GDA's Managing Performance

...The Framework for Managing People

Most managers have discovered that doing the job and managing others doing the job are very different jobs. Development Associates, Inc. (GDA)’s Managing Performance workshop features a proven framework for developing effective people management skills. This performance management framework incorporates the three most critical skills needed to effectively manage and develop employees: Performance Planning, Development Planning, and Counseling Employees.

Managing Performance – GDA’s People Management Workshop for Managers featuring Performance Planning, Development Planning and Counseling Employees

These skills and tools are the basic professional building blocks of personnel management and specifically critical to the attainment of sales objectives and creating a desired sales culture

• Performance Planning includes documentation on agreed upon performance levels for all job aspects, and reaches far beyond compensation. For example, one can have a lucky year, but actually have limited relationships, broken internal communications, and unacceptable administration. Performance Planning enables managers to direct, coach and facilitate performance on the aspects of the job not covered by other forms of measurement or compensation. A good performance plan provides a manager with a means of periodic or annual assessment, but it also provides the employee with a detailed map on how to be successful.
• Development Plans identify short-term and long-term employee career aspirations. Without question, this is the single most powerful tool in creating loyalty between an employee and a manager. It is a powerful tool for establishing loyalty to the company, and it guides the manager on how to provide optimal coaching for each individual.
• Counseling Employees includes a workshop utilizing a powerful tool with which managers can turn around even the most emotional and angry employees.

Managing Performance includes the following components.

1. Pre-workshop collaboration with managers and/or human resources management personnel at corporate or division levels as required, to integrate the anticipated performance management tools within the existing organizational culture. This includes the incorporation or adaptation of existing tools, terminology, language, forms and milestones.
2. A two day workshop facilitated by an experienced GDA consultant
3. A student reference handbook for all management attendees.
4. The completion of a living Performance Plan template developed by managers during the workshop.

Call GDA at 800-966-4321 for more about Managing Performance – Performance Management for Managers.

Managing Performance can be combined with Mentor™ for Managers - GDA’s Best Practices Coaching for Managers.

Frequently Asked Questions 

1. Human Resources already utilizes a performance evaluation form. How is this different? There is no way to create an effective performance plan that fits everyone in an organization. Sales requirements are different from those of service, manufacturing, administration or product development, and people management adds a whole new level of requirement. GDA will work with HR to incorporate your company values with the specifics of performance required for different jobs.

2. Why is it necessary to plan performance? Ten different employees can have ten different viewpoints of what excellence is on their jobs… none of which might actually match the expectations of the manager. Moreover, if an employee knows exactly what is expected and what levels of expectation are required to achieve specific levels of performance, that employee will have a chance to actually deliver.

3. What is the difference between these Performance Plans and job descriptions? A well written job description will describe all aspects of the job. What are not included in a job description are levels of agreed-upon measurement for each expectation of the work to be completed. With a GDA performance plan, managers can compare their assessment of the actual work (and the quality of that work) against these expectations to arrive at a “no-surprises” evaluation for a designated period of time.

4. What if we want to use a framework that is different from the one featured in GDA’s Managing Performance class? The recommended framework is just a part of the solution. GDA will work closely with the management team to evaluate the desired modifications to the format, and in the end it will remain the customer’s decision. The real value of the Managing Performance workshop is the training that managers receive that enable them to gain buy-in from their employees on specific objectives that cover all of the aspects of their jobs.

5. What happens after the workshop? GDA routinely works closely with the client organization to assist in the acculturation of these new methodologies. GDA’s new Mentor™ for Managers offering is ideally suited to help reinforce Managing Performance methodologies with infield calls to the sales force in search of sample success stories, positive innovations and examples of management coaching excellence. As a companion to Managing Performance, Mentor provides an effective way to continuously reinforce solid management coaching practices.

Companion Product

Mentor™ for Managers - GDA’s Management Effectiveness Inspection Program featuring Best Practices Coaching for Managers is a powerful skills reinforcement tool during the early stages of your company’s performance management program. Allow GDA to capture and share field innovations and problem solving as the management team begins introducing new performance management templates and procedures.