MANAGEMENT STRATEGY FOR PERFORMANCE

OUTLINE

 Concepts learned: Communication, Ethics, and Coaching

 Applying these concepts at work-setting
 Key elements for an effective leadership
COMMUNICATION

“You can have brilliant ideas, but if you can’t get them across, your brains won’t get you anywhere”.
“ The ability to communicate is everything”.
~ Lee Iacocca, former CEO of Chrysler

 Essential skill at all levels of business – be it interpersonal or written.

 Definition: It is the process by which information is exchanged b/w communicators with the goal of
achieving mutual understanding.
 Often, managers ask themselves – “Am I communicating effectively what I want to convey?”
 It is vital for managers that 80% of their time is spent on verbal communication.
BARRIERS TO POOR COMMUNICATION

 Poor relationships: Lack of trust leads to poor communication.

 Lack of clarity: Person A’s communication may not reflect the message they want to transmit to person B.
 Perception: Selective hearing and short attention span.
o People are likely to hear what they want to hear/ only hear messages that reinforce their own beliefs.
 Culture: Differences in cultural backgrounds can be a barrier to achieving shared experience and mutual
understanding.
o Words can have different meanings in different languages and cultures
o For example, Collectivist culture – prefer silence, high-context, indirect and modest communication whereas, Individualist
culture – prefer talkativeness, low-context, direct and self-enhancing communication.
BARRIERS TO POOR COMMUNICATION

 Defensiveness: Difficulty hearing or interpreting messages accurately – too caught up in protecting &
justifying themselves
 Misinterpretation of non–verbal communication: Body movements & gestures; facial expressions
& gazing; tone of voice & emphasis on certain words
 Lack of feedback and clarification: Person B not asking for clarification & paraphrasing person A’s
words. For example, “Let me see if I have understood correctly. Do you mean …”
 Poor listening skills: Lack of complete shared understanding or partial misunderstanding.
ASSERTIVENESS

 Definition: Ability to communicate clearly and directly that you need or want in a way that does not
deny or infringe upon others rights.
 Characteristics: Use of “I” statement,
o Example: When you interrupt me, I lose my train of thought and don’t get to my point, and that makes me
angry.
IMPLEMENTATION OF COMMUNICATION SKILLS AT WORK
SETTING

For Managers:
 Try to eliminate misunderstanding - “Let me see if I understood the problem or request correctly”
 Use language that neither defends nor demeans others
 Do no practice “monologue” - Try to actively listen as they talk.
 Communicate clearly with transparency - Keep others in loop and understand what upper management
is doing.
 Avoid both - excessive criticism and underserved praise in favor of honest appraisals.
 Give instructions such that their intentions is understood - Do not overload with too much detail.
IMPLEMENTATION OF COMMUNICATION SKILLS AT WORK
SETTING

For Employees:
 Distinguish between thoughts and feelings: Manage emotion so that they don’t interfere with communication.
 Be congruent and consistent, pay close attention to nonverbal clues when others communicate., be sure about
their nonverbal methods what they intend is accurately reflected.
 Practice active listening – identify when to apply.
 Example: Conflict situations, customer complaints, performance appraisals.

 Do not address sensitives issues on IM or Email.

 Think carefully before talking and revise email repeatedly until they say exactly what they mean.
 Do no engage in arguments over email.
ETHICS

 Definition: Standards of conduct that indicates how one should behave based on moral duties and
virtues arising from principles about right and wrong.
 Companies that encourage ethical behavior:
 Communicate expectation that employees will behave ethically.
 Hire top executives who set good examples.
 Reward ethical behavior and punish unethical behavior.
 Teach employees about decision making.
 Encourage discussion of ethical issues.
ETHICS: FIVE MODELS

 Utilitarianism: Greatest good for greatest number of people.

 Good of group takes precedence over consideration of individuals.
 Individual rights principle: Emphasizes personal entitlements in terms legal human rights.
 Justice principle: Guided by fairness, equity, impartiality when treating both individuals and groups.
 Criterion – fairness
 Issues – employment discrimination
 Caring Principle: Uses the approach – wellbeing of another person.
 Environmentalism: Uses the approach – person land relationship.
 Greater understanding between humankind and sustainability of earth.
IMPLEMENTATION OF ETHICS AT WORK
For managers:
 Set the moral tone of the company
 Standards of moral behavior commonly expected:
o Keeping one’s promises.
o Do not harm anyone.
o Help others in need.
o Respect others, not treat them merely as means to ends.
o Not use company’s resources for personal use.

 Encourage and promote discussion of ethical dilemmas

o Employees shouldn’t be punished for questioning decision on moral grounds.

 Learn how to coach others through ethical mind fields such that clear moral standards are established.
 Recognize questionable behavior and practice Golden Rule – are you treating others the way you would want to be treated.
For Employees:
 Know their personal values, can readily articulate them.
 Choose to work for organization whose values are compatible with their own.
 When ethical dilemma arises, know who to go to for consult and advice.
o Check for integrity, wisdom and discretion of advisors.
 Try to settle ethical issues internally first.
 When there is wrong doing, analyze source of problem and know what actions can halt such behavior.
o Opt for whistle blowing.
 Whistle blowing – legitimate if:
o In benefit of public interest
o Revelation is important and very specific
o Whistle blower has no personal advantage to gain by revealing information.
COACHING

 Definition: A conversation that follows predictable process and leads to superior performance,
commitment to sustained improvement, and positive relationship.
 Generally takes place in a one on one conversation
 Usually performed by managers with subordinates.
TYPE OF COACHING

 Tutoring: Teach employees necessary job skills they haven’t learned yet.
 Counselling: Purpose is to help employees gain person insights into feelings and behavior.
 Focus problem recognition and solution.
 Mentoring: Objective is to help gain better understanding of organization, goals, advancement
criteria.
 Confronting: Purpose is to improve substandard employee performance.
 Employee who is consistently late for work.
 Positive regard: Characteristic of effective coach and high performing manager.
IMPLEMENTATION OF COACHING AT WORK SETTING

For Managers:
 Providing employee resources needed to accomplish task and remove obstacles from their way.
 Good at judging which employee problems are beyond their expertise, refer such cases to professional
counsellor.
 Open to feedback and coaching from employees and show willingness to learn from the team.
 Make sacrifices to develop employees and be patient.
 Exhibit active listening skills.
 Give employees autonomy.
IMPLEMENTATION OF COACHING AT WORK SETTING

For Employees:
 Look for opportunities to contribute and take initiative.
 Identify problems and suggest possible solutions.
 Understand that self determination is the key in behavioral change.
 Do not impose views on others when coaching.
 KEY ELEMENTS OF LEADERSHIP

 Who are Leaders?

o They are individuals who:
a) Establish direction for the group,
b) Gain group member’s commitment, and
c) Motivate and influence them to achieve goals to move in that direction.
 What is leadership? Leadership means:
o seeing what needs to be done,
o understanding all underlying forces in a situation, and
o Having the courage to initiate action to improve things.
TRAITS OF LEADERSHIP

 Successful business leaders possess the following traits:

o Honesty and integrity
o Leadership motivation
o Self-confidence
o Cognitive ability
o Knowledge of business
o Creativity
o Flexibility
 Leadership skills can be developed. Thus, Leaders are born, then made.
REFERENCES
 Bititci, U., Garengo, P., Dorfler, V., & Nudurupati, S. (2012). Performance measurement: challenges for tomorrow. International journal of management reviews, 14(3), 305-327.
 Braz, R. G., Scavarda, L., & Martins, R. A. (2011). Reviewing and improving performance measurement systems: An action research. International Journal of Production Economics,
133(2), 751-760.
 Gruman, J. A., & Saks, A. A. (2011). Performance management and employee engagement. Human resource management review, 21(2), 123-136.
 Lawrie, G., Cobbold, I., & Marshall, J. (2004). Corporate performance management system in a devolved UK governmental organisation: a case study. International Journal of
Productivity and Performance Management, 53(4), 353-370.
 Melynk, A. S., Bititci, U., Tobias, J., & Andersen, B. (2014). Is performance measurement and management fit for the future? Management Accounting Research, 25(2), 173-186.
 Micheli, P., & Mari, L. (2014). The theory and practice of performance measurement. Management accounting research, 25(2), 147-156.
 Mir, F. A., & Pinnington, A. H. (2014). Exploring the value of project management: linking project management performance and project success. International journal of project
management, 32(2), 202-217.
 Mone, E., Guggenheim, K., Price, K., & Stine, C. (2011). Performance management at the wheel: Driving employee engagement in organizations. . Journal of Business and Psychology,
26(2), 205-212.
 Monica, F., Kennerley, M., Micheli, P., Martinez, V., & Mason, V. (2007). Towards a definition of a business performance measurement system. International Journal of Operations &
Production Management, 27(8), 784-801.
 Monica, F., Lucianetti, L., & Bourne, M. (2012). Contemporary performance measurement systems: A review of their consequences and a framework for research. Management
accounting research, 23(2), 79-119.
 Smither, M. L. (2002). Feedback orientation, feedback culture, and the longitudinal performance management process. Human Resource Management Review, 12(1), 81-100.
 Yadav, N., & Sagar, M. (2013). Performance measurement and management frameworks: Research trends of the last two decades. Business Process Management Journal 19.6, 947-971.
QUESTIONS