hard enough. And you’re probably not being totally
honest about your capabilities.
New technology shows up every day. New ideas are always being explored. You simply can’t
know everything. Look for opportunities to practice different skills, implement new
processes, take on new responsibilities or try out new technology. Get creative if you have to.
Just remember that there’s no such thing as standing still. Every day you aren’t moving
forward you’re actually falling behind.