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Written Performance Agreement- Helping Employees Hit The Mark

As a manager, one of your jobs is to turn your employees into leaders. To do this, they need to know what's expected of them, and when they're succeeding. Think about your role as a leader. How do you know when you're successful? How do you know you're "hitting the mark?"

It begins with knowing what "the mark" is. People can't measure up if they don't know what the expectations are. Therefore, an important tool for both the employee and the manager is a written performance agreement.

A written performance agreement is a way for you and your employee to discuss and agree upon performance outcomes. It specifies the who, what, when, where, and how of performance expectations.

Writing a performance agreement should be a collaborative effort between the manager and the employee. Each takes a part in identifying strategies for meeting expectations and setting goals. Written performance agreements:

  • align corporate goals and values
  • are collaborative agreements written by both parties
  • define expectations clearly
  • have measurable outcomes
  • identify job-specific outcomes
  • are uniform tracking and appraisal systems

The object is to have a clear communication that is written down. The employee knows where he stands and what is expected. In addition, remember that a written performance agreement is part of a process, and processes evolve and improve. Both you and the employee will be involved in fine-tuning as you proceed.

Before you begin, ask your staff member to spend a little time thinking about his goals. They will be incorporated into part of the performance agreement. Often employees will bring a list of goals that are impossible to achieve or impossible to measure. This is the "evolving" part of the process. Any goals that are not measurable or not achievable will become clear, and should be addressed and altered accordingly.

As you're writing performance expectations, you and your employee should make them as clear as possible. To do this, you can use the SMART model. SMART stands for:

  • S: Specific
  • M: Measurable
  • A: Attainable
  • R: Realistic
  • T: Timely

A written performance agreement can be a useful, powerful tool for both of you. Most importantly, it can pay off in employee pride and company profits.