Train-the-Trainer Version: How to Measure Employee Performance Workshop

According to a recent survey a lack of clear goals is the #1 reason why new supervisors fail in their jobs. And unclear expectations and poor feedback have long been found to be the two most common reasons for poor employee performance. With vague performance appraisals the norm, it's no wonder that most pay-for-performance systems fall short of their users' expectations.

This hands-on, practical workshop gives you the tools to reverse these trends. Instead of an easy, quick-fix, magic bullet approach to performance measurement, this workshop provides how-to steps to handle just about any employee performance measurement situation — especially those involving the hard-to-measure qualitative aspects of employee performance.

This Train-The-Trainer (TTT) version prepares the participants to teach others how to create and revise performance goals.

Why this workshop?

• Its unique measurement technology has been forged in the trenches over 24 years. This is no fad.
• Besides winning four national awards for excellence, the approach has resulted in documented performance improvements and cost savings ranging from $1.3 to $20.8 million.
• You'll walk away with skills and dozens of ideas you can adapt to your organization the minute you walk out the door.
• You'll gain access to hundreds of sample performance measures to borrow and modify instead of having to “recreate the wheel.”

Who Should Attend

• Human resource personnel charged with improving or redesigning the organization's performance management system.
• Training professionals who need to teach managers and employees how to measure performance.
• Compensation professionals searching for metrics on which to base variable compensation.
• Managers and supervisors responsible for the results of employees reporting to them.
• Employees who want to take a more active role in developing their own performance evaluation criteria.
• Quality/Process Improvement professionals who want techniques for defining the hard-to-measure aspects of employee performance.

What You Will Learn

This workshop will prepare you to:

• Link your position's goals to your organization's goals.
• Identify the customers of your position and what value-added products and services they need from you.
• Identify the value-added results of your position.
• Create measures for each result.
• Set goals for each measure.
• Plan how to track this information.
• Teach performance measurement to others.
• Help others to revise and improve their performance plans.

Why Attend?

1. A logical, step-by-step process that simplifies performance planning.
2. An innovative technique links individual goals to organizational goals — to help employees see how their efforts contribute to the rest of the organization and its customers.
3. A new method for measuring hard-to-measure work like product design and R&D.
4. Troubleshooting ideas for common measurement problems.
5. Worksheets and job aids to record and guide your work.
6. Practice exercises to help you learn and apply the skills.
7. While the regular version of this workshop allows participants to practice and apply the skills to their personal situation, there is not enough time to practice critiquing each other's work nor learn the additional skills needed to teach others performance planning skills. An additional one-half day in this TTT version helps complete the transfer of the technology to your organization, making you much more self-sufficient.

What Each Participant Will Receive

1. How to Measure Employee Performance, a comprehensive, 100 page course manual containing job aids, checklists, samples, decision tables and models. This manual is used throughout the workshop, and it is intended as a comprehensive tool kit and permanent reference for your own measurement efforts. Available separately for $65.00, it's yours free as part of the workshop.
2. Performance Measurement Examples, a 647 page collection of measurement ideas for hundreds of different kinds of work. Available separately for $150, it's yours free as part of this workshop.
3. Answers to your questions. An opportunity to consult with a measurement expert who is on the day-to-day firing line with you.
4. A tangible action plan that can be implemented immediately.

Workshop Outline

DAY 1

Overview of Creating Performance Plans

Reviewing Your Organization's Goals

• Which goals to review
• What to do with the goals
• What if these goals are not yet finalized

Identifying the Customers of the Position

• Why identify a position's customers
• How to create a customer diagram

Listing the Position's Value-added Results

• Defining results
• Tips for writing results
• Using customer requirements to identify your results
• Using organizational goals to identify your results

Weighting Results

• Why use weights
• How to assign weights
• Examples of weights

Identifying Measures for Each Result

• Defining measures
• Four categories of general measures
• How to create numeric measures
• How to create descriptive measures

Creating Performance Standards

• Defining performance standards
• How to create performance standards

Creating a Tracking System

• Planning how to collect performance data
• Designing feedback reports
• Creating reports to collect and summarize data

Summary and Wrap-up

DAY 2

This morning-only, half-day session begins with a review of the criteria for good performance plans and an guided-tour of the examples provided in the training materials. Each trainer is made aware of measurement ideas they will be able to use with many of their trainees. Photocopies of each participants' work from the previous day are made and provided to each participant. These real-life examples are reviewed page-by-page individually, and by the entire group as a way of sharpening their discriminations of good and needs-improvement, and learning what to say to help others improve their performance planning skills.

Checking the Performance Plan

• What a good performance plan looks like
• Common problems and their solutions

Examples of Innovative Performance Measures

• Decision making
• Management
• Creative work

Critiquing Performance Measures

• Reviewing performance plans for common errors
• Giving constructive feedback

Tips for Implementation

• Your organization's needs
• How to apply what you've learned

Summary and Workshop Wrap-up

Our Approach

• Our focus is on realistic, practical material you can apply on the job. We concentrate our efforts on the how-to's of measurement.
• Because these workshops are performance based, we provide you with step-by-step procedures to follow (rather than theories, principles and concepts).
• We will survey your interests and concerns before the workshop begins and do our very best to address each and every one.
• To help you retain your new skills, we provide a comprehensive course manual you can refer to long after the workshop.
• There will be frequent exercises for you to do. We believe that the most beneficial parts of our workshops are your opportunities to practice the new skills and receive feedback.
• We follow a quick pace in our workshops. Expect a high-content, high-involvement, high-energy program.
• Performance management is all we do - not just a sideline. We specialize in creating and teaching measurement techniques for hard-to-measure individuals and teams.
• Our materials are drawn from years of experience in the field. We base our workshop on a realistic approach to measurement in the business environment.
• We continuously improve our workshops and measurement methods based on suggestions, feedback and field use. Our goal is to make our workshops and methodology as "user-friendly" as possible.

The Workshop Facilitator

The facilitator for all workshops is Jack Zigon, president of Zigon Performance Group. A pioneer and leader in the performance measurement field, he is recognized around the world for his work creating performance measurement systems for hard-to-measure white-collar positions and teams since 1980.

Testimonials

Here's what others have said about ZPG's workshops. You can also view the list of organizations that have attended our workshops.

Instructional Techniques

These are highly participative workshops in the true sense. You have a chance to explore issues and practice skills during individual and group exercises. There will be ample opportunities to ask questions and apply what you've learned to your organization's measurement projects.

We'll use checklists, job aids, worksheets and hundreds of examples to provide you with tangible guidance in developing your measurement skills. Numerous tips and techniques are contained in the course materials and reinforced during exercises.

In short, our approach is to DO IT rather than TALK ABOUT IT.

Workshop Hours

Workshop hours can be set by the client but typically run from 8:00 AM to 4:30PM on Day 1 and 8:00 AM to Noon on Day 2.

Workshop Fee

• The fee for this workshop is $10,000 (USD) for up to 20 participants. This fee includes all course materials but does not include travel expenses for the instructor. Additional participants are $500 (USD) each.
• A participant version is also available.

Benefits of Customization

Over 90% of ZPG's work is custom performance management systems, materials and training to meet our clients' specific needs. The advantages of this in-house ZPG Workshop are:

• Customization. We can adapt workshop content and activities to your needs, resources and constraints.
• Savings. You'll save money on participant travel and other expenses.
• Convenience. You can schedule the workshop for your convenience.
• Confidentiality. A closed session allows you to discuss proprietary issues freely.
• Team Building. Hearing the same message at the same time allows your team to learn common procedures and enhance teamwork.

Customization Options

ZPG Workshops can be varied in the following ways:

• Length. We can vary the amount of time spent on each topic to fit your priorities.
• Topics. We can add or subtract content based on your requirements.
• Language. We can change the terms used to fit your organization's vocabulary.
• Exercises. We can work on the measurement problems you want to work on.

Need More Information?

Not sure if this workshop is right for you? Simply call Jack Zigon at 610.291.5884 to discuss your needs and get answers to your questions. Or send email to Jack Zigon for an electronic response.