MANAGING PERFORMANCE

MANAGING PERFORMANCE

 

Many believe that managing performance is a difficult business process to achieve.  Managing performance is not about producing a performance appraisal form at the end of a specific period.  Neither is it about hounding individuals 24/7.

Recruitment

The process begins at recruitment and requires knowledge of job output, competencies necessary to achieve the desired outcome, and designing your recruitment process to achieve the objective of securing “the best fit for the job”.  

Consideration must be given to the composition of the existing team, the values of the organisation and the level of complexity involved in performing that function.  Thus ensuring that the successful candidate is able to accomplish the deliverables for which they are hired.  Whereas, technical knowhow is important, assessing emotional intelligence is key, particularly in a supervisory or leadership role where getting results through people is essential. 

Culture

The culture and environment in which people are expected to work impacts there productivity.  Too often highly motivated, creative and intelligent people are brought into a workplace which does not value these attributes.  Instead,  it encourages them to leave their brains outside the door whilst strategies are employed to get them to perform exactly how the employer wants.  Such an environment does not engender an atmosphere where employees can contribute and produce to their full capacity. Innovation is also stifled which does not auger well for the growth of the individual or the organisation.

Employee engagement

Employee engagement is also important in Managing Performance. Some important practices are; Effective communication; communication is open and goes in both directions; feedback is provided on an ongoing basis; empathic listening skills are employed during the feedback process; employees are given an opportunity to express themselves; ensuring that individuals are aware of how their role contributes to achieving strategic objectives of the organisation; expectations of the job are clearly defined; Establishing mutual trust is also critical.   Trust is  important as a lack of trust comes at a cost,  when there is mistrust everything takes longer, the time spent on intrigue trying to determine what ulterior motives exist is counterproductive.

Goal Setting

It is important that goals are established in conjunction with the employee; yes, these can be stretched but remembers the SMART acronym.  For those of us who believe that our jobs cannot be measured I want to reference a text titled “How to Measure Anything” by Douglas W Hubbard.  

Do not overwhelm your team members with too many goals or objectives.  Determine what the Key Performance Indicators are. (KPI’s).  Information sharing will assist the employee with prioritizing.  Ensure that as a department there is a compelling scoreboard developed by the employees with your support, it’s their scoreboard not yours. Let employees determine the tasks that they will undertake to achieve the stated objective.  Ensure the tools, appropriate seating arrangement, heating/cooling, support/direction; necessary equipment is available to perform the job.  There are numerous electronic systems that can assist with the tracking of performance.

Employee Development

Provide the necessary training, coaching and mentoring following a skills gap analysis.  Ensure that objective systems of measuring performance exists e.g. use of a tool such as the balance scorecard which is flexible and addresses 4 dimensions of the job namely, the financial, internal or external customer service, learning and growth, and internal processes.  This tool assists in objectively measuring performance of your employees at an individual, department and organisational level.

Performance Management  

To ensure equity it is important that our system of measuring performance is tied to a matrix which is quantifiable. When an employee has clear knowledge of what is expected, receives ongoing feedback to ensure that there are no surprises at the end of the period this causes the system to be more acceptable. Ongoing constructive feedback allows employees an opportunity to upgrade their performance thus adding value to their organisation. 

Leadership

The quality of leadership is also of great importance to the process, as this speaks to the monitoring/review component.   Think of the type of leader you had when you were most productive, this should be your benchmark for how you lead.  Competence, Empathy, willingness to learn and share, firm and fair, creative, innovative, emotionally intelligent, excellent communicator, ability to challenge other, trustworthy, honest,  professional, personal integrity etc.  These are some of the desired competencies.

Performance Measurement

Having examined the various elements of the performance management process it is then left for us to measure.  How did the individual perform based on the expectations of the

job?  Again, the need for this part of the process to be as objective as possible.  It’s not about how you feel; it’s about what evidence you have of the specific performance or lack of performance that you are referring to.  The fact that interventions have taken place in the meantime is an opportunity to encourage the individual to look at next steps, how they can grow on the job, or how they can grow to move out of the job. Use the performance review as an opportunity to plan for growth and development of the individual.

Compensation

Reward sweetens labour this is a component of the process we cannot ignore.  It does not necessarily have to be monetary. How people are treated, the environment in which they work, how we celebrate success, is the organisation a learning organisation that facilitates learning and growth. These are all equally important.

The process is cyclical. I invite you to see your performance appraisal as a Developmental tool not as an “I catch you tool”.   Effective performance management is critical to the success of your business.

Thecla C. Deterville

Managing Director

Celestial Self Development Centre

Franchise Holder for: FanklinCovey East Caribbean

info@celestialsdc.com

https://www.celestialsdc.com

 

 

 

EULOGY 

FOR THERESA FLORES ST.ANGE

Houston, Texas, U.S.A.

OCTOBER 13, 1946 - October 21, 2020

 

Flores Theresa St. Ange or Foy as she is affectionately known was born in Choiseul Saint Lucia to Julius and Esther St. Ange (nee Nestor), she was the last of three children. She was pre-deceased by her brother Placide Gustave and is survived by her elder brother Ignatius St. Ange.    Her mother died early in her childhood and she was raised by her God mother Ms. Etienne and later moved to Castries to reside with her Aunt Gordienne.  She is the mother of five children Christabelle  St.Ange Thomas, Flora Maksimovic, Quincy, David and Trae St. Ange.  She adored her grandchildren, Maegan &  Shantel Thomas; , Milan & Sofia Maksimovic; Elizabeth Guardado & Anayah St. Ange and , Samiyah  & Salena St. Ange.  

She also leaves to mourn two sons in law, Junior Thomas and Dragon Maksimovic and Sister in law Theresa St. Ange, and her adopted sister Florence Francis.

Her Nieces & Nephews, namely  Louise St. Ange Fermine , Alexis St. Ange, Christina Frederick, Shon St. Ange, Sonia Jennings, Natalie Gustave, Crystal Gustave and  April Anderson.

She first migrated to St. Thomas USVI in  the 70’s and later moved to Texas, where she remained for twelve years before moving to Orlando to seek greater opportunities for her family.  She resided there until moving back to Texas in 2016 to be with her daughter Chris, when the onset of Alzheimer’s began to show its ugly head.

Flores was always a calm, caring, peaceful and loving individual who despised confusion.   She worked hard to support her growing family, and she did it without a word of complaint.  She gave her children of her best as a single parent.  She worked longest in the hospitality industry and was always pleasant and had the ability to make friends quickly.  Communicating with a complete stranger over issues she was passionate about was no problem for her.  The ease with which she did this was mind boggling, those of us who accompanied her anywhere will remember the times we had to stop and wait whilst she engaged a total stranger. She had some amazing skill sets, any of you would find it difficult to lie on a bed that she just made.  I have never seen anyone pay such attention to detail in that regard.  She loved to listen to local and international news and kept abreast of what was happening around the world.  She loved politics and was always ready, willing and able to express her point of view; she was highly opinionated when it came to politics. She would have been having a field day around this time.

As a mother she was dutiful to her family, she recognised their individual strengths and weaknesses and did her utmost to keep them together. She loved her children unconditionally. She was also committed to her extended family and looked forward to her frequent visits to Saint Lucia to get a break from the hustle and bustle of life in the USA.

She loved to cook but was also very particular about what she ate.  She was a devout vegetarian and nothing or no one could tempt her to give up that practice.  She guarded her health jealously. She was very generous towards anyone in need, and had no difficulty in giving out of her little.  One of her dreams was, if she ever won the lottery she would establish a home for the elderly in her home country.

Flores was also very committed in her devotion to Our Lady; her rosary was her constant companion.  Anytime she came to Saint Lucia she ensured that she came with rosaries to distribute.  It is this devotion to our Blessed Mother that made her so happy when in 2017 she was able to travel on Pilgrimage to Lourdes and Fatima along with her cousins Zila (deceased) and Thecla.

She was happiest when she was dancing; she loved music she never allowed good music to go to waste.  That was a joy that the dreaded Alzheimer’s disease could not take from her.  There would be recent pictures of her dancing away, prior to that recent stroke.  She loved life and always looked forward to the day when she would return to her homeland where she had lots of ideas for business ventures.  But sadly this was not to be.

In addition to her immediate family she leaves to mourn the Thomas family of the US and the Deterville, Nestor, Blaize, St. Ange and Gustave Families of Saint Lucia and the diaspora.  We pray that the Good Lord will grant her eternal peace. Fly with the Angels Foy, you gave of your best.  We love you, rest in perfect peace.

October 23, 2020

Authored by: Thecla C. Deterville 

Delivered by: Christina Frederick

MANAGING PERFORMANCE

 

Many believe that managing performance is a difficult business process to achieve.  Managing performance is not about producing a performance appraisal form at the end of a specific period.  Neither is it about hounding individuals 24/7.

Recruitment

The process begins at recruitment and requires knowledge of job output, competencies necessary to achieve the desired outcome, and designing your recruitment process to achieve the objective of securing “the best fit for the job”.  

Consideration must be given to the composition of the existing team, the values of the organisation and the level of complexity involved in performing that function.  Thus ensuring that the successful candidate is able to accomplish the deliverables for which they are hired.  Whereas, technical knowhow is important, assessing emotional intelligence is key, particularly in a supervisory or leadership role where getting results through people is essential. 

Culture

The culture and environment in which people are expected to work impacts there productivity.  Too often highly motivated, creative and intelligent people are brought into a workplace which does not value these attributes.  Instead,  it encourages them to leave their brains outside the door whilst strategies are employed to get them to perform exactly how the employer wants.  Such an environment does not engender an atmosphere where employees can contribute and produce to their full capacity. Innovation is also stifled which does not auger well for the growth of the individual or the organisation.

Employee engagement

Employee engagement is also important in Managing Performance. Some important practices are; Effective communication; communication is open and goes in both directions; feedback is provided on an ongoing basis; empathic listening skills are employed during the feedback process; employees are given an opportunity to express themselves; ensuring that individuals are aware of how their role contributes to achieving strategic objectives of the organisation; expectations of the job are clearly defined; Establishing mutual trust is also critical.   Trust is  important as a lack of trust comes at a cost,  when there is mistrust everything takes longer, the time spent on intrigue trying to determine what ulterior motives exist is counterproductive.

Goal Setting

It is important that goals are established in conjunction with the employee; yes, these can be stretched but remembers the SMART acronym.  For those of us who believe that our jobs cannot be measured I want to reference a text titled “How to Measure Anything” by Douglas W Hubbard.  

Do not overwhelm your team members with too many goals or objectives.  Determine what the Key Performance Indicators are. (KPI’s).  Information sharing will assist the employee with prioritizing.  Ensure that as a department there is a compelling scoreboard developed by the employees with your support, it’s their scoreboard not yours. Let employees determine the tasks that they will undertake to achieve the stated objective.  Ensure the tools, appropriate seating arrangement, heating/cooling, support/direction; necessary equipment is available to perform the job.  There are numerous electronic systems that can assist with the tracking of performance.

Employee Development

Provide the necessary training, coaching and mentoring following a skills gap analysis.  Ensure that objective systems of measuring performance exists e.g. use of a tool such as the balance scorecard which is flexible and addresses 4 dimensions of the job namely, the financial, internal or external customer service, learning and growth, and internal processes.  This tool assists in objectively measuring performance of your employees at an individual, department and organisational level.

Performance Management  

To ensure equity it is important that our system of measuring performance is tied to a matrix which is quantifiable. When an employee has clear knowledge of what is expected, receives ongoing feedback to ensure that there are no surprises at the end of the period this causes the system to be more acceptable. Ongoing constructive feedback allows employees an opportunity to upgrade their performance thus adding value to their organisation. 

Leadership

The quality of leadership is also of great importance to the process, as this speaks to the monitoring/review component.   Think of the type of leader you had when you were most productive, this should be your benchmark for how you lead.  Competence, Empathy, willingness to learn and share, firm and fair, creative, innovative, emotionally intelligent, excellent communicator, ability to challenge other, trustworthy, honest,  professional, personal integrity etc.  These are some of the desired competencies.

Performance Measurement

Having examined the various elements of the performance management process it is then left for us to measure.  How did the individual perform based on the expectations of the

job?  Again, the need for this part of the process to be as objective as possible.  It’s not about how you feel; it’s about what evidence you have of the specific performance or lack of performance that you are referring to.  The fact that interventions have taken place in the meantime is an opportunity to encourage the individual to look at next steps, how they can grow on the job, or how they can grow to move out of the job. Use the performance review as an opportunity to plan for growth and development of the individual.

Compensation

Reward sweetens labour this is a component of the process we cannot ignore.  It does not necessarily have to be monetary. How people are treated, the environment in which they work, how we celebrate success, is the organisation a learning organisation that facilitates learning and growth. These are all equally important.

The process is cyclical. I invite you to see your performance appraisal as a Developmental tool not as an “I catch you tool”.   Effective performance management is critical to the success of your business.

Thecla C. Deterville

Managing Director

Celestial Self Development Centre

Franchise Holder for: FanklinCovey East Caribbean

info@celestialsdc.com

https://www.celestialsdc.com

 

 

WATER IS LIFE CONSERVE IT

WATER IS LIFE, CONSERVE IT

Note: This article was written in February, 2010 and is worth re-posting.  It is quite timely as we have recently  received information from WASCO and the Met Services regarding the impending water shortage as a result of draught conditions currently being experienced in Saint Lucia.

Over the past two week we have all had a lesson in what it means to conserve water. A popular topic of conversation is how to have a shower with a bucket of water. Those of us who have discovered that tanks we thought were filled are infarct dried have had a rude awakening. To top this off even if you were able to place an order for a 3,000 gallon delivery that too was not available following the shut down by WASCO.

  The other interesting observation is, if you had the opportunity to follow one of these water trucks up North you would be amazed to see how much of the 3,000 gallons actually gets to the intended destination, as the water is spilled all along the way. Can something be done to prevent this? I would hope so, obviously the driver is not aware of how much water is being lost and wasted along the route. And the person who has paid for the water has no way of knowing that they have not received the number of gallons they have paid for.

Well for my part I want to share some simple but effective water conservation tips with you.
Please ensure that there is a container near the sink where you can keep water to wash your face and brush your teeth. Having the tap run whilst you are undertaking either of these activities can amount to a massive waste of a priceless commodity which is in short supply.

Another area is, when testing for hot water we allow the tap to run until the water gets to the right temperature; please get a bucket or bath tub to collect that water. That contain can also be kept in the shower or tub to collect the excess water that falls from the tap whilst we are having a shower. This water can be recycled and used to flush the toilet, water plants or mop the floor.

Do not use the dish washer. Washing dishes with a blocked sink is a sure way of conservation. We may even have to consider not using the washing machines for some time and reverting to hand washing of cloths. This experience is one that may well be preparing us for a situation that can worsen, let us not take things for granted and play our part in conserving this precious commodity. It is better that we take these conservation measures now and have water left in our tanks if things return to normal rather that have to suffer further hardship.

If this situation continues it can have far reaching implications for the production and cost of food. When food production is affected it has an impact of the cost of food. ( I recall after hurricane Allen having to pay $10.00 for a hand of green bananas I am not talking about a bunch and that was a long time ago). The well being of animals out in the fields, the health and well being of the nation.

Those of us who want to continue to water our plants should do so from recycled water or collect water from rivers and streams to do so. River water could also be used for washing vehicles, this has been a long standing practice at a number of popular rivers around the country. We cannot afford to use our limited supply for activities such as these. The statement,  "WATER IS LIFE CONSERVE IT", has taken on new meaning. Let us be sensitive to our current situation, blaming WASCO is not the answer we must all play our part or be prepared to suffer the consequences. Let us be our brothers’ keeper, share ideas and ensure that our households practice the water conservation tips that are being disseminated over the media. Let us be part of the solution, if not we are part of the problem. It calls for a total rethink of how we use water, lead by example and teach our children.

A stitch in time saves nine.

Original: February 15, 2010
Posted: April 2020.

THE SMALL BUSINESS AND THE COVID-19 VIRUS

THE SMALL BUSINESS AND THE COVID-19 VIRUS

Small businesses, which require a multiplicity of skills to operate, will be hard hit in this COVID-19 environment.  Most small businesses have limited financial and human resources.  Not all skills necessary for the effective and efficient running of a small business are necessarily available in-house, as some of these requirements may be beyond the capacity of the small business owner.

In this environment one of the skill sets that is likely to provide a small business with a competitive advantage is Information Technology (“IT”).  Where these skills are not available in-house, which is the reality facing most small businesses that are in the mode of ‘earn and spend’, with no room to accumulate a surplus, the business will certainly find itself in dire straits.   Even the option of commercial lending may not be open to them due to their cash flow situation.  Such businesses may not be in a position to afford the external IT support that is required  for continuity or to move from one business model to another, which is a key consideration for any business at this time. Most of our small businesses on island cannot afford two weeks of no capacity to earn far less one month.

This COVID-19 environment points clearly to key lessons to be learnt. To my mind, the main requirement is adaptability in our mode of operation and our ability to utilise the necessary technology, critical in this time of physical distancing.  Yes, we may all have our business continuity plans but since what we are, facing currently has been unfathomable and has no precedent, how many businesses can claim to be in a position to implement their continuity plan as is?  The numbers are likely to be rather few.  

This is clearly a time where it is not only survival of the fittest but survival of those who can be agile, creative and innovative in the shortest possible time.   Again, our ability to adapt and do so in a timely manner is critical.  It is now the time where it cannot be the same old, same old but the time that calls for boldness, thinking outside of the box and pushing that envelope. Our ability to analyse the situation and respond speedily to the needs of our customer base is a requirement.  It may also call for offering services different to what we have been accustomed to doing in the past.  

The question is how many of us have the ability, capacity, knowledge, entrepreneurial spirit and skill sets to do what it takes to have our businesses survive.  (An opportunity for guidance and support from our Business Membership Organisations (BMO’s).   Whilst we are in quarantine in this uncertain time, let us utilise the opportunity to make use of all the material that is available via the internet to enhance our skills and to acquire the tools that will help propel us to the next level.  Let us be strategic in our planning and be totally committed to executing on our plans.   A plan not executed is a dream.  Execution is key. This time,  we were caught flat-footed, it does not have to be the same next time around.  Let us be prepared or face the consequences. Note to self.

Thecla C. Deterville

Celestial Self Development Centre

Franchise Holder:

FranklinCovey East Caribbean