Personnel and organization conflict - Essay Example

The managerial staff is responsible for the performance of the company and its employees. In order to determine how well a company is performing, managers have to measure the performance in a quantifiable manner. A way to achieve this goal is by implementing performance standards. “A performance standard is a management-approved expression of the performance threshold(s), requirement(s), or expectation(s) that must be met to be appraised at a particular level of performance” (Opm.gov, 1998).

Companies that use performance standards are able to determine which employees are performing well. Performance standards typically emphasize individual performance, but they can also be used to measure group performance. The employees of a company must be notified in written about the performance standards that the workers must comply with. Appraisal programs include the performance standards in order to measure the performance of employees. Some of the measures that are estimated by performance standards include the quality, quantity, cost effectiveness and timeliness of the work performed.

Performance standards are needed to control the labor output of the employees. For instance, if an employee is given a performance standard that specifies he must produce at least 25 units per shift, the employee will comply with that amount due to the existence of the performance standard. Monitoring performance standards of a job is a good way to measure the effectiveness of the worker. The use of performance standards can also enhance the ability of the manager to determine operating inefficiencies that need corrective actions to be fixed.

Five types of performance measures that managers should consider are efficiency, quality, error rate, revenue, and compliance (Ofm.gov, 2009). Inefficient employees that commit errors must be tracked in order to remedy the situation. A way for management to reduce errors and to improve the quality of the work performed by the workers is through training and development. The use of performance measures helps managers identify weaknesses in the operations of a company. It is important to keep the employees motivated and with high morale to help them achieve a high level of performance.

Performance measures enable managers to establish specific criteria for the workers to follow. The use of performance standards provides employees with duties and responsibilities to comply with (Indiana.edu, 2005). The use of written performance measures enables companies to comply with governmental regulations and it educates the workforce about what is acceptable and unacceptable workforce behavior. “By observing and providing detailed feedback, you play a critical role in the employees continued success and motivation to meet your performance expectations” (Ucsf.edu). Employees that obtain recurrent feedback from their supervisors and managers are better able to meet the expectations of their superiors.

Good communication is a critical success factor in the workplace environment of the XXI century. Feedback is an effective tool because it provides the workers with input from the managers about their work performance. All job positions can benefit from the use of performance standards. The effectiveness of the use of performance standards relies on the ability of the managers to properly interact with the personnel. ReferencesIndiana.edu. (2005). Define Performance Standards for Each Duty. Indiana University.

Retrieved September 4, 2012, from http://www.indiana.edu/~uhrs/training/performance_management/define.htm Ofm.gov. (2009). Performance Measure Guide. Office of Financial Management. Retrieved September 4, 2012, from http://www.ofm.wa.gov/budget/instructions/other/2009performancemeasureguide.pdfOpm.gov. (1998). Developing Performance Standards. U.S. Office of Personnel Management. Retrieved September 4, 2012, from http://www.opm.gov/perform/articles/118.aspUcfs.edu. Chapter 7: Performance Management.

Retrieved September 4, 2012, from http://ucsfhr.ucsf.edu/index.php/pubs/hrguidearticle/chapter-7-performance-management/