8600-323 Understanding Performance Management

Unit Overview

8600-323 Understanding Performance Management is a unit within the ILM Level 3 module that focuses on improving the ability of the managers to effectively evaluate performance and ensure that it is improved to meet the set standards and expectations. Performance management is one of the main tasks of managers. They should be able to understand the standards that team members are required to meet as well as understand different tools that they can use to assess and measure the performance against set standards of performance. Managers should also be able to effectively manage performance by reinforcing the attainment of set targets and employees or team members who exceed expectations as well as address underperformance within the organisation.

8600-323 Understanding Performance Management is a unit that builds the understanding of the duties of the managers that aims at efficiently influencing the performance of team members or employees within the organisation to trigger the desired levels of performance within the organisation. The aim and purpose of the unit are to build knowledge and understanding of the role of first-line manager in influencing performance and effectively managing performance within the workplace and in their areas of responsibility. The unit is taught in 7 hours of guided learning and contributes 2 credit values towards the completion of ILM Level 3 module.

Suitability of the Unit

Performance management is the duty and responsibility of each leader within the organisation. Different leaders and managers are assigned a line or area of responsibility that they oversee. With team leaders being responsible for their teams and executive managers overseeing activities across the whole organisation, they all have people that they lead and manage. They should be able to effectively facilitate the management of the performance of these individuals to ensure that it is aligned with the tasks that they are assigned in their areas of responsibility as well as the overall organisational goals and objectives.

8600-323 Understanding Performance Management is a unit that is designed with these leadership and management goals in mind. It helps to develop knowledge and build skills that are relevant in ensuring that leaders and managers are able to effectively manage performance in their areas of responsibility. The unit is designed to purposely meet the learning needs of first-line managers. These are managers tasked with the duty of overseeing the accomplishment of takes within teams. They could be responsible for leading more than one team, with different team leaders overseeing activities in each team.

The unit helps them to understand the tools for assessing the performance of different individuals and teams that they oversee in their areas of responsibility. However, the unit is also applicable to other stakeholders, such as top and middle-level managers who oversee activities within a larger span of control as well as employee who show the need to effectively and continuously monitor their performance to ensure they improve consistently. With this unit, they are also prepared for bigger leadership duties within the organisation since the unit provides critical information and skills for such roles.

Learning Outcomes

Unpin completion of the unit, the learners should be able to:

• Understand the value of formal and informal performance assessment within the workplace

• Understand the role of first-line managers in performance management

• Exhibit understanding o fair and objective formal assessment

• Set SMART objectives of a team member

• Unset performance standards for a team member

• Understand tools to measure performance against the set standards and objectives

• Show understanding of the significance of feedback in the process of performance management

• Understand techniques that can be used to give effective feedback

• Identify instances and areas of underperformance within the workplace or in their areas of operation

• Identify the main causes of underperformance and strategies to meet the agreed standards of performance

• Identify measures and actions that can be used to effectively restore performance to the set standards and expectations.

Key Learning Areas

8600-323 Understanding Performance Management focuses on different elements of ensuring that the individuals in the area of responsibility are able to achieve the expected standards. The unit therefore covers different areas, from assessment to improvement of performance. Some of the main learning areas covered include:

Performance Assessment

This area of learning helps the learners to identify both the formal and informal methods of performance assessment and appraisal. It helps them to understand the different areas where formal and informal performance assessment can be used within the workplace to determine performance and the role of first-line managers in managing team and individual performance. The learners are also helped to understand appropriate appraisal records that they should manage and the best approaches to conduct formal appraisal.

Performance Management

This area of learning provides basic principles that should be used in the process of influencing the performance of the team members or employees within the workplace. The learners are introduced to definite techniques that they can use to set SMART objectives and performance standards for their team members. They are also guided on approaches to measure performance against the agreed standard using a range of tools. This includes being able to select the tool that is most appropriate for their case. Lastly, the learners are introduced to the process of monitoring and evaluating performance using a different techniques to facilitate performance improvement.

Feedback

This area of learning helps the learners to appreciate the role of two-way communication in effectively improving performance among team members. The learners are introduced to the importance of feedback on improving performance. This involves being able to collect information from the team members and providing relevant and effective feedback that helps them to improve in their different areas of performance. The learners are also taught different principles and techniques of giving feedback to achieve motivation of the employees and effectively manage performance.

Managing Underperformance

This area of learning builds the ability of the learners to effectively identify and manage underperformance. The area introduces them to the diagnosis of underperformance. They are also guided to understand different causes of underperformance, which include lack of skills, lack of knowledge, lack of motivation, and lack of incentives and lack of information. The learners are also provided with different performance management methods available to the manager to effectively address underperformance.

Evaluation

The evaluation of this unit is based on a written assessment of the unit. The leaner are provided with a template, and they are required to respond to the questions on the unit that are provided within the template. This method is used to evaluate both the theory and practice based on learning costs and principles in 8600-323 Understanding Performance Management.