In-house trainingPerformance Management That Works

Performance Management That Works: Clear Goals, Fair Reviews

Participants learn to set clear goals, track progress through the year, rate more fairly and run an appraisal with no surprises. They leave with a goal-writing template, a monthly check-in format and an appraisal preparation sheet.

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Performance Management That Works course cover
Key Outcomes
Write clear goals
e.g., change "improve sales" to "close 12 new accounts by 30 June"
Track progress year-round
e.g., a 20-minute monthly check-in on progress, blockers and support
Rate more fairly
e.g., keep an evidence log, and compare ratings with another manager before finalising
Run an appraisal with no surprises
e.g., nothing in the review that was not discussed earlier

Why teams need this

KPIs are often vague or too many, the appraisal arrives as a surprise, and ratings feel unfair. Deloitte's own redesign started from a finding that 58% of executives believed their performance management "drives neither employee engagement nor high performance". Ratings are also unreliable: Scullen, Mount and Goff found that "idiosyncratic rater effects (62% and 53%) accounted for over half of the rating variance" in two data sets, against 21% and 25% for actual performance.

Goal-setting theory
Locke and Latham's 2002 review of 35 years of research (more than 100 tasks, over 40,000 participants, at least eight countries) found that "specific, difficult goals consistently led to higher performance than urging people to do their best". The effect is strongest with commitment and feedback. Participants rewrite their own KPIs this way.
Case: Deloitte's redesign
Deloitte reported spending "close to 2 million hours a year" on performance management. It replaced the annual cycle with weekly check-ins and a "performance snapshot" of four questions, including whether the leader would "always want him or her on my team". Participants decide what a smaller organisation can borrow.
Rater bias
Participants run a short calibration exercise, rating the same sample employee and comparing results.
Group work and role-play
Teams rewrite five vague KPIs into specific goals. Then they role-play a year-end appraisal in which the employee disagrees with the rating, and a mid-year check-in.

Exercises use your KPIs, appraisal form and review calendar.

HRDC/HRDF training that builds confidence and drives growth.

Tell us what your team is facing. We will come back with a plan built around it.

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