Abstract
Despite the fact that creating employee focus, motivation, and improved outcomes through performance review is widely encouraged, such a constraining and potentially isolating activity is also equally derided. This chapter outlines that many obstacles in performance review can be overcome through inclusion of focused goal pursuit, which has a simple, collaborative, flexible, personal, and organizational learning and improvement emphasis whilst combining both rigor and responsiveness. An overview cycle is offered for performance review with such an embedded focused action research (FAR) approach. The overview cycle and FAR approach are underpinned by three key principles encouraging: depth of learning, stretch in challenge, and collaboration based on dialogue and openness. The chapter moves beyond outlining processes and principles to briefly drawing links to recent thinking from the neuroscience and neuroleadership fields on regions of the brain relevant to goal pursuit. Finally, an example of the FAR approach illustrates practical application in leadership.
TopIntroduction
The importance of both performance review and goal pursuit for a range of activities such as strategic planning, focusing and aligning thinking, professional development, motivation, learning, creating a sense of completion and achievement, and enhancing personal and organizational performance is widely articulated (Asplund & Blacksmith, 2013; Gordon, 2006; Kouzes & Posner, 2007; Locke & Latham, 2013; Meyer, Bendikson & Le Fevre, 2020; Vorhauser-Smith, 2011). For many people, however, these two foci individually and collectively are often associated with feelings of: time-wasting; pointlessness; constraint about being pinned down; hierarchical imposition and control; poorly conducted reviews by management; isolation in commonly individualistic processes; and confusion about the processes (see for example, Bird, 2015; Forrester, 2011; Myrna, 2009; Perillo, 2006).
It is my belief, borne out of extensive experience in a performance reviewer (with over 120 senior leaders in organizations) and researcher role, that performance review can have many positive employee and organizational improvement outcomes. I hasten to add that this experience has indicated practical process elements in performance review that are make or break in contributing to creating meaning, acceptance and impact. Most of those elements are linked to the approach adopted for pursuing goals within performance review and it is this specific topic that I wish to emphasize in this chapter.
I begin by presenting an overview cycle to establish the broader performance review context before paying specific attention to the Focused Action Research (FAR) approach (adapted from Piggot-Irvine, 2015) embedded within the cycle. The FAR approach is designed to address some of the earlier noted constraints via inclusion of simple, flexible, iterative (cyclical and on-going), collaborative and evidence-based decision-making elements. In addition, the FAR approach strengthens strategic alignment of individual, team, and organizational aims.
Three key principles underpin the overview cycle and embedded FAR approach: shift in depth, lift in challenge, and authentic collaboration. Shift in depth is more likely to occur when performance review and embedded goal pursuit involve the use of evidence/data to support any conclusions drawn, where reviewees become informed through examination of best practice ideas linked to specific goals selected, and when there is detailed planning to show improvement steps and timelines. Lift in challenge is frequently associated with the term high goals and, as the term implies, the goals should stretch the reviewee. Authentic collaboration is enacted when reviewees are engaged with others in ways where not only support, clarity and mentoring are provided but also strong feedback, honest dialogue and critique. It involves striving for shared (bilateral) control in performance review through employment of a non-defensive (productive), dialogical, orientation on the part of reviewers and reviewees.
Key Terms in this Chapter
Goal Alignment: Emphasizes the importance of creating goals at an individual and team level which cascade from the organization purpose and processes. Such alignment is a feature of the FAR approach.
Action Research: AR is a relatively popular developmental research methodology which has both data collection (research) and change (action) elements ( Piggot-Irvine et al, 2021 ). It has a cyclical orientation (often iterative planning, acting, reflecting, and evaluating) and is highly developmental and practical in its intent and it is the latter that makes it suitable as an approach to goal pursuit. Zuber-Skerritt (2012) adds that AR is also democratic, participative, and collaborative.
Authentic Collaboration: Collaboration enacted when participants are engaged with others in ways where not only support, clarity and mentoring are provided but also strong feedback, honest dialogue and critique. It involves striving for shared (bilateral) control through employment of a non-defensive (productive), dialogical, orientation ( Argyris, 2003 ; Cardno, 2001 ; Senge, Cambron-McCabe, Lucas, Smith, Dutton & Kleiner, 2000 ).
Neuroscience: Study of the brain by scientists often through the use of tools such as fMRI and EEG. Neuroscience findings are showing us that several areas of the brain seem to be involved in goal pursuit.
Shift in Depth: Occurs when goal pursuit involves the use of evidence/data to support any conclusions drawn, becoming informed through examination of best practice ideas linked to goals, and detailed planning to show improvement steps and timelines.
Lift in Challenge: Lift in challenge with goal pursuit is frequently associated with the term high or stretch goals. Locke and Latham (2013) emphasized the importance of high goals to focus attention and effort toward goal-oriented activity and away from irrelevant activity.
FAR: In this approach there is cyclic, iterative, activity described as phases of preparatory (focusing), reconnaissance (informed current situation analysis), implementation of improvement , evaluation of achievement , recommendation creation , and reporting . In the model there are links also made to further improvement and it allows for dealing with emergent and sometimes multiple issues. The FAR approach is underpinned by the three key principles of shift in depth , lift in challenge , and authentic collaboration .
Performance Review: Variably described also as performance management and appraisal. An activity “intended to benefit both the individual and organisation by leading to affirmation that performance expectations are being met and to the identification of areas for improvement” ( Piggot-Irvine & Cardno, 2005 , p. 12).
Neuroleadership: The neuroleadership field has provided an interpretation of neuroscience for the leadership arena. For example, in the context of goal pursuit, approach conditions that could maximise goal pursuit activity have been described. In particular the two neuroleadership acronyms of SCARF (status, certainty, autonomy, relatedness, fairness) and AIM (antecedents, integration, managing rewards and anticipation) have been outlined by Berkman and Rock (2012) .