Dear Editor,
On April 6, 2012, Stabroek Business carried an article emanating from a Trinidad-based consulting group which promises two other parts on performance management practices. Professional ethics and common courtesy suggest that one should await the complete presentation before commenting; however, I feel that the risk of my being accused of rude, premature judgement is overshadowed by the importance of forewarning readers to be wary of the gratuitous advice being given. My own considerable study and experience in the subject matter lead me to intervene with the suggestion that more than a ‘pinch of salt’ is required and that the disturbing incidence of non- and under-compliance in performance management is more often caused by the kind of approach and writing displayed in this first of the promised three-part series.
Firstly, the artificial separation of human resource (HR) from mainstream management, as is implied in the caption of the article, flies in the face of the growing school of thought coupled with hard-knock experience that mandates integrating human resource management into the core management processes of the organization.
Secondly, the description of what is performance management includes ten discrete aspects of general business management in such a burdensome way as to ‘frighten’ even the most experienced and willing members of the management team into escapism, which is a root problem of effective performance management.
Thirdly, the elaborate discussion on the need, strategy, objective, scope, etc, etc of performance management in the context of why the system fails, begs the question of functionality, which in my view is highly dependent on pragmatism, practicality and realistic expectation from both the ’supervisor’ and the ‘supervisee.’
To me, the over-riding consideration for successful, effective performance appraisal/performance management/ PER’s or whatever other nomenclature happens to be in vogue is simplicity, with a heavy dose of honest, sincere, realistic practicality and pragmatism. In the final analysis, performance management should simply and clearly satisfy the natural need of all human beings, including employees at all levels of the organization for honest feedback on the inherent question: How am I doing in relation to what is expected of and by me. The biblical, exhilarating exhortation “well done thou good and faithful servant,” paralleled as necessary with the “from the sweat of thy brow thou shall eat bread” coupled with the story of “the prodigal son” might be as good as any textbook on performance management.
Yours faithfully,
Nowrang Persaud
HRM Consultant
