Seth Godin writes, “Change is the new normal” and that “If you and your company are not taking advantage of change, change will defeat you” in his book, Survival Is Not Enough (p.6).

It is hard to argue against the statement that change is the only constant these days. Godin’s thought-provoking book takes the reader through an exploration of whether or not we are equipped to deal with this change.

Of course, my thoughts always turn to the relevance of ideas to performance management. What does this mean for our PM processes? Godin advises “the way to build an organization that can embrace change is to redefine change” (p. 57). The question then becomes how we, as humans, adopt a paradigm that allows us to deal with a constant flow of changing circumstances.  Human beings look for familiarity, recognizable patterns and stability as  ways to establish control and explain the world.

Thus, when we establish our performance management policies, procedures and systems, we need to consider two contradicting needs, the need for control and constancy and an openness and ability to adapt to change. A strong company vision and values can provide stability and act as a “backboard” against which all decisions can be “bounced.”

The challenging task is to ensure that goals and goal setting allows for the requisite openness and adaptability.

If we relate this to the SMART format, it might mean the following:

Goals must be SPECIFIC, but the specific requirements could change on a dime.

We need to MEASURE progress, but perhaps progress should be assessed more frequently to accommodate the rapid pace of change.

A goal that seemed ACHIEVABLE at one point in time can quite quickly move out of reach. Subsequently, goals should be reviewed regularly and employees must feel they can speak to supervisors about progress when conditions change.

REALISTIC  goals are similar to achievable ones (see above).

TIMELINES may need to be shortened. 

More frequent, open communication may be part of the answer. It will also help people deal with the stress that goes along with change. Godin writes, “Four reasons people freeze in the face of change" are "pressure from deadlines, fatigue, fear, bosses who desire closure, not uncertainty” (p. 47). These conditions may stem from unrelenting pressure, overlapping deadlines without time to regroup, and fear of unwanted negative consequences because of failure. 

What does this mean for everyday performance management?

-the dialogue between employees and supervisors must be free flowing
-supervisors need to be accessible and accepting of employee feedback
-fear of failure must be minimized
-all employees must understand that some initiatives will fail, and that this reflects the normal learning process
-goals must be supported by the appropriate learning opportunities and skilled workers

Do you have anything to add to this list?

References:

Godin, Seth. Survival Is Not Enough. New York: The Free Press, 2002.