Dear Editor,
Like my colleague Nowrang Persaud, I feel encouraged to react to the article in SN of April 6, 2012, on ‘Performance Management Practices.’ As a long time HR practitioner, my experience includes not only being director (incidentally like Mr Persaud) of the largest employer in the Caribbean (now known as GuySuCo), but also consultancies in organisational development in the region which, together with readings of relevant literature, informs my recognition of ‘text’ that is more likely to confuse than enlighten the current business realities in Guyana, at least.
There was a time, however, when the management of the sugar industry did actualise several of the elements listed under ‘Basically Performance Management’, but with the processes being driven pre-eminently by the HR function. The fact is, that intricated in all the article’s suggested activities, methodologies, etc performance at all levels and across the organisation, must be effected by the competencies which obtain amongst its ‘human resources’, so that there can be little argument about the desirability of HR being the ‘first among equals’ in the organisation structure.
The extant problem, however, is that few, if any, HR functionaries in the country are deemed to have the requisite sapiential authority to enjoy the appropriate status in the decision-making hierarchy.
The point is therefore that the proffered ‘text’ must relate to ‘context’. It would be useful to elicit from local private sector organisations whether the instant interpretation of ‘Performance Management’ resonates within the business community, particularly since the true burden of the article is ‘relevance.’
Yours faithfully,
E B John
