The components of performance planning are as follows:
Development of the Plan
When developing the plan, the three essential components to be included are key accountabilities and objectives, competencies, and professional development. These are described as follows:
i) Accountabilities: These are simply “areas of responsibility for which an employee is expected to produce results”.
Typically, positions may have three to eight key accountabilities. For each of these accountabilities, there should be specific performance objectives with measurable outcomes.
Accountabilities are unstable and tend to change as goals are met, or priorities/responsibilities change.
ii) Competencies: These are behavioral measures that focus on how the job is to be accomplished and may include skills, knowledge, and/or behaviors that improve job effectiveness/performance.
The number of typical competencies ranges from six to ten. Unlike accountabilities, competencies normally remain stable and do not change over time. Competencies support accountabilities.
iii) Professional Development: Last but certainly not least is professional development goals. The plan should include training to fill skill gaps as well as the development of employees to ensure their employability and marketability.
This can include in-house training or outside courses. Again, the role of the supervisor is not to choose training courses for employees but instead to encourage and support them on perspectives of new skills, competencies, and experiences they may need for future advancement.
Plan Discussion by Employee and Supervisor
The next component in the planning process is the discussion or the plan by the employee and supervisor.
This is an important step because both the employee and the supervisor must understand the plan. This step requires the employee and supervisor to have a good working relationship or some type of partnership.
Good communication is essential to make this work. The supervisor must make sure the employee has set attainable goals and not ones that he/she is unable to reach.
The supervisor should also be a mentor and should not dictate frequent changes to the plan. The final plan and expectations must be fully understood by all parties. Supervisors should be clear on how performance expectations and rewards are linked.
Update the Plan as Priorities/Goals Change
As employees’ priorities and goals change or are met (like accountabilities), plans need to be updated to reflect these changes.
This area, like the previous area, requires regular communication between the employee and supervisor.
In order to be aware of areas that need to be updated and changed, regular feedback and regularly scheduled meetings regarding performance are important.
In fact, day-to-day feedback or coaching helps people to be able to accomplish the goals set in the planning stage.