Dictionary.com offers eight different meanings of the noun performance and 19 synonyms were listed on thesaurus.com. Both include the word “work” which is not surprising. Likewise, these synonyms are likely to be part of the career counselor’s repertoire: fulfillment, achievement, and realization. When focusing on performance, whether it be an individual or an organization, the ultimate goal, to reach an optimal level, is attainable yet elusive. ~ David M. Reile, Ph.D.
Photo by Carlos Muza on Unsplash
FOCUS ON: Measuring Performance
Athletic performance is measured down to the hundredths, even thousandths, of a point in the Olympics. School performance could refer to the students’ grades or the education system’s achievements (e.g., “College and Career Readiness Performance Index”). Staff in organizations no longer just have “annual reviews” – they go through a “Career Performance and Development Process”. Conducting an internet search on the words career performance, it is possible to find many more ways to look at how performance is measured — and it becomes obvious that is a worldwide, yet never-ending goal.
GENDER IN THE WORKPLACE: Raising Awareness About Gender Bias in Performance Reviews
Research shows that feedback is where gender bias is highly evident. Words such as team effort vs independent effort show up differently in a woman’s review versus a man’s. This affects promotion and a woman’s efforts to monitor her image, which detracts from her work performance. Such stereotypes in the language of performance reviews has led to training the managers to recognize unconscious bias. This could in turn lead to increased opportunities for promotions for women. Read more from the Wall Street Journal.
FOR PRACTITIONERS: How to use Evidence-Based Management
As a practitioner, you want to assess and improve your performance on a project or implementation. But identifying exact causes of successes and failures is difficult at best. The only conclusion is that you are performing neither as bad or as good as you think you are! Why not put in a place a mechanism to effectively evaluate your efforts as a practitioner? Read more about evidence-based management.
COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES: Performing Volunteer Work to Get Experience
Graduates searching for a job naively believe their academic experience is all they need. Yes, school accomplishments need to be on the resume, but in a much smaller section than the performance section. Experience volunteering, or internships, will give the graduate the skills (technical and/or soft) that employers seek. Read More.
YOUR LIBRARY: How Can Leaders Increase Organizational Performance?
Herky Cutler’s book “Get F.I.T., Go Far” (2016, Friesenpress) offers research, actionable steps, and secrets to grow leadership and take the company to the next level. The subtitle says it all: “15 Things Leaders Absolutely Must Do to Increase Organizational Performance”.
TOP TEN: Ways Professional Development Aids Employee Performance
After attending a seminar or conference, going back to work can be easier, more fun or fulfilling. In this way, employees can “remove the rust” from work performance so as to have an immediate impact on overall productivity. Professional development can also increase confidence and satisfaction on the job. Read all ten performance benefits of professional development.
QUOTES
“Being relaxed, at peace with yourself, confident, emotionally neutral, loose, and free-floating – these are the keys to successful performance in almost everything.” - Dr. Wayne W. Dyer
“Micromanagement is mismanagement. … [P]eople micromanage to assuage their anxieties about organizational performance: they feel better if they are continuously directing and controlling the actions of others—at heart, this reveals emotional insecurity on their part. It gives micromanagers the illusion of control (or usefulness).” - Laszlo Bock
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