Performance Plan Conversation Role Play – Employee
Handout
PERFORMANCE PLAN CONVERSATION ROLE PLAY – EMPLOYEE BACKGROUND You are an Information Technology Specialist. You have been in your current position for the last 7 years and have reported to the same supervisor for the past 3 years. You believe your performance over that time has consistently met or exceeded expectations. You enjoy your work the most when you work alone and when you have enough time to do things the way they ought to be done. Your relationship with your supervisor has almost always been positive. You had one incident a year ago where you missed submitting a status report for a project you were working on, which led to some delays and upset your supervisor and the customer. SCENARIO In preparation for your Performance Plan conversation, your supervisor has communicated the following organizational goals to you: Organizational Goals • Develop and implement new NSPS Performance Management Online application by June 1, 2006. • Migrate all department-managed voice communications systems to Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) by March 1, 2007. • Improve security ratings for all department-managed data networks by September 30, 2006. • Increase satisfaction ratings for all internal/external customer interactions by September 30, 2006.
As requested by your supervisor, you have drafted your job objectives and identified Contributing Factors, as follows:
Performance Management for Managers/Supervisors
Employee Handouts-1
Handout
Performance Plan Conversation Role Play - Employee
PERFORMANCE PLAN CONVERSATION ROLE PLAY – EMPLOYEE Objective 1 By January 31, obtain customer sign-off on System Requirements Document for NSPS Performance Management Online. By February 28, program Rating Module for NSPS Performance Management Online application based on customer requirements. By March 30, complete unit testing of Rating Module for NSPS Performance Management Online application. By April 30, assist with system and integration testing of all Modules for NSPS Performance Management application. For the duration of the NSPS Performance Management Online application project, prepare and submit a weekly status report. By December 31, complete analysis of security risks for 3 of 5 department-managed data networks. By June 30, submit preliminary analysis and recommendations for network hardware upgrades needed to support migration of department-managed voice communications systems to VoIP. Contributing Factors Technical Proficiency, Customer Focus Technical Proficiency
2
3
Technical Proficiency
4
Technical Proficiency, Cooperation/Teamwork Technical Proficiency, Communication Technical Proficiency, Critical Thinking Technical Proficiency, Resource Management
5
6 7
You are excited about working on the NSPS Performance Management Online application. At the same time, you are concerned about the project timeline and about the customer’s changing requirements. You believe you have the necessary skills and experience for the project, but you have doubts that you can meet the expressed deadlines and still do the kind of quality work you like to do and that others have come to expect. You are also excited about working on the network security and VoIP projects. You have some experience working in these areas, but not a lot, and you are looking forward to expanding your knowledge and technical expertise. Toward that end, you have selected two technical training courses (one on network security, one on VoIP) you feel you need if you are to achieve these objectives.
Employee Handouts-2 Performance Management for Managers/Supervisors
Performance Plan Conversation Role Play – Supervisor
Handout
PERFORMANCE PLAN CONVERSATION ROLE PLAY – SUPERVISOR BACKGROUND Your employee is an Information Technology Specialist. The employee has been in his/her current position for the last 7 years and has reported to you for the past 3 years. The employee’s performance over that time has consistently met expectations, exceeding expectations only occasionally. The employee tends to work slowly and methodically, and prefers to work alone. Your relationship with the employee has almost always been positive. You had one incident a year ago where the employee fell behind on a project and failed to communicate status which caused significant delays and customer dissatisfaction. SCENARIO In preparation for your Performance Plan conversation with the employee, you communicated the following organizational goals: Organizational Goals • Develop and implement new NSPS Performance Management Online application by June 1, 2006. • Migrate all department-managed voice communications systems to Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) by March 1, 2007. • Improve security ratings for all department-managed data networks by September 30, 2006. • Increase satisfaction ratings for all internal/external customer interactions by September 30, 2006. As requested, the employee drafted job objectives and selected Contributing Factors, as follows:
Performance Management for Managers/Supervisors
Supervisor Handouts-1
Handout
Performance Plan Conversation Role Play - Supervisor
PERFORMANCE PLAN CONVERSATION ROLE PLAY – SUPERVISOR Objective 1 By January 31, obtain customer sign-off on System Requirements Document for NSPS Performance Management Online. By February 28, program Rating Module for NSPS Performance Management Online application based on customer requirements. By March 30, complete unit testing of Rating Module for NSPS Performance Management Online application. By April 30, assist with system and integration testing of all Modules for NSPS Performance Management application. For the duration of the NSPS Performance Management Online application project, prepare and submit a weekly status report. By December 31, complete analysis of security risks for 3 of 5 department-managed data networks. By June 30, submit preliminary analysis and recommendations for network hardware upgrades needed to support migration of department-managed voice communications systems to VoIP. Contributing Factors Technical Proficiency, Customer Focus Technical Proficiency
2
3
Technical Proficiency
4
Technical Proficiency, Cooperation/Teamwork Technical Proficiency, Communication Technical Proficiency, Critical Thinking Technical Proficiency, Resource Management
5
6 7
You have noted that there are too many objectives, that some are not SMART, and that some are not objectives at all but rather tasks or activities. You have also noted that the employee has selected Technical Proficiency as a Contributing Factor for every objective. While this employee has consistently met expectations in the past, you would like to see the employee contributing at a higher level in the new rating cycle – partly because of increased demands on your department, partly because you’ve always wanted more from this employee, partly because you are aware that this employee’s compensation is above that of others in the department.
Supervisor Handouts-2
Performance Management for Managers/Supervisors
Performance Plan Conversation Role Play – Supervisor
Handout
PERFORMANCE PLAN CONVERSATION ROLE PLAY – SUPERVISOR You have assigned development and testing of the Rating Module for the new NSPS Performance Management Online application to this employee. You are aware of the tight timelines and other challenges for this project, but you don’t see those challenges as insurmountable. You believe that communication and teamwork are critical to the successful accomplishment of the job objectives; therefore, you want to assign them as Contributing Factors.
Performance Management for Managers/Supervisors
Supervisor Handouts-3
Performance Plan Conversation Role Play – Observer
Handout
PERFORMANCE PLAN CONVERSATION ROLE PLAY – OBSERVER Directions: 1. Review the Performance Plan Conversation Role Play for the supervisor and for the employee. 2. Review the Performance Plan Conversation Role Play observation sheet and become familiar with the required topics and tips for conducting the performance plan conversation. 3. During the role play, look for the required topics and tips for conducting this conversation. Check the appropriate box when the topic is discussed or the behavior is exhibited. 4. Using this checklist as a starting point, write out specific examples of what the supervisor or employee did well and what they could have done differently. 5. Provide feedback to the participant playing the role of the supervisor. What was done well? What could have been done differently? What topics were not discussed that should have been? What tips were used most effectively?
Provide specific examples of what went well and what could have been done differently.
What went well?
What could have been done differently?
Performance Management for Managers/Supervisors
Observer Handouts-1
Handout
Performance Plan Conversation Role Play - Observer
PERFORMANCE PLAN CONVERSATION ROLE PLAY – OBSERVATION CHECKLIST Supervisor: Performance Plan Topics and Tips Did the supervisor discuss the required topics? Organizational goals Work priorities Contributing Factors Job objectives Did the supervisor discuss any of the optional topics? Developmental Needs Potential Barriers to Success Tasks Timelines/Milestones Did the supervisor use these tips for conducting the conversation? Was the supervisor open to the employee’s input and ideas? Did he/she make the final decision on the objectives? Did the employee have concerns about barriers or other unknowns? If so, was the supervisor open to the employee’s concerns? Did the supervisor discuss his/her own objectives and share with the employee how their individual objectives are connected?
Observer Handouts-2
Performance Management for Managers/Supervisors
Performance Plan Conversation Role Play – Observer
Handout
Performance Management for Managers/Supervisors
Observer Handouts-3
Interim Review Conversation Role Play – Employee
Handout
INTERIM REVIEW CONVERSATION ROLE PLAY - EMPLOYEE BACKGROUND As a result of your Performance Planning conversation with your supervisor, you took on the following three objectives: Objective 1 By April 30, complete development and testing of the Rating Module for the NSPS Performance Management Online application. Fully-tested product must meet all requirements specified in the System Requirements Document. Fulfillment of this objective will facilitate the on-time implementation of the entire NSPS Performance Management Online application. By June 30, submit recommendations for network hardware upgrades needed to support migration of department-managed voice communications systems to VoIP. Report to include preliminary estimates of cost and hours required to implement. Fulfillment of this objective is a necessary first-step toward achieving the department’s goal of migrating all departmentmanaged voice communications systems to VoIP by March 1, 2007. Contributing Factors Technical Proficiency, Customer Focus, Communication
2
Technical Proficiency, Resource Management, Critical Thinking
3
Represent department on division-wide Customer Customer Focus, Focus Task Force through September 30, 2006. Attend Communication, 90% of semi-weekly meetings and submit all data and Cooperation/Teamwork reports as requested. Fulfillment of this objective will contribute toward achieving the department’s goal of increasing satisfaction ratings for all internal/external customer interactions by September 30, 2006.
Performance Management for Managers/Supervisors
Employee Handouts-1
Handout
Interim Review Conversation Role Play – Employee
INTERIM REVIEW CONVERSATION ROLE PLAY - EMPLOYEE SCENARIO During your Performance Plan conversation, you and your supervisor agreed to meet monthly to discuss your work. Your supervisor has kept that agreement, although he/she cancelled on one occasion and did not reschedule the meeting. Your supervisor has provided feedback at other times over the past months, sometimes in meetings in front of co-workers. You are doing well on your VoIP Migration and Customer Focus job objectives. As you expected, however, you have encountered numerous challenges with your NSPS job objective. The customer continues to change requirements for the system, and that has caused numerous changes to the project plan. Your goals for this conversation: • Because the NSPS project is consuming so much of your time, you have missed three Customer Focus Task Force meetings in the past three months. If possible, you would like to hand-off this objective to someone else in the department who can give it more attention. • You want approval to attend a technical training course on VoIP. You discussed this with your supervisor at your Performance Plan meeting, and you are mildly frustrated that he/she has not yet approved your request. • You want a rating on your progress so far, just so you know where you stand at the moment.
Employee Handouts-2
Performance Management for Managers/Supervisors
Interim Review Conversation Role Play – Supervisor
Handout
INTERIM REVIEW CONVERSATION ROLE PLAY - SUPERVISOR BACKGROUND As a result of your Performance Planning conversation with your employee, he/she took on the following three objectives: Objective 1 By April 30, complete development and testing of the Rating Module for the NSPS Performance Management Online application. Fully-tested product must meet all requirements specified in the System Requirements Document. Fulfillment of this objective will facilitate the on-time implementation of the entire NSPS Performance Management Online application. By June 30, submit recommendations for network hardware upgrades needed to support migration of department-managed voice communications systems to VoIP. Report to include preliminary estimates of cost and hours required to implement. Fulfillment of this objective is a necessary first-step toward achieving the department’s goal of migrating all departmentmanaged voice communications systems to VoIP by March 1, 2007. Contributing Factors Technical Proficiency, Customer Focus, Communication
2
Technical Proficiency, Resource Management, Critical Thinking
3
Represent department on division-wide Customer Customer Focus, Focus Task Force through September 30, 2006. Attend Communication, 90% of semi-weekly meetings and submit all data and Cooperation/Teamwork reports as requested. Fulfillment of this objective will contribute toward achieving the department’s goal of increasing satisfaction ratings for all internal/external customer interactions by September 30, 2006.
Performance Management for Managers/Supervisors
Supervisor Handouts-1
Handout
Interim Review Conversation Role Play – Supervisor
INTERIM REVIEW CONVERSATION ROLE PLAY - SUPERVISOR SCENARIO During your Performance Plan conversation, you and your employee agreed to meet monthly to discuss his/her work. You have kept that agreement, although you cancelled on one occasion due to illness and did not reschedule the meeting. You have provided feedback regularly over the past months, both in person and in meetings. The employee is doing well on his/her VoIP Migration and Customer Focus job objectives. You are aware, however, that the employee is struggling with the NSPS job objective due to changing customer requirements and his/her own high quality standards. Your goals for this conversation: • You value the employee’s focus on quality, but you want to talk with him/her about the need to balance that focus with “getting the work done.” The 80/20 rule would apply here. • A new organizational goal has just been announced, and your department will now take the lead on developing and implementing a new time entry application by January 1, 2007. You want this employee to take the lead on this new project, and you are considering reassigning the employee’s VoIP Migration objective to a coworker.
Supervisor Handouts-2
Performance Management for Managers/Supervisors
Interim Review Conversation Role Play – Observer
Handout
INTERIM REVIEW CONVERSATION ROLE PLAY - OBSERVER Directions: 1. Review the Interim Review Conversation Role Play for the supervisor and for the employee. 2. Review the Interim Review Conversation Role Play observation sheet and become familiar with the required topics and tips for conducting the performance plan conversation. 3. During the role play, look for the required topics and tips for conducting this conversation. Check the appropriate box when the topic is discussed or the behavior is exhibited. 4. Using this checklist as a starting point, write out specific examples of what the supervisor or employee did well and what they could have done differently. 5. Provide feedback to the participant playing the role of the supervisor. What was done well? What could have been done differently? What topics were not discussed that should have been? What tips were used most effectively?
Provide specific examples of what went well and what could have been done differently.
What went well?
What could have been done differently?
Performance Management for Managers/Supervisors
Observer Handouts-1
Handout
Interim Review Conversation Role Play – Observer
INTERIM REVIEW CONVERSATION ROLE PLAY – OBSERVATION CHECKLIST Supervisor: Performance Plan Topics and Tips Did the supervisor: Open the conversation by discussing what he/she wanted to accomplish and why? Clarify his/her understanding of the issues by gathering information? Explore ideas and option to ensure the employee is successful? Agree on a plan that will ensure the employee’s successful completion of the objectives? Close with agreement on what will be done, who will do it and when it will be completed? Did the supervisor discuss any of the required topics? Progress made towards achieving objectives New or changing organizational goals and work priorities Adjustments to performance plan or development plan Did the supervisor discuss any of the optional topics? Problems solved or problems needing solution Did the supervisor use these tips for conducting the conversation? Provide feedback that is specific, supportive and contains specific examples of the employee’s performance Discuss problems the employee is encountering while staying on track with the goals of the interim review and not turning the review into a problem solving session.
Observer Handouts-2
Performance Management for Managers/Supervisors