7 Myths Uncovered About Performance Management

During my research on performance reviews & management, I came across many articles, blogs, and a lot of opinion pieces. These articles mostly spoke about how it fosters a genuine partnership between line managers and their employees resulting in overall organizational success.

But, after some time, I noticed something. Many people more often than not conflate performance management with appraisals. Here is the thing, performance reviews are not only about appraisals, they are also about, you know performance.

But this is not the only myth I came across. Listed below are 7 other myths that I am going to bust today.

Myth 1: Employees know their job, they don’t need performance reviews or management.

Truth: No matter how well your employees know their job or how well they perform, it is always essential for you to personally keep track of their performance. When they know that their work will be reviewed from time to time, the quality of work increases, and the employees strive to meet the organizational goals better than ever.

Myth 2: It is the responsibility of the administration.

Truth: Performance management is not entirely an administrative task. Few tasks like online tracking, performance review assignment, etc are usually managed by the administration.  The rest of it falls to the manager and that is the way it is. After all, nobody knows an employee better than the employee’s manager. In an effective organization, the process involves all the managers and employees, where they discuss and set individual goals that contribute to overall organizational goals.

Myth 3: High performers don’t need performance reviews, they are better left undisturbed.

Truth: As mentioned above, even a high-performer needs a performance review. Initially, the high-performer might see the process of reviewing and managing performance as a waste of time. But as their work gets reviewed and discussed by the performance review panel, they tend to come up with better ways to meet their individual goals as well as organizational goals.

Also Read: Performance Management – Are You Doing It Right?

Myth 4: It is only about the work that employees undertake.

Truth: Performance management can mainly be about the responsibilities of employees at their workplace and meeting their performance goals, but it is not only that. It is also about supporting and helping employees utilize their full potential.

Myth 5: It can’t help low performers, they should be shown the door.

Truth: If organized and carried out properly, performance management can also help the lowest performers of an organization. If the performers are willing to learn then the process can help them improve themselves.

Myth 6: Performance goals are better kept private.

Truth: There is no point in keeping performance goals private. Experts say that sharing goals publicly increases the chances of reaching them. Making organizational goals public engages your employees and also motivates them to come up with creative ideas to execute them.

Myth 7: It is easy.

Truth: Reviewing and managing performance is not just a process, it is a skill that can be mastered over time. There are many tools out there, that can help you understand and carry out the process effectively.

Do you want to know how Engagedly can help you carry out performance reviews effectively? Request a demo from the Engagedly team and know more!

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Srikant Chellappa

CEO & Co-Founder of Engagedly

Srikant Chellappa is the Co-Founder and CEO at Engagedly and is a passionate entrepreneur and people leader. He is an author, producer/director of 6 feature films, a music album with his band Manchester Underground, and is the host of The People Strategy Leaders Podcast. He is currently working on his next book, Ikigai at the Workplace, which is slated for release in the fall of 2024.

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