What is Agile Performance Management? How is Agile PM different than traditional Performance Management?
Agile Performance Management is a new performance management software/ program, designed to address the challenges in the old performance management methods while embracing the changing society and workforce trends. As Taylor says, the Agile Performance Management offers unique options like coaching conversations, regular use and frequent feedback (Taylor). The Agile approach, therefore, presents a more modern way of handling performance management.
According to analysis by Taylor, the Agile Performance Management differs from the traditional Performance management in the following ways:
The agile approach Offers continuous appraisal rather than the once in a year appraisals that were common with traditional performance management.
Traditional methods had goals being set at the beginning of a financial year and would only be reviewed at the end of the year. On the contrary, APM does not leave a wide gap between goal setting and evaluation since it approaches this as a continuous process and not a one-time event.
The Agile approach offers a collaborative environment between employees and employer/supervisors rather than bureaucracy and hierarchies as is the case with traditional methods.
The traditional methods are more focused on periodical appraisals, building the employee’s targets and growth around that while the agile system promotes employees development and long-term goals.
The traditional methods concentrate on the employer and what he wants the employee to achieve; while the agile method gives employees more recognition
The traditional method sets goals once, but the APM is flexible, adapting to the change in the workplace goals according to reports new received and the needs of the moment.
The traditional method provides minimal and occasional feedback since they are mostly geared towards gauging employee contribution and not providing for employee’s development while APM provides regular feedback aimed at helping the employee to improve and grow in their career.
The traditional method of performance management has a limited scope, focusing on specific deliverables and observations while the agile approach has a widened scope.
What are the compelling reasons or rationale for business to move to and utilize an Agile approach to Performance Management?
The Agile Performance Management system has revolutionalized the workplace and its workforce by forging a more collaborative and long-term relationship between the employee and the company. It also offers a continuous assessment of how the company’s goals are being achieved and its plans implemented; allowing for adjustments as needed without waiting all year to do damage control. On the other hand, The Agile system may promote employee retention, because employees will start seeing themselves as part of the organization’s long-term plan. The regular feedback may also improve employee performance and promote loyalty and accountability. These reasons are beneficial and compelling enough for any manager to change to Agile Performance Management.
If you were the Senior Vice President of Human Resources for a business that has used a very traditional approach to Performance Management, How would you convince your Senior Leadership to actively support moving the company’s Performance Management process to an Agile approach?
I would seek the advice from an expert in the field, who would come in and demonstrate exactly how the system works. I would then write a proposal detailing its benefits for the company and how it would help the company’s goals while also highlighting the short-falls of the current system. Following this, if possible, I would arrange for a test pilot of the program so that the managers can get a feel of it and this would be convincing for them to try. Alternatively, I could arrange for benchmarking in another company that uses system so that the managers could get a first-hand account of how it works.
Works Cited
Taylor, Chloe. "Agile Performance Management – What You Need To Know". HR Online. N.p., 2015. Web. 15 Mar. 2016.
