ABILITY is what you’re capable of doing.
MOTIVATION determines what you do.
ATTITUDE determines how well you do it.
~ Lou Holtz
From the desk of Katherine Egan, Executive Director of Fordham IT’s Office of Organizational Effectiveness
Why is Performance Management so Important to Fordham IT?
Fordham IT takes pride in the talent and the quality of our workforce. Words like integrity, professionalism, initiative, customer service orientation, and respect for others describe our staff. These qualities are also among the competencies described in our performance management program. They help us focus on how work gets accomplished, versus just getting the job done.
A performance management program, in general, provides staff and their managers consistency for planning and evaluating performance within an organization. When the program is specifically designed, as ours is, it improves staff retention and engagement. It builds a culture of support, and encourages rewards and recognition. By strengthening performance accountability and shared accountability, we deepen employee engagement and empower our workforce.
What is Performance Management?
Fordham IT staff keep track of their performance management goals with a series of forms, submitted at the beginning, middle, and end of each fiscal year. Workshops are offered to help staff get the most benefit out of this process. Performance management, however, is so much more than simply completing forms. It’s an ongoing process of setting goals, revising goals as appropriate, executing plans and assessing results. For performance management to work optimally, it requires continual conversations between employee and supervisor.
Reasons We Developed our IT Performance Management Program
- Strengthen performance accountability in the culture of IT
- Align individual goals to the department and ultimately to Fordham’s strategy and mission
- Develop a consistent approach for planning and evaluating performance in IT
- Improve the development of staff members
- Optimize performance of individuals and the department
- Improve ability to determine individual pay, promotion, and other career decisions
Specific Performance Management Responsibilities Based on Role
Supervisors
- Take accountability for the development and performance of their staff
- Clarify responsibilities and define annual goals in relation to department goals
- Plan skill development and promote career growth
- Deliver positive and constructive feedback on performance
- Track and monitor performance throughout the year to support the final evaluation
- Spend the necessary time to prepare for meetings with employees and evaluate their performance
- Provide specific development opportunities for staff
Employee
- Take accountability for one’s own development and performance
- Understand what is expected of you in terms of your job responsibilities, annual goals, and competencies
- Participate in setting annual goals
- Seek out feedback from supervisors and peers
- Determine ways to enhance performance
- Be open and honest about career goals and professional interests
- Inform your supervisor about your progress and/or difficulties that may interfere with meeting your objectives
- Spend the necessary time to write evaluations and prepare for meeting with supervisor
