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Performance contracts. Performance management - useful or major challenges? They are easier if they are kept simple, through strong and trusting relationships built and people effectively managed through daily informal contacts - yet someone, sometimes isn't listening at all! Take a look right here...

I wonder what you think of the 'invitation' to a performance review shown below. It is real, though some of the details have been amended, for the safety of recipients!

As you read it, please see it through the eyes of someone who expected a 3-monthly review and has not set eyes on their appraiser more than once in six months!

"Saturday, October 22nd, 2005 07:13PM

6 month contract review for managers

please note the following dates for your contract review. they will be held in your base office (jackie, will you contact me and let me know which office you are in on the nominated day).

PLEASE HAVE READY FOR THE REVIEW:

1) AN UP TO DATE SCORECARD

2) A WRITTEN SUMMARY OF YOUR PERSONAL CONTRIBUTIONS YOU HAVE MADE TO THE SUCCESS OF THE BUSINESS IN YOUR AREA/S. (INCLUDE AS MUCH SUPPORTING STATISTICAL EVIDENCE AS YOU CAN).

3) YOUR 3 KEY PRIORITIES THAT YOU ARE GOING TO DELIVER BY END OF MARCH TO SUPPORT THE GREEN LIGHTS ON THE SCORECARD.

*i will have a 'dim' view of anybody not coming having prepared!!!!*

-julie jones:3pm tues 22nd nov.

-jeff stanton:3pm friday 18th nov

-jackie smythe:9am thurs 24th nov

-josia long:5.30pm tuesday 22nd nov

-davy thomas: 10.30am thurs 17th nov

-rita singh:10.0am thurs 17th nov

WILL REGIONAL CO-ORDINATORS PLEASE MAKE SURE MANAGERS GET THIS E-MAIL.

THANKS

STEVE"

Add to the mix the following ingredients:-

1. The poor senior manager is writing this at 7:13pm on a Saturday evening.
2. There is a new e-mail system and not only did the recipient not receive the e-mail, nor did their regional controller!
3. Jackie Smyth's name is spelt wrong - it was directed correctly though, because her name has been entered on the system wrongly as well (but she hadn't been told how to access her mail - she did get told about the 24th of November on December 1st!).
4. There is a big conflict with lower-case and upper case (upper case is shouting - RIGHT!) - it is shown how it really was written.
5. There is a huge chunk of work here putting numbers together - what is the value of that, when these numbers are available on the internal systems?
6. 3 key priorities before the contract discussion?
7. ...and that threat - 'a dim view...' eh?
8. How does the phrase "...not coming having prepared..." work?
9. On the day set, for at least two of these recipients (both of whom didn't receive their e-mails because no-one told them how to access them), the senior manager didn't show up anyway - and there were no apologies!

So...

Questions for you...

• How would you feel on the receiving end of this?
• How might you do it differently - you can stop when you get to 20 changes you might make.
• What does it say about the sender?
• What does it say about the organisation who employs someone like this and pays them in excess of £60K pa?
• How do you think the culture (morale and motivation) is?
• Above all, what can each and every one of us learn from this example (so at least something good comes out of it)?

And remember, sleep well, this happens in a very small number of organisations, so fear not.

Or does it?