Performance Management vs Learning Management
By Bronwyn Bowery-Ireland
CEO, ICA
Learning + Action
Conducting a performance appraisal is one task managers would often prefer not to do. For some managers, performance appraisals are times when you need to highlight all the errors of the employee and have that ‘heart to heart’ conversation about how they need to ‘lift their game’. It is rarely seen as a time for the manager to learn more about the employee and their role in the company.
A few years ago I decided to change the performance management system at ICA. We moved to a system of learning management. When the time came to perform the usual appraisal we created a learning appraisal. We spent time with each employee, found out what they had learnt and praised them for everything they had learnt. We then took the learning process a step further and asked each employee to identify what they would need to learn to be able to support ICA in achieving their goals.
What we learnt as managers was that our employees had some extraordinary ways in which they could grow themselves and ICA. For them it was all about leveraging. They wanted to know as much about ICA’s goals and direction as possible so they could see how they could best leverage growth. They knew their skills and capabilities much better than we did and could see areas that they were passionate about and wanted to take leadership in.
We are about to complete another learning appraisal period and it is a time I look forward to all year. It is a time of excitement, acknowledgement and learning. For me it compares so nicely with coaching. I see coaching as learning plus action. A learning appraisal at ICA is just that: learning + action- and it leaves employees feeling empowered, energetic and passionate about themselves and their jobs.
What more could you ask for?