How Do We Help Supervisors Appraise Workers in Our New Self-Directed Organization?
Q: Recently, my organization went to a self-directed structure at one of our mills. As we have continued to evolve in this process, it has become apparent that it is increasingly difficult for management (that is now only on day shift) to complete performance appraisals for the hourly employees in their area, since they see them only seven shifts per month (we have a DuPont schedule). We have looked at a 360 approach, but want to keep this process as simple as possible to administer. Do you have any information on performance appraisal processes with organizations that are self-directed? We have benchmarked with some organizations in our area, but would like to see what else is out there.
- Bird's-Eye View of Talent, human resources manager, steel manufacturer, Kentucky
A: For any self-directed team or organization to work well, you must have well-defined jobs with key goals and directives. Without a clear understanding of what the job expects and needs to be successful, self-directed performance can be impossible to master and difficult to measure. While industry benchmarks may be helpful in establishing production goals and criteria, it is extremely important to complete a benchmark that considers a specific job within a specific company. By doing this, you will be able to determine the key goals and directives each job is responsible for achieving. When this job benchmark process is complete, it will be easy to develop an appraisal system that measures each individual against the job's key goals and directives.
If personal accountability and self-management are an area of concern, you may consider an online system that provides a systematic way to establish goals and monitor performance. Ideally, the employees could establish their own goals and objectives during their shift and submit them for approval. The manager, perhaps during a different shift, could view and approve the goals and objectives, or identify areas for coaching if the goals are not in alignment with team success. Meanwhile, the system should allow you to track goal achievement, which provides a unique tool to aid managers in performance appraisals. Tailoring an automated system to your organization can aid communication between shifts and eliminate issues arising from incompatible schedules that prevent in-person performance appraisals.
Unlike a 360 approach, this performance appraisal method supports the self-directed approach. With job benchmarks and clear goals and directives, the evaluation is dependent on how well the individual understands and achieves job duties, rather than the view of those reporting on the individual. The 360 approach is a very valuable tool when promoting teamwork and identifying areas for coaching. However, many times respondents can become punitive if wage increases or other rewards are based on the 360 feedback, in which case this method may not produce the desired results.
[Source: Jim Robins, TTI Performance Systems, Scottsdale, Arizona, May 7, 2008
Q: Recently, my organization went to a self-directed structure at one of our mills. As we have continued to evolve in this process, it has become apparent that it is increasingly difficult for management (that is now only on day shift) to complete performance appraisals for the hourly employees in their area, since they see them only seven shifts per month (we have a DuPont schedule). We have looked at a 360 approach, but want to keep this process as simple as possible to administer. Do you have any information on performance appraisal processes with organizations that are self-directed? We have benchmarked with some organizations in our area, but would like to see what else is out there.
- Bird's-Eye View of Talent, human resources manager, steel manufacturer, Kentucky
A: For any self-directed team or organization to work well, you must have well-defined jobs with key goals and directives. Without a clear understanding of what the job expects and needs to be successful, self-directed performance can be impossible to master and difficult to measure. While industry benchmarks may be helpful in establishing production goals and criteria, it is extremely important to complete a benchmark that considers a specific job within a specific company. By doing this, you will be able to determine the key goals and directives each job is responsible for achieving. When this job benchmark process is complete, it will be easy to develop an appraisal system that measures each individual against the job's key goals and directives.
If personal accountability and self-management are an area of concern, you may consider an online system that provides a systematic way to establish goals and monitor performance. Ideally, the employees could establish their own goals and objectives during their shift and submit them for approval. The manager, perhaps during a different shift, could view and approve the goals and objectives, or identify areas for coaching if the goals are not in alignment with team success. Meanwhile, the system should allow you to track goal achievement, which provides a unique tool to aid managers in performance appraisals. Tailoring an automated system to your organization can aid communication between shifts and eliminate issues arising from incompatible schedules that prevent in-person performance appraisals.
Unlike a 360 approach, this performance appraisal method supports the self-directed approach. With job benchmarks and clear goals and directives, the evaluation is dependent on how well the individual understands and achieves job duties, rather than the view of those reporting on the individual. The 360 approach is a very valuable tool when promoting teamwork and identifying areas for coaching. However, many times respondents can become punitive if wage increases or other rewards are based on the 360 feedback, in which case this method may not produce the desired results.
[Source: Jim Robins, TTI Performance Systems, Scottsdale, Arizona, May 7, 2008