Charles M. Caldwell - Performance Management

Performance Management

ISBN 0-7612-1268-X

Charles M. Cadwell

2000 American Management Association. All rights reserved. This material may not be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in whole or in part, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

Printed in the United States of America.

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Businesses and industries of all types now acknowledge that their people constitute the real competitive advantage. They also realize that enhancing the performance of their people and, consequently, of the organization depends on the continuous improvement of staff at all levels. An effective Performance Management system is essential to help employees perform at their best and align their contributions with the goals, values, and initiatives of the organization.

Performance Management presents managers and supervisors with a clear model they can follow to plan, monitor, analyze, and maintain a satisfying process of performance improvement for their staff. Designed to encourage students to apply what they are learning to their current job responsibilities, this self-study course offers exercises and assessments to determine their own readiness to implement performance management. It also illustrates strategies for developing the crucial communication skills of coaching, problem solving, and giving feedback while teaching methods for linking organizational and personal goals.

By demystifying the role of various performance management techniques, such as 360 feedback, surveys, and performance appraisals, Performance Management provides the knowledge and tools to design and implement a workable system that benefits the organization and inspires employees to manage their own performance.

Charles M. Cadwell is the president of Training Systems +, based in Mulvane, Kansas, which specializes in training system design and development. He has more than 20 years of experience in the training field. Prior to starting Training Systems + in 1986, he held positions as Director of Field Training for Pizza Hut, Inc. and Director of Training for Popingo Video, Inc.

Cadwells clients have included Fortune 500 companies as well as a number of small- and medium-sized service, retail, and manufacturing businesses. In addition to developing training materials, he frequently facilitates classroom training sessions.

His first book, New Employee Orientation, was published by Crisp Publications in 1988. Since then he has written three audio-cassette programs for the American Management Association on the subjects of recruitment and selection, orientation and training, and leadership skills. He has also written four issues of the Trainers Workshop for the American Management Association. His most recent books are How to Be an Effective Facilitator (AMA, 1997), Team Up for Success (American Media, Incorporated, 1997), and First-Line Supervision, Fourth Edition (AMA, 1999).

The publisher would like to thank the following people for their review of the manuscript of this course:

Erik J. Van Slyke, EVP Human Resources, Reuters Americas, New York, New York

Diane Arthur, President, Arthur Associates Management Consultants, Ltd. (human resource development specialists), Northport, New York

Mike Deblieux, President, Mike Deblieux Human Resources, and Course Leader, American Management Association, Tustin, California

This course consists of text material for you to read and three types of activities (the pre- and post-test, in-text exercises, and end-of-chapter review questions) for you to complete. These activities are designed to reinforce the concepts introduced in the text portion of the course and to enable you to evaluate your progress.

Both a pre-test and post-test are included in this course. Take the pre-test before you study any of the course material to determine your existing knowledge of the subject matter. Submit one of the scannable answer forms enclosed with this course for grading. On return of the graded pre-test, complete the course material. Take the post-test after you have completed all the course material. By comparing results of the pre-test and the post-test, you can measure how effective the course has been for you.

To have your pre-test and post-test graded, please mail your answer forms to:

Educational Services
American Management Association
P.O. Box 133
Florida, NY 10921

All tests are reviewed thoroughly by our instructors and will be returned to you promptly.

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The most important component of this course is the text, where the concepts and methods are presented. Reading each chapter twice will increase the likelihood of your understanding the text fully.

We recommend that you work on this course in a systematic way. Reading the text and working through the exercises at a regular and steady pace will help ensure that you get the most out of this course and retain what you have learned.

In your first reading, concentrate on getting an overview of the chapter content. Read the learning objectives at the beginning of the chapter first. They will act as guidelines to the major topics of the chapter and identify the skills you should master as you study the text. As you read the chapter, pay attention to the headings and subheadings. Find the general theme of each section and see how that theme relates to others. Dont let yourself get bogged down with details during the first reading; simply concentrate on understanding and remembering the major themes.

In your second reading, look for the details that underlie the themes. Read the entire chapter carefully and methodically, underlining key points, working out the details of examples, and making marginal notes as you go. Complete the activities.

Interspersed with the text of each chapter you will find a series of activities. These can take a variety of forms, including essays, short-answer quizzes, or charts and questionnaires. Completing the activities will enable you to try out new ideas, practice and improve new skills, and test your understanding of the course content.

After reading a chapter and before going on to the next chapter, work through the Review Questions. Answering the questions and comparing your answers to those given will help you to grasp the major ideas of that chapter. If you perform these self-check exercises consistently, you will develop a framework in which to place material presented in later chapters.

The American Management Association will continue to grade examinations and tests for one year after the courses out-of-print date.

If you have questions regarding the tests, the grading, or the course itself, call Educational Services at 1-800-225-3215 or send an e-mail to ed_svc@amanet.org.

AMACOM Self Study Program
http://www.amaselfstudy.org/