Performance Management For Dummies

Thorough review of performance management (PM) content. Many practical examples of real-life organizations about their PM practices.Why there are no references throughout the book? Is this some sort of policy by For Dummies book series? If so, bad, very bad.Performance evaluation is still the “star of the movie”, not performance coaching nor performance planning. It is clear that these two phases are far more effective in aligning and improving performance. In the last section of the book (the part of tens) this bias toward evaluation as the most important thing in PM is evident.The book discusses a “multipurpose PM system”. Wrong: too many purposes = no focus. With so many stakeholders, it will be hard to please the expectations of all of them.The author defends performance ratings even though he is well aware of the numerous and severe problems they have. According to several publications it is beyond discussion that performance ratings are hopelessly inaccurate (unreliable and invalid). Therefore, these fake numbers are useless and even dangerous to make administrative decisions. Why then are you still defending administrative purposes for PM? It’s entirely possible to make all those administrative decisions without PM (of course this is not discussed in the book).There are few mentions about feedback and its limited effectiveness. Again, it is a fact that feedback is not accepted and is not useful to most recipients.The author never questions the outdated practice of rewarding performance with tangible incentives (carrots and sticks alive and well). The book assumes most people are motivated by extrinsic rewards like money. In this regard the relationship between PM and motivation receives a perfunctory treatment. Looks like motivation theory halted in the 50s. There is no mention of contemporary theories such as Self-determination Theory and its important implications to transform PM into autonomy supportive practices by leaders and the organization.Although there is an explanation about team PM, the author never makes a case against individuals. Nowadays work is increasingly being done in teams not to mention that individual talent is overrated. An impressive body of research shows the superiority of teaming and collaboration in driving organizational success.Finally, the author explain why PM fails. Even though his reasons are right, he does not pinpoints the root causes: false beliefs, biased assumptions and outdated paradigms about human behavior in organizations.Is PM here to stay? ….

"Performance Management For Dummies (For Dummies (Business & Personal Finance))" by Herman Anguinis is informative with good organization to help the reader get more out of performance management. On the one hand, the author made the process easy to understand and follow. On the other hand, it does require a certain level of understanding of the process before starting. It isn't for the curious. I felt like it went over my head in places but overall, it was an interesting and informative read.

Good book on using performance management to improve your organization's goals. Around 330 pages, many topics are covered, including:- Why performance management is important.- Steps for designing a performance management system.- Developing and communicating your organization's vision.- Giving effective feedback.- Implementing a performance management system.- Tips for being an effective performance management leader.- Legal factors to consider when using performance management.Readable, insightful, and smoothly transitions from chapter to chapter, the title is a valuable aid for anyone interested in using performance management.

This book is a great resource tool for people who are new to managing as well as a great fresher for those who have managed people for a while. The book starts off with an intro to why you need performance management in an organization and how you can design and implement a system.The subsequent chapters walk you through step by step on how to get organizational buy in (if needed), defining and measuring performance, linking performance management to your strategic plan, becoming an effective coach including how to give praise and provide constructive feedback, facilitating employee development and conducting effective performance revolutionary reviews. Throughout each chapter there are various real life examples from companies of different sizes, role playing conversations to deal with different types of situations, and other visual aids.The book breaks down each step and component into digestible, easy to read chunks. The table of contents and book structure make it very easy to find sections if you want to focus on certain topics over others.This book can also be a great resource for employees who want to excel in companies with a performance management system in place.

I have found touchpoints at every step in this well-presented book as I prepare to go into a new exec-level position where there is no thought given to performance management at all. The reasoning is clear, and as with other "Dummies" books anything that is meant to illustrate or augment is set off in clearly-marked sidebars. That makes it easy to create your own adventure. This is a valuable text.

Excellent real examples to bring home the points. I appreciate the author’s appreciation for data and studies to identify best practices.