Observing Performance

1.1 Observing Performance

"Look for evidence to support your impression of how employees do their jobs."

There's no substitute for observing employees' performance. It's an invaluable tool to assess workers' skills, abilities, motivations and attitudes about their jobs.

Some supervisors prefer to study activity reports, spreadsheets and work-flow charts. But that's a mistake. Sitting at a desk behind closed doors poring over paperwork prevents you from seeing with your own eyes how workers behave and what they actually do during their shift.

The best way to observe performance is to devise a system that encompasses what to look for. You want to watch each employee not only to assess work quality, but also to evaluate conduct, appearance, vitality, attitude and eagerness to learn.

Applying a consistent set of criteria to every employee ensures that you observe performance with a fair-minded focus on what matters most. It also enables you to compare workers' actions and behavior based on observable standards of excellence.

Use these guidelines to observe five key aspects of performance:

Conduct:

Do employees carry themselves professionally? (Example: They don't roll their eyes or stomp their feet in response to a coworker's error.)

Do they make ethical decisions? (Example: Do they participate in dual relationships with customers or clients that present conflict of interests?)

Do they follow posted safety rules, policies and procedures? (Example: They wear personal protective equipment such as hardhats, goggles and ear guards when using potentially dangerous machinery.)