MA 114.

Performance Management Systems

Module 2: PLANNING PHASE OVERVIEW

The planning phase is a collaborative effort involving both managers and employees during which
they will:
✓ Review the employee’s job description to determine if it reflects the work that the employee is
currently doing.
✓ Identify and review the links between the employee’s job description, his or her work plan, and
the organization’s goals, objectives and strategic plan.
✓ Develop a work plan that outlines the tasks or deliverables to be completed, the expected
results and the measures or standards that will be used to evaluate performance.
✓ Identify critical areas that will be key performance objectives for the year. The choice of areas
may be determined by the organization’s strategic plan, by the employee’s desire to improve
outcomes in a certain part of his or her job or by a need to emphasize a particular aspect of
the job.
✓ Identify training objectives that will help the employee grow his or her skills, knowledge and
competencies related to the work.
✓ Identify career development objectives that can be part of longer-term career planning.

WRITE S.M.A.R.T. GOALS

The objectives and indicators need to be S.M.A.R.T.

SPECIFIC
Clearly specify the task to be done, when it must be completed, who is to accomplish it, and how
much is to be accomplished.
MEASUREABLE
Use multiple measures if possible, for example, quantity, quality, time frame and cost. Ask questions
such as: How much? How many? How will I know when it is accomplished?
ATTAINABLE
Ensure there is a reasonable path to achievement and an excellent chance that objectives will be
accomplished.
RELEVANT
Goals should be aligned with the organization’s overall mission or strategy. Goals measure outcomes,
not activities.
TIME BASED
Set a clear time frame for achieving performance objectives/goals. In most cases, objectives must be
completed by the end of the performance review period.

EXAMPLE
Well-Written Performance Objective/Goal
By Sept. 10, 2013, use instructional system design methodologies to design and develop a one-day
PMP course for state employees, so participants are able to constructively build their knowledge about
the performance management process in the course being offered in fall 2013.

SPECIFIC:
What: Design and develop a one-day PMP course for state employees.
How: Use instructional system design methodologies.

Reference: State of Oklahoma Training and Development Office of Management and Enterprise Services, Human Capital Management
Why: So participants are able to constructively build their knowledge about the performance
management process in the course being offered in fall 2013.

MEASUREABLE:
The metric (measure) is whether the course is ready by Sept. 10, 2013, and whether the goal is met.
More details are available in the following section, Set Performance Standards.

ATTAINABLE:
The employee must be knowledgeable in the area of instructional design to understand the nature of
the goal. Additionally, in order to remain interested and committed to accomplishing the goal, it must
present a challenge to the employee.

RELEVANT:
The goal is aligned with the overal mission of the organization.

TIME BASED:
Sept. 10, 2013, provides a time-bound deadline.

SET PERFORMANCE STANDARDS

Quality: addresses how well the work is performed and/or how accurate or how effective the final
product is. Quality refers to accuracy, appearance, usefulness or effectiveness.
Quantity: addresses how much work is produced. A quantity measure can be expressed as an error
rate, such as number or percentage of errors allowed per unit of work or as a general result to be
achieved. When a quality or quantity standard is set, the criteria for Exceeds Standards should be high
enough to be challenging, but not so high that it is unattainable.
Timeliness: addresses how quickly, when or by what date the work must be produced. Timeliness
standards should be set realistically.
Cost-effectiveness: addresses dollar savings to the organization or working within a budget. Cost-
effectiveness standards may include such aspects of performance as maintaining or reducing unit
costs, reducing the time it takes to produce a product or service or reducing waste.
Manner: addresses the way or style in which a task is performed or produced.

DEFINE BEHAVIORS
Rating for Leadership should be reserved for employees who are in a position to demonstrate this
behavior. Leadership is not equivalent to being a supervisor of other workers. Following are some
questions a supervisor and employee should discuss during the Planning Session to decide whether this
Behavior applies:
➢ Does the job involve training other employees, even newly hired people at the same level?
➢ Do customers (external customers, co-workers and people in other agencies) turn to the
employee in this position for expertise on projects?
➢ Does the employee act as a leader on various projects within the agency and deserve
recognition for these contributions?
▪ CUSTOMER SERVICE ORIENTATION. Customer service is a series of activities designed to enhance the
level of customer satisfaction – that is, the feeling that a product or service has met the customer’s
expectation. Behaviors that might be rated Meets Standards include:
• Develops a clear understanding of customers’ needs and goals
• Maintains clear communication with customers regarding expectations and time frames
• Follows through and responds to customers’ requests, questions, and complaints in a timely
manner
• Follows up with customers after a problem has been resolved to inform them of any action
taken
• Takes personal responsibility for meeting commitments and correcting problems

Reference: State of Oklahoma Training and Development Office of Management and Enterprise Services, Human Capital Management
• Responds calmly under pressure
▪ TEAMWORK. A team player is one who puts personal goals second to team goals and works in
coordination with other members of a group or team to reach a common goal. Examples of
behaviors that might be rated Meets Standards include:
• Offers to help and pitches in to get the job done
• Does not hesitate to praise and give credit to the project team for a job well done
• Keeps others informed and up-to-date about tasks or projects
• Gives support to others by providing detailed instructions or clarifications
• Works effectively with others to resolve common issues or problems
• Listens to and seeks input from others on how to complete work assignments or accomplish
goals
▪ PROBLEM SOLVING INITIATIVE. Employees are expected to take initiative to efficiently solve all kinds
of problems related to their work. Examples of behaviors that might be rated Meets Standards
include:
• Solves problems timely
• Identifies the causes of problems and finds the necessary resources and information to resolve
them
• Uses experience to recognize immediate problems and issues
• Breaks problems down into lists of tasks, issues or activities
• Sets priorities on tasks and activities that compete for attention
• Recognizes when information is missing, incomplete or inaccurate
• Understands and is able to discuss the logical sequence of events when solving problems or
working on a project
• Revises priorities based on changing needs or new requests
▪ LEADERSHIP. Leadership is the art of leading and influencing others to deliberately create a result
that wouldn’t have happened otherwise. Examples of behaviors that might be rated Meets
Standards include:
• Sets priorities to align work with and in support of agency or division goals
• Plans and leads meetings to ensure that issues are discussed and agendas are followed
• Provides others with timely and accurate feedback
• Accesses resources in a timely manner
• Recommends changes in work methods to improve performance within the agency or division
• Solicits the opinions, ideas, and recommendations of others in improving the work situation
▪ OBSERVING WORK HOURS/USING LEAVE. Examples of behaviors that might be rated Meets
Standards include:
• Arrives at work on time
• Is punctual with lunch hour and break periods
• Makes productive use of work time and focuses on assigned duties and tasks
• Ensures work does not suffer if personal business interrupts the work day
• In use of sick leave, notifies supervisor in a timely manner in accordance with agency policy
• Considers work flow issues when requesting annual leave or taking break periods

Reference: State of Oklahoma Training and Development Office of Management and Enterprise Services, Human Capital Management