Management Observation Program – Introduction
“You can expect only what you inspect.”
Military Axiom
Managers are responsible for establishing and reinforcing work priorities and standards of performance. Reinforcing expectations requires interaction with subordinates and is most effective when the manager personally observes, rather than reading or hearing about, performance behaviors and immediately provides feedback. Lasting individual and organization performance improvement occurs through ongoing reassessment supported by performance data collection, documentation, and analysis used to reinforce desired individual and group behaviors, modify counterproductive behaviors, and eliminate organizational barriers to performance excellence. A well designed and executed management observation program serves as an effective performance improvement and reinforcement tool to achieve these long-term performance changes.
The management observation program is an integral part of an organization’s evaluation and control program. By design, these observation programs compel direct management observation of and feedback on work performed while supporting the performance data collection and analysis needed to realize lasting, beneficial personnel and organizational performance change. They typically consist of predefined performance assessment scorecards, a data collection and analysis application, key performance indicators and reports, and a governing procedure. This procedure defines required observation topics, frequencies, and quality standards as well as documentation and feedback protocols and data analysis, trend reporting, and corrective action; all aligned to support achievement of organizational values and mission goals.
Focus of the Management Observation Program Category
Articles in this category will focus on the underlying principles, best practices, and warning flags associated with establishing and executing a management observation program aligned with organizational values and mission goals that effectively modifies personnel and organizational behaviors for the achievement of superior results. The following articles, podcasts, documents, and resources cover those topics critical to a robust management observation program.
Articles
- Best Practice – Immediate Feedback by StrategyDriven Contributors
- Best Practice – Program Alignment with Established Performance Standards by StrategyDriven Contributors
- Best Practice – Use of Standard Observation Forms by StrategyDriven Contributors
- Best Practice – Observation Quotas by StrategyDriven Contributors
- Best Practice – Observation Training, Grading, and Quality Assessments by StrategyDriven Contributors
- Best Practice – Observation Announcement Timing by StrategyDriven Contributors
- Best Practice – Documented and Signed Observations by StrategyDriven Contributors
- Best Practice – Cross Organizational Trending by StrategyDriven Contributors
Sign up for our Email NewsletterManagement Observation Program Best Practice 1 – Immediate Feedback
Can you remember what you ate for dinner last night? Last week? Neither can many others. How well then will a worker remember the nuances of his or her job performance days or weeks earlier on which feedback is now being provided? Probably not very well.
Like all feedback, that documented as a part of the management observation program has more impact when provided in a timely manner. From experience, providing timely feedback means as soon as possible after the observation is completed and in all cases prior to the end of the work day. This feedback should include reinforcement of desired behaviors as well as identification of areas for performance improvement.
Management Observation Program Best Practice 2 – Program Alignment with Established Performance Standards
The goal of any observation program is to promote adherence to the performance standard delineated by management in order to consistently achieve superior results. Additionally, observation program credibility exists when those being observed can expect both repeatable evaluations by one manager and consistent evaluations by different managers for a given job performance relative to established standards. Therefore, management observations must be aligned with and focus on those critical standards required to ensure outstanding performance.
Alignment between the management observation program and established performance standards needs to exist both procedurally and in observation performance. Procedurally, the management observation program, including all procedures and forms, should be founded on the well documented and communicated organizational values and performance standards. Consistent alignment of observation performance with established standards occurs when observers are well trained and themselves observed and provided feedback on the effectiveness of their observations in reinforcing organizational performance standards.
Management Observation Program Best Practice 3 – Use of Standard Observation Forms
In order to be fully effective, a management observation program must have credibility with those being observed and provide organizational performance improvement information. Credibility is established when those observed can expect both repeatable evaluations by one manager and consistent evaluations by different managers for a given job performance relative to established standards. Organizational performance improvement information is yielded when evaluation data from across the organization is aggregated; providing insights to the common patterns of desired and undesired employee behaviors.
Management Observation Program Best Practice 4 – Observation Quotas
Management observation programs seek to reinforce desired behaviors while also capturing data to enable the identification of improvement opportunities. Both of these objectives require observation repetition in order to be effective; enough reinforcement points to alter or establish reflexive behaviors and an adequate number of data points collected to enable a statistically sound conclusion to be formed. Realizing the desired number of observations is most easily achieved through a quota system.
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