What is the most effective way to improve an employee’s work performance?
It’s an important question for organizations because, as qualified and competent people become increasingly difficult to recruit, it’s more important than ever investments in employee development are wisely spent.
The Gallup Corporation has been researching this question in several countries in North America, Europe and Asia. As part of the research, Gallup asked people whether it was better to concentrate on strengths or weaknesses to improve performance. Those who felt it was better to concentrate on developing weakness varied from 59 per cent in the United States, to 64 per cent in Canada and 76 per cent in Japan.
Given these results, it’s not surprising Gallup found the most common approach in performance management is to focus on employees’ weaknesses. That is, the program focuses more on identifying employees’ development needs (weaknesses) and invests primarily in helping employees improve performance in those areas. A good indication for your organization is whether written performance reviews have more documentation focusing on an employee’s areas requiring improvement versus focusing on a person’s strengths.
A “weakness” dominant annual performance review process follows a strategy of evaluating performance by rating the person against a standard set of competencies. Such a process has the following characteristics:
•define the set of required competencies for the job or position;
•rate the person on these competencies;
•identify which competencies the person lacks or is weak in his performance;
•encourage or train the person to improve in these identified areas of weakness; and
•rate the person next year against the standard set of competencies.
This job-centric competency-based approach is designed to fit the employee into the job requirements. The outcome is that investments in employee development concentrate on areas where employees lack the expected competencies. As a result the organization invests less in developing employees’ talents or strengths.
Such standardized job competency evaluations are based on three assumptions:
•model performance in a given job is the result of a specific set of competencies;
•people who are qualified for the role can develop all of these competencies; and
•all these competencies should be developed, because fixing an employee’s weaknesses leads to success.
However research in recent years has shown that:
•the best performers in a given role can create the same outcomes through the effective use of differing sets of competencies. In other words, there is no optimal set of competencies;
•although some competencies can be learned, many competencies are hard to learn. The capacity to develop a competency depends on an employee having the associated talents; and
•the human brain is most effective at developing competencies in areas where the person has natural talent or capabilities that were developed in childhood.
What all of this tells us is that the most cost-effective way to enhance employee performance is to focus on developing their strengths, and managing their weaknesses.
Employee strengths consist of a combination of the person’s talents, developed skills, accumulated knowledge and relevant experiences. Investing in building on an employee’s strengths provides the best return in improving performance.
Development efforts to address weakness are best focused on damage control or helping an employee develop sufficient capability so that weaknesses are not a significant barrier to good performance.
Gallup has identified a strengths-based performance management process rates employee performance based on outcomes, and then concentrates on developing a person’s talents. Such a performance management system incorporates the following components:
•define the required performance outcomes for the job or role;
•rate employees on these performance outcomes;
•identify the person’s talents and strengths and areas of weaknesses;
•help employees to strengthen their talents and manage their weaknesses;
•teach or coach employees on how to make use of their talents to improve their performance and accommodate their weaknesses; and
•rate the employees’ outcomes next year.
To be effective, a strength- or talent-focused performance management system must be supported by related human resource management practices. The employee development program needs to focus on peoples’ strengths with the focus on enhancing talents and expertise. Job design processes need to be flexible and accommodate the various combinations of competencies that contribute to success. Especially in knowledge-based roles, flexible job designs need to reflect the strengths of successful incumbents.
Strength-based career development practices enhance the full range of skills and experiences of employees. This represents an excellent business investment.
In short, a strength- or talent-based performance management and development strategy provides a win-win situation. Organizations benefit from the enhanced productivity of employees and employees gain by improving their competencies, work satisfaction and earning power.
Brian Orr is the vice-president of human resources, learning and communications at the London Health Sciences Centre in Ontario. He may be contacted at [email protected].
It’s an important question for organizations because, as qualified and competent people become increasingly difficult to recruit, it’s more important than ever investments in employee development are wisely spent.
The Gallup Corporation has been researching this question in several countries in North America, Europe and Asia. As part of the research, Gallup asked people whether it was better to concentrate on strengths or weaknesses to improve performance. Those who felt it was better to concentrate on developing weakness varied from 59 per cent in the United States, to 64 per cent in Canada and 76 per cent in Japan.
Given these results, it’s not surprising Gallup found the most common approach in performance management is to focus on employees’ weaknesses. That is, the program focuses more on identifying employees’ development needs (weaknesses) and invests primarily in helping employees improve performance in those areas. A good indication for your organization is whether written performance reviews have more documentation focusing on an employee’s areas requiring improvement versus focusing on a person’s strengths.
A “weakness” dominant annual performance review process follows a strategy of evaluating performance by rating the person against a standard set of competencies. Such a process has the following characteristics:
•define the set of required competencies for the job or position;
•rate the person on these competencies;
•identify which competencies the person lacks or is weak in his performance;
•encourage or train the person to improve in these identified areas of weakness; and
•rate the person next year against the standard set of competencies.
This job-centric competency-based approach is designed to fit the employee into the job requirements. The outcome is that investments in employee development concentrate on areas where employees lack the expected competencies. As a result the organization invests less in developing employees’ talents or strengths.
Such standardized job competency evaluations are based on three assumptions:
•model performance in a given job is the result of a specific set of competencies;
•people who are qualified for the role can develop all of these competencies; and
•all these competencies should be developed, because fixing an employee’s weaknesses leads to success.
However research in recent years has shown that:
•the best performers in a given role can create the same outcomes through the effective use of differing sets of competencies. In other words, there is no optimal set of competencies;
•although some competencies can be learned, many competencies are hard to learn. The capacity to develop a competency depends on an employee having the associated talents; and
•the human brain is most effective at developing competencies in areas where the person has natural talent or capabilities that were developed in childhood.
What all of this tells us is that the most cost-effective way to enhance employee performance is to focus on developing their strengths, and managing their weaknesses.
Employee strengths consist of a combination of the person’s talents, developed skills, accumulated knowledge and relevant experiences. Investing in building on an employee’s strengths provides the best return in improving performance.
Development efforts to address weakness are best focused on damage control or helping an employee develop sufficient capability so that weaknesses are not a significant barrier to good performance.
Gallup has identified a strengths-based performance management process rates employee performance based on outcomes, and then concentrates on developing a person’s talents. Such a performance management system incorporates the following components:
•define the required performance outcomes for the job or role;
•rate employees on these performance outcomes;
•identify the person’s talents and strengths and areas of weaknesses;
•help employees to strengthen their talents and manage their weaknesses;
•teach or coach employees on how to make use of their talents to improve their performance and accommodate their weaknesses; and
•rate the employees’ outcomes next year.
To be effective, a strength- or talent-focused performance management system must be supported by related human resource management practices. The employee development program needs to focus on peoples’ strengths with the focus on enhancing talents and expertise. Job design processes need to be flexible and accommodate the various combinations of competencies that contribute to success. Especially in knowledge-based roles, flexible job designs need to reflect the strengths of successful incumbents.
Strength-based career development practices enhance the full range of skills and experiences of employees. This represents an excellent business investment.
In short, a strength- or talent-based performance management and development strategy provides a win-win situation. Organizations benefit from the enhanced productivity of employees and employees gain by improving their competencies, work satisfaction and earning power.
Brian Orr is the vice-president of human resources, learning and communications at the London Health Sciences Centre in Ontario. He may be contacted at [email protected].
