Introduction
Kudler Fine Foods, renown for providing great wines and foods was established by Kathy Kudler in 1998. This was after Kathy Kudler found out that there was no gourmet food store that offered a variety of food stuffs. Therefore, with her strong passion for gourmet foods, and weary of traveling over long distances, Kathy established her first food store which was named La Jolla store. Kudler Fine Foods` visualize becoming a premiere gourmet food store from which shoppers will search finest wine, cheeses, meat, and produce. Kudler Fine Foods has continued aiming at satisfying its customers despite various challenges. To realize its vision, the management of Kudler Fine Foods under the guidance of Kathy Kudler has developed a strategic plan which aims at putting Kudler Fine Foods at a competitive edge in the existing market. Strategic plans developed by Kudler Fine Foods include producing new products such as fish, deli, coffee, and tea. Opening new food stores in and out of California and creating a website are other plans that Kudler Fine Foods aims to realize. In order to realize all these plans, Kudler Fine Foods has to ensure quality work from its human resource capital. This can be ensured through hiring highly qualified employees. Kudler Fine Foods can also ensure productivity through continuous training and development, and establishing an effective performance management plan. This executive summary entails Kudler Fine Foods` Performance Management plan and recommended feedback systems. In addition, this executive summary discusses how the recommended performance management plan will be evaluated, and suggested solutions to possible challenges and resistance.
Performance management is a continuous process that takes place in an organization. It aims at ensuring maximum productivity and improving on weaknesses within an organization. General organizational performance aims at enhancing effectiveness, efficiency, and overall customer satisfaction. This involves different components. Firstly, an organization should identify its desired outcomes through its vision, mission, goals, and objectives. Further, there is a significant need to outline the various ways and means within which desired outcome will be realized. Kudler Fine Foods` ultimate goal is to be the best gourmet food store. Kudler Fine Foods also aims at gaining competitive advantage in high end areas which are situated in various cities. As such, Kudler Fine Foods aim at establishing sites in cities such as Connecticut, Greenwich, Florida, Arizona, Naples, and Scottsdale. Secondly, organizational performance comprises of human resource department. Human resource department is a significant department as it is the core determinant of productivity. Thirdly, it is essential to identify performance measure indicators. These are attributes and criteria through which one can determine whether any progress is being made towards achieving set goals and objectives. Kudler Fine Foods operate in the hotel industry. Therefore, Kudler Fine Foods can make use of indicators such as number of new and old customers, employee turnover, and customers` perception towards services accorded to them. These indicators can be analysed and used to determine whether the firm is moving towards the right direction. Fourthly, organizational performance entails setting of desired targets. This is the process of describing a specific level that will be used to realize desired outcome. Targets should be realistic and achievable. Fifthly, an organization should provide an environment that support continuous learning. Kudler Fine Foods is a profit making entity which operates in a dynamic environment. A dynamic environment is one which is full of uncertainties and static changes. Therefore, it is significant for one to be ad versant with a variety of skills and knowledge which he or she can use to remain relevant in case of any changes. As such, Kudler Fine Foods should continuously train and develop its employees through means such as appreciative inquiry, fifth discipline techniques, and action learning. This arrangement will ensure employees are adequately skilled and knowledgeable in order to ensure maximum productivity.
Performance management refer to the process of setting goals and objectives and monitoring performance against these goals. Performance management is essential as it enables an organization to retain hardworking employees. In addition, performance management motivates employees to improve or maintain his or her performance. As such, performance management not only reduce poor performance but also attracts knowledgeable and skilled employees. Therefore, performance management is beneficial as it enables an organization to work towards realizing maximum productivity. Performance management plan is the act of documenting agreed targets within an organization, and ways through which performance will be measured over these targets. Kudler Fine Foods should adopt an effective performance plan which has various characteristics. Firstly, Kudler Fine Foods` performance plan should document the performance management process. Performance management process is a five step process which includes prerequisites, performance planning, performance execution, performance assessment, and performance renewal and recontracting. Secondly, an effective performance plan must ensure employees and employers realize tangible benefits. Thirdly, the performance plan should be in line with an organizational vision and mission at large. Fourthly an effective performance plan ensures objective performance measurement.
Performance Management Process
Performance management includes six different processes. Firstly, there are two prerequisites. The first prerequisite is to acquire adequate information concerning the organization`s mission. A mission is what an organization aims at realizing which is usually stated in one sentence. Kudler Fine Foods` has a mission of providing its customers with fine foods and wines so as to realize its culinary vision. The second prerequisite is to adequately equip oneself with relevant information concerning the job in question. This includes getting information on tasks that are to be done, manner in which they are supposed to be done, and necessary knowledge and skills. Kudler Fine Foods has a total of 19 job descriptions which include cashier, clerk, inventory manager, HR assistant, bagger, accounting clerk, administrative assistant, assistant store manager among others. All the nineteen job descriptions entail various tasks, and various skills that whoever does them are required to possess. Secondly, performance management involves performance planning. This involves developing a plan that addresses issues such as results to be achieved, standards to be met, and a description of areas that require improvement. For instance, Kudler Fine Foods should plan on how to provide continuous training and development to their employees. There is a significant need to also improve their website so as to attract high end customers. In addition, Kudler Fine Foods` should plan on how to retain customers. Customer loyalty is an essential plan in the hotel industry. Thirdly, performance management process entails performance execution. This is the actual pursuit of set goals and objectives. Communication and supervision is essential in this stage. An organization is also tasked with providing adequate resources in order to motivate employees to give their best performance. Fourthly, performance management process includes performance assessment. This involves evaluating both individual and organizational performance. Fifthly, there is a need to conduct performance review in which all workers meet with managers to discuss and deliberate on the manner in which they have been working. Lastly, performance management involves performance renewal. This involves making necessary changes and adjustments based on realized results.
Performance Assessment
Performance assessment is a component of performance management process which involves evaluating both individual and overall organization performance. Performance assessment measures performance so as to verify whether it was effective and efficient. Further, employee satisfaction and development growth is also assessed. Peer evaluation can be employed in performance assessment. Peer evaluation is important as it helps employees to recognize each other’s mistakes quickly. As such, peer evaluate contributes to quality enhancement as an employee is able to learn his or her mistakes and make necessary corrections. Performance assessment can also be conducted by independent parties such as members from other departments and supervisors. Kudler Fine Foods can make use of peer evaluation as a means of conducting performance assessment. This will not only ensure quality but also enable employees to learn from one another.
Feedback System
Kudler Fine Foods should adopt 360- degree feedback system. A 360-feedback system involves three basic components. Feedback on performance management is solicited from all groups within the organization. This involves soliciting feedback from seniors, peers, and subordinates. All the parties concerned are expected to give constructive, relevant, and positive feedback. Lastly, 360-degree feedback system involves the process of identifying and developing potential leaders from existing employees. The rationale behind employing 360-degree feedback system is to ensure all employees participate in performance measurement evaluation. The feedback system that has been in use in Kudler Fine Foods is a one way system. Under this feedback system, it is only ones` supervisor who reviews and assesses his or her performance. Nevertheless, one way feedback system may lead to biases and cases of unfair evaluation. Further, it does not motivate junior employees at all since they are not involved in evaluating their seniors. As such, senior employees who act as supervisors may end up not performing their duties effectively since no feedback is reported by their juniors.
Action Plan and Solutions to Possible Resistance and Challenges
Any system has advantages and disadvantages. Further, organizations face various challenges in form of resistance to changes while implementing new ideas. Kudler Fine Foods will not be an exception while implementing the above proposed performance management plan. Employees may be resistant to peer evaluation and the 360-degree feedback system due to various reasons. Firstly, there is normally a general resistance to change. Nevertheless, employees should be effectively communicated to on the essence of accepting change. In addition, employees should be included in developing the performance management plan. This will increase employee motivation towards aiming at realizing good results. The other challenges that Kudler Fine Foods may face while implementing the performance management plan include biases in the evaluation system. Kudler Fine Foods is a small organization. As such, it does not have many employees. In case peer evaluation system is adopted, there may be chances of favouring other employees. Chances of biases due to fear of victimizing each other may also be experienced . However, this can be reduced by making the peer evaluation process confidential. This will eliminate victimization and enhance objectivity. Average results should also be determined so as to avoid using biased results. Further, performance management plan will also be implemented gradually. This will reduce resistance as employees will be given adequate time to comprehend and appreciate the essence of change.
Conclusion
In summary, performance management plan documents details on targets to realized and means through which performance will be assessed. Effective PM Plan comprises of performance management process, benefits to be realized by parties concerned, and objective criteria through which performance is measured. Performance management is essential as it enables employees to comprehend what is required of them. It also motivates employees and ensures productivity, job satisfaction, and loyalty. This is because employees feel recognized and part of the overall operations of an organization. Moreover, effective performance management plan ensures underperforming employees are given enough time to improve.
Kudler Fine Foods should adopt a PM Plan which involves performance management process. Performance management process comprises six steps which includes prerequisites, performance planning, performance execution, performance assessment, performance review, and performance renewal. Kudler Fine Foods should also adopt peer evaluation assessment process and 360-degree feedback system. Peer evaluation is essential as it promotes quality and enhances learning from each other. Employees are also able to identify mistakes in time and make necessary corrections. On the other hand, 360-degree feedback system involves soliciting information from all parties within an organization. This is unlike one way feedback system which involves getting feedback from supervisors only. As such, 360-degree encourages quality work from all parties. It also motivates employees as they are given a chance to participate in the organizational activities.
References
Aguinis, H. (2008). Performance Management (2, Illustrated ed.). New Jersey: Pearson Prentice Hall.
Blanchard, N. P., & Thacker, J. W. (2007). Effective Training: Systems, Strategies, and Practices (3, illustrated ed.). Upper saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.
Kudler Fine Foods. (2003, January 10). https://ecampus.phoenix.edu. Retrieved January 24, 2013, from Strategic plan: 2003: https://ecampus.phoenix.edu/secure/aapd/CIST/VOP/Business/Kudler2/intranet/docs/StrategicPlan2003.pdf
Kudler Fine Foods. (2004, January 13). Human resource: Policies and Procedures. Retrieved January 24, 2013, from https://ecampus.phoenix.edu: https://ecampus.phoenix.edu/secure/aapd/CIST/VOP/Business/Kudler2/intranet/policies-procedures.asp
Waclawski, J., & Church, A. H. (2002). Organization Development: A Data-Driven Approach to Organizational Change (Illustrated ed.). Newyork: Wiley & Sons.
