1. Performance Management at UMASS Medical School
Facilitated by:
Annie Delaney-Magee
Karin Fitch-Urbano
Human Resources, Diversity & Inclusion
December 2013/January 2014

2. What Matters?
Align employee to UMMS mission, strategic plan, and operational goals
Recognize accomplishments
Identify problems, guide progress
Set goals
Discuss career advancement

3. What Else Matters? Performance Development All your conversations.
Specific
Fair
Consistent
Clear
Useful
Not so much the form, or the ratings system – what matters is ongoing feedback and alignment
Spend more time talking about their performance, and less time explaining the “rules of the game.”
What is performance management?
The process of setting performance expectations, monitoring progress, measuring results, and appraising, recognizing or correcting employee performance.
By engaging in a two-way dialogue with employees during the year, we can avoid surprises and improve overall levels of performance. If you are not managing performance, you are losing opportunities to leverage every available resource.
Performance Development
Cooperative decisions in developing immediate skills
Cooperative decisions about career potential and opportunities, aligned with business goals

4. Resources Performance Appraisal Link Instructor Led Training
Self-Paced Webinar
UMMS Compensation Tools
Performance Appraisal Forms
Articles
Books
Your HR Business Partner

5. The Process Get Input Write Draft Review Talk With Employee Agree on
New Goals
Complete
Review
Feedback/Self Appraisals prepared
Manager prepares performance appraisal
Manager discusses “needs improvement” and “outstanding” ratings with HR Partner
Manager discusses/obtains approval for recommended ratings from Sr. Management in department
Manger discusses FY12 performance and FY13 goals with employee
Performance Appraisals completed and signed need to be delivered to Bette Parker/HRDI-Compensation

6. The Tools UMMS Strategic Plan Department Goals Job Description
Get Input
Write Draft
Review
Talk
With
Employee
Agree on
New Goals
Complete
Review
UMMS Strategic Plan
Department Goals
Job Description
Perf. Review ’12 & ‘13
Self-Appraisal
Performance Ratings
Outstanding
Exceeds
Meets / Exceeds Some
Mostly Meets / Needs Some Improvement
Needs Improvement
Does Not Meet
Perf. Review ‘13
Feedback/Self Appraisals prepared
Manager prepares performance appraisal
Manager discusses “needs improvement” and “outstanding” ratings with HR Partner
Manager discusses/obtains approval for recommended ratings from Sr. Management in department
Manger discusses FY12 performance and FY13 goals with employee
Performance Appraisals completed and signed need to be delivered to Bette Parker/HRDI-Compensation

7. The Team UMMS Strategic Plan Department Goals Job Description
Get Input
Write Draft
Review
Talk
With
Employee
Agree on
New Goals
Complete
Review
UMMS Strategic Plan
Department Goals
Job Description
Perf. Review ’12 & ‘13
Self-Appraisal
Performance Ratings
Outstanding
Exceeds
Meets / Exceeds Some
Mostly Meets / Needs Some Improvement
Needs Improvement
Does Not Meet
Perf. Review ‘13
Feedback/Self Appraisals prepared
Manager prepares performance appraisal
Manager discusses “needs improvement” and “outstanding” ratings with HR Partner
Manager discusses/obtains approval for recommended ratings from Sr. Management in department
Manger discusses FY12 performance and FY13 goals with employee
Performance Appraisals completed and signed need to be delivered to Bette Parker/HRDI-Compensation
You
Employee
Coworkers
External Customers
Department Senior Manager
HR Business Partner
HRDI Compensation (Bette Parker)

8. More About Getting Input
Consider asking for a self-appraisal: get employee’s input on performance against expectations
Consider informal “360”
Paraphrase as feedback
Use as contributing source (not sole source)
Be careful of “outliers”
Validate Input By:
Seeking, listening to, and clarifying
Discovering specifics
Owning input you intend to use as feedback
Get Input
Write Draft
Review
Talk
With
Employee
Agree on
New Goals
Complete
Review

9. This Matters - So Let’s Practice . . .
What sources (not yet mentioned) might also help?
How might you incorporate them?
What can wrong at this stage?
How do you prevent, identify and respond?
Get Input
Write Draft
Review
Talk
With
Employee
Agree on
New Goals
Complete
Review

10. More About Writing Your Draft
Think About It
Were expectations clear?
What changes may have prevented or enhanced their ability to meet expectations?
What behaviors and outcomes helped or hindered success?
Streamline
Keep confidential notes
Match comments to rating
Use short meaningful statements, and specific examples
Focus on the work, not the personality
Check Your Work
Are your main points clear? Are your statements appropriate?
Spell check
Get Input
Write Draft
Review
Talk
With
Employee
Agree on
New Goals
Complete
Review

11. Ratings Outstanding Exceeds Meets Exceeds Some Meets
Does Not Meet
Needs Improvement
Mostly Meets Needs Some Improvement
Meets
Meets Exceeds Some
Exceeds
Outstanding
DOES NOT MEET
Meets some job requirements and needs to improve in other functions
Overall performance is unsatisfactory and fails to meet basic job requirements
Failure to improve performance may lead to termination
NEEDS IMPROVEMENT
Performance is satisfactory in some areas but not all
Failure to achieve higher level of sustained performance may result in performance counseling or corrective action
MEETS MOST / NEEDS SOME IMPROVEMENT
Meets most expectations and requirements; needs improvement on some expectations. Meets most relevant objectives and standards Makes contributions to the team objectives
If new to the job, employee is making satisfactory progress towards achieving competency in most aspects of the job
MEETS
MEETS / EXCEEDS SOME
Frequently achieves successful results
Consistently meets expectations and requirements and sometimes exceeds.
Effective as independent contributor or team member
Skilled in most phases of the job
Is a productive and reliable member of the department Understands and makes significant contributions to the team objectives
EXCEEDS
Consistently achieves successful results Consistently produces accurate and exceptional work Makes a strong contribution to the continued operation and growth of the organization Skilled in all phases of the job Works well as individual contributor or part of a team Is a productive and reliable member of the department Understands and effectively meets relevant objectives and standards
OUTSTANDING
Performs with unusual distinction and far exceeds expectations • Consistently achieves outstanding results Excels in creative thinking and problem solving Makes a substantial contribution to the continued operation and growth of the organization Demonstrates an extremely high level of initiative and implements solutions consistent with achievement of organizational objectives Enthusiastically endorses changes and always presents a positive impact
May show special talent or ability

12. This Matters - So Let’s Practice . . .
What are some reasons rating someone else so difficult?
What are some tempting mistakes?
What was the most difficult feedback you had to give?
How did you handle it?
Get Input
Write Draft
Review
Talk
With
Employee
Agree on
New Goals
Complete
Review

13. Any Role, Any Area, Any Time . . .
SELF
KNOWLEDGE
EFFECTIVNESS
This simple model may provide a valuable place to begin your conversation with your employees.
It is short and easy to remember, but separates competencies into groups that resist overlap – making it easier to isolate a strength or weakness.
Importantly, discussion based in a model like this really lend themselves to effective development steps and/or goals that are likely to really help.
OTHERS
COLLABORATION
LEADERSHIP
Get Input
Write Draft
Review
Talk
With
Employee
Agree on
New Goals
Complete
Review

14. More About Talking With Your Employee
What is It?
A conversation with your employee before you finalize your PMD Form
How Do I Do It?
Schedule uninterrupted time to meet one on one
Listen carefully to employee’s perspective and reaction
Incorporate feedback from HR supporting clarity and appropriateness, especially for lower ratings
Get Input
Write Draft
Review
Talk
With
Employee
Agree on
New Goals
Complete
Review

15. Even More . . . Start Like This
Identify areas of agreement & disagreement
Identify the “critical few” strengths or developmental needs
Tell the whole story (instead of a bit: “You are inflexible”)
Behavior “In working with partners, you often present just one approach to a problem, without considering other approaches.”
Impact “This limits your potential for solving the problem.”
Get Input
Write Draft
Review
Talk
With
Employee
Agree on
New Goals
Complete
Review

16. . . . Ask Open-Ended Questions
What do you think?
What helped you achieve goals this year?
What obstacles got in the way?
What do you see as your key strengths?
What are your key developmental needs?
Tell me more about...
Get Input
Write Draft
Review
Talk
With
Employee
Agree on
New Goals
Complete
Review

17. . . . Wrap It Up Clarify Communication Points
Focus on processes, outcomes, and observable behaviors, not personality traits
What do you want them to remember?
Restate areas of agreement and disagreement
End with clarity about next steps and what the employee can expect to see in the written review
“I’m going to write up the review, summarizing my assessment which is based on the input that we discussed, including your comments.”
Get Input
Write Draft
Review
Talk
With
Employee
Agree on
New Goals
Complete
Review

18. Defensiveness Reduce Defensiveness: Make sure there are no surprises
Listen. Ask questions. Listen some more.
Check for meaning “What I hear you saying is…”
End the conversation and re-schedule if defensiveness escalates
Ask yourself: What might I have done to cause defensiveness?
Get Input
Write Draft
Review
Talk
With
Employee
Agree on
New Goals
Complete
Review

19. Simplify Your Message “This is working: do more of this.”
KNOWLEDGE
EFFECTIVNESS
COLLABORATION
LEADERSHIP
“This is working: do more of this.”
“This is not working: do less of this.”
This simple model may provide a valuable place to begin and frame your conversation.
It is short and easy to remember, but separates competencies into groups that resist overlap – making it easier to isolate a strength or weakness.
Importantly, discussion based in a model like this really lend themselves to effective development steps and/or goals that are likely to really help.
Get Input
Write Draft
Review
Talk
With
Employee
Agree on
New Goals
Complete
Review

20. This Matters - So Let’s Practice . . .
What can go well at this stage?
How do you facilitate that?
What can wrong at this stage?
How do you prevent, identify and respond?
Get Input
Write Draft
Review
Talk
With
Employee
Agree on
New Goals
Complete
Review

21. More About Agreeing on New Goals
A goal specifies the work to be done and creates a clear picture of what success will look like, assuring alignment with:
Role
Program, Project
Department, SBU, UMMS
Your Leadership
Understand, translate, align, write, monitor
SMART Goals
Stretch
Measurable
Aligned
Realistic
Time Bound
Get Input
Write Draft
Review
Talk
With
Employee
Agree on
New Goals
Complete
Review

22. More About Completing the Review
Last review to assure
Are the ratings correct?
Are your examples specific, illustrative, appropriate?
Are your “Do more of/Do less of” statements clear and helpful?
Are goal statuses correctly defined?
Complete the form
Ask your employee to sign the form
Sign the form
Ask your supervisor to sign the form
Send the form to HRDI:
Hardcopies to HR Service Center at 333 South Street, Shrewsbury MA
Scanned copies to the Outlook inbox: UMMS Performance Review.
Get Input
Write Draft
Review
Talk
With
Employee
Agree on
New Goals
Complete
Review

23. Performance Management at UMASS Medical School