Surge - the simplest performance management program for smart enterprises
It's no surprise that your performance management system doesn't work. You are not alone.
Most performance management systems fail right at start, at the goal setting stage itself. Goals are either not set, or set late or set inaccurately. For those few whose goals do get set somehow, it ain't a lasting relief as before they begin working on them, goals change.
Most workforce in most workplaces either works on no defined goals or on tasks that have no connection with the goals that were set for them. To run salt on injury, the review part of performance management is carried out assuming that goals were set and that they didn't change. What a travesty.
Surge is a new way of looking at performance management. An agile, proactive and engaging one. Surge refers to a short period during which the entire workforce comes together to go after clearly defined goals to create superior performance outcome.
How is Surge different from regular performance periods like quarterly or annual?
Good question. The underlying principle behind surge is to pick the period in such a way that it relates to the time range of goals for a particular business. That brings us to "what is time range of goals"? Every business has a particular time range based on how fast the market dynamics change for that business and on the maturity phase of the organization itself. Things change fast in startups, things change fast in industries like Crypto, Cyber-security but rather slowly in say garment industry. Picking a surge cycle according to time range of goals ensures that once goals are set, they won't undergo massive change. Normally a 6 week surge cycle seems quite suited to most businesses as it allows reasonable time to achieve substantial outcome yet it allows reasonable wait time in case new goals are to be set. But 4 week surges cycles or 10 week surge cycles are equally workable.
Is there something else about surge cycles that makes it work better?
Yes. What makes surge cycles work best is presence of "Refresh cycles". Refresh cycle is often the 1 week intervening period between two surge cycles for which no goals are set. No, it's not a holiday from work, but it is a week where some of the most important tasks are done. We recommend the following tasks to be accomplished during refresh cycles:
Review of last surge cycle in terms of ratings.
Consolidation and actioning of feedbacks received.
Celebration of success and recognition of performers.
Training and development events.
Goals setting sessions for upcoming surge cycle.
These are things that get totally ignored in conventional performance management system where there is no earmarked time for these things. In absence of earmarked time, these tasks are done in most haphazard manner as if it was a crime to plan.
A combination of surge cycles and refresh cycles is what plugHR's surge platform allows you to run, without creating unnecessary project management load on HR. What platform ensures is that:
You set up surge cycles and refresh cycles once and put them on autopilot.
Employees get their alerts of setting goals as surge cycles begin.
Employees share updates at regular intervals during the surge period.
Review of goals gets initiated by employees and completed by managers on time.
Surge cycle feedback are captured by system, making it easy for you to action.
Ownership of running performance management system moves to employees.
With 8 to 10 surge cycles in a year, your chance at performance increases manifold.
Surge is the easiest and fastest way to run performance management.