What distinguishes a successful company in today’s business environment is its capacity to adapt, innovate, and strategically tackle emerging challenges and opportunities. With change being constant and disruption becoming the norm, organizations must equip themselves with the right knowledge and tools to stay ahead of the curve. This is where Performance Magazine’s back-to-back releases for the first quarter of 2024 come into play: the Employee Performance Edition and the Strategy Management Edition.

The Employee Performance Edition delves deep into redefining employee performance management in the modern workplace. At the heart of this edition lies the cover story, which discusses the role of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in talent management. It recognizes that equitable treatment and unbiased opportunities not only drive individual performance but also foster a culture of innovation and organizational excellence. Other key topics include democratizing strategy planning, optimizing employee engagement for effective strategy execution, implementing a hybrid performance management system, and nurturing holistic performance management. Download the digital copy from TKI Marketplace or purchase the printed edition on Amazon.

Complementing that focus on employee performance, the Strategy Management Edition offers insights into strategic leadership in disruptive times. Interventions aligned with executing accessible strategies, particularly those that support an adaptive organizational culture and address change resistance, can be found in the cover story. Readers will also learn how to incorporate diverse viewpoints into strategy implementation, empower employees for effective change management, and ensure data accuracy for informed decision-making. Drawing on global insights and innovative approaches to strategy planning and execution, this edition provides organizations with the principles and frameworks necessary to navigate uncertainty and seize opportunities for growth and success. Get the digital copy from TKI Marketplace or order the printed edition on Amazon.

With actionable insights, best practices, and global analyses from industry leaders and experts, Performance Magazine’s back-to-back releases for 2024 provide businesses and professionals with the information and insights they need to stay competitive, resilient, and future-ready. 

Gone are the days when employee performance management simply meant annual reviews and rigid goal-setting processes. Today’s workplaces require a dynamic, agile approach that meets the diverse needs of employees. With remote work, the gig economy, and a focus on work-life balance and well-being, it is essential that leaders and employees hone their ability to demonstrate adaptability and operate within a tailored system that responds to the changing times.

With The KPI Insitute’s first release of the Performance Magazine – Print Edition in 2024, organizations can explore the newest advancements in employee performance management, discover how to harmonize individual objectives with organizational goals and use cutting-edge technologies to streamline relevant processes.

The cover story delves into the profound influence of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) on performance assessment and talent management. DEI, which serves as a guiding framework advocating for equitable treatment and unbiased opportunities for all employees, is also recognized as key to better organizational performance and wider opportunities for innovation. 

Moreover, key topics shaping employee performance management were covered in the In-depth section, from democratizing strategy planning to optimizing employee engagement for effective strategy execution. The magazine also presents best practices for holistic performance management and implementing a hybrid performance management system.

Readers can access first-hand insights from top leaders of major organizations. One of them is Dr. Malika Viltz-Emerson, Senior Global Human Resource Leader at Microsoft, who discussed the advantages of involving employees in managing and improving their performance. 

Additionally, seasoned experts from The KPI Institute provided valuable insights regarding principles governing performance evaluation, the importance of employee experience in driving performance, and employee well-being and mental health.

Stay ahead of the game in the realm of employee performance management. Get a copy of the Performance Magazine Issue No. 28 – Employee Performance Edition. The magazine is available for digital download via the TKI Marketplace and a print copy can be purchased through Amazon. 

Success in today’s ever-evolving world hinges upon the commitment to ongoing learning. The KPI Institute (TKI) is dedicated to ensuring that leaders, professionals, and the rest of the business community are equipped with the right knowledge and tools.

Every month, TKI curates a collection of diverse learning materials and opportunities in strategy and performance management. Some of these resources, while released years ago, remain highly relevant due to their timeless principles and adaptability to changing business dynamics, providing enduring value and insights for today’s challenges.

This month, TKI is pleased to present comprehensive, research-based resources focusing on human resources (HR).

Top 10 Human Resources Key Performance Indicators (FREE): Part of the Top 10 KPIs Series, this collection of posters provides an overview of how key performance indicators (KPIs) are measured in practice today, specifically in HR. It combines insights from the smartKPIs.com community with research and analysis from TKI’s Publications team.

Articles (FREE): Find practical insights related to HR and employee performance management from a variety of articles published on Performance Magazine, written by subject matter experts and research analysts.

• The human element: employees, fears and working with KPIs
• How to measure the performance of your human resources department
• Humane technology: the future of employee performance management
• Beyond remote work: insights and strategies for enhancing employee productivity and performance

The Human Resources KPI Dictionary: Get access to valuable information on over 370 KPIs with calculation formulas for every one of them. It is an innovative tool, essential for assessing and optimizing your performance in eight main functions of the Human Resources division within an organization, including compensation and benefits, talent development, and working environment.

The Top 25 Human Resources KPIs – 2020 Extended Edition: Browse the most popular 25 KPIs used by Human Resources divisions throughout 2016 and 2020. It provides a complete hands-on experience in working with KPIs as it contains not only two pages of detailed documentation for each KPI, but also interesting articles on best practices in terms of KPI selection and documentation.

HR Performance Management System Toolkit: Explore a ready-to-use collection of pre-populated templates for managing the performance of the HR department and monitoring its contribution to the overall organizational performance. Customers can customize the templates in the toolkit for internal use within their organization.

HR Scorecard: Monitor the alignment of departmental objectives with KPIs and the application of the Balanced Scorecard concept at the operational level with this ready-to-use tool. This is pre-populated with KPIs grouped by objectives and Balanced Scorecard perspectives and developed through the review of hundreds of best practice performance reports and the documentation of thousands of KPIs.

HR Dashboard: Manage and measure the contribution of the Human Resources function to the overall organizational performance by using this tool. Discover a repository of the most relevant and widely spread HR KPIs used to track the HR services’ effectiveness and performance at the organizational level.

Certified Employee Performance Professional – Online Course: Grab this opportunity to access the best practices in the field of employees’ performance. Gain the knowledge, skills, and confidence to create an environment where employees can thrive and successfully contribute to organizational performance by linking their activities to strategic objectives and reflecting their contribution against the company’s strategy.

Employee Performance Management System Implementation – Consulting: Find and build the essential bridge to link performance efforts across all organizational levels. By adopting a structured and robust employee performance framework, we emphasize on objectivity in measuring the results against expectations with the help of individual KPIs. This intervention relies on the analysis of key internal documents, delivery of awareness sessions with primary stakeholders, KPIs selection workshops, and post-implementation support.

The Global Performance Audit (GPA) Unit, the division at The KPI Institute (TKI) that specializes in strategy and performance management audits, has successfully completed an extensive performance management system maturity assessment for Saudi Commission for Health Specialties (SCFHS). The evaluation encompassed the entity’s maturity level for five organizational capabilities: strategic planning, performance measurement, performance improvement, performance culture and employee performance management.

With its Maturity Model Framework, the GPA Unit applied a robust methodology comprising over 300 statements that encapsulate industry best practices. This approach integrated evidence-based assessment, perception-based assessment, and interview-based assessment, providing a thorough and insightful analysis of SCFHS’s performance management landscape.

SCFHS is an independent scientific professional body established in 1992, with the goal of contributing to a healthy society through qualified health practitioners. According to the audit findings, SCFHS has an integrated and robust performance management system, the result of a collaborative effort of the entire organization and under the coordination of an experienced management. 

Adrian Brudan, General Manager EMEA of The KPI Institute and GPA unit, acknowledged the positive outcome and extended his congratulations to SCFHS for their outstanding performance: “The assessment results reflect the entity’s commitment to excellence and readiness to embrace best practices. May the current results be a stepping stone for even greater accomplishments in the future. I have no doubt that your commitment to excellence will continue to drive SCFHS towards new milestones and further success.”

As a pioneer in setting performance standards, TKI collaborates with organizations to guarantee thorough assessments, steadfast commitment to enhancement, and unwavering adherence to global performance management standards. SCFHS stands as evidence of this dedication, marking a positive stride forward.

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About the Saudi Commission for Health Specialties 

The Saudi Commission for Health Specialties (SCFHS) is an independent scientific professional body, established in 1992, with the goal of contributing to a healthy society through qualified health practitioners. SCFHS is centered around their training, accreditation, and health transactions. It oversees the classification of health certificate holders, evaluates their certificates, sets the foundation and standards for practicing health professions, and conducts the professional registration of health practitioners. This ensures that the health practitioner is thoroughly qualified, possessing the skills, knowledge, and competencies needed to diagnose and treat diseases in a distinctive and secure manner. For more information, visit their website at: www.scfhs.org.sa

About The KPI Institute & the GPA Unit 

The KPI Institute (TKI) is a worldwide leader in performance management and KPIs training and certification. It operates research programs in 12 practice domains, disseminates industry insights through publications and knowledge platforms, and provides support in deploying those insights through training and advisory services.

The Global Performance Audit Unit (GPA Unit) is the strategy and performance audit division of The KPI Institute. Its purpose is to provide integrated strategy and performance assessment solutions through rigorous research, education and analysis.

Based on over 15 years of experience and a combination of academic and practitioner research in the field of strategy and performance, we have developed a unique set of frameworks for assessing the maturity level of organizational performance management systems.

The concept and services of the GPA Unit are available worldwide, as it is supported by a dedicated online platform and a global network of collaborators, www.gpaunit.org.

Contact details

For more information, please contact:

Adrian Brudan: General Manager EMEA, TKI

[email protected] | Contact Number: +40 721 233 084

The World Health Organization (WHO) observes World Mental Health Day on October 10 each year. 

With this year’s theme, “Make mental health and wellbeing for all,” WHO believes that people with mental health conditions and advocates can come together to celebrate the progress made in this matter and speak  about what needs to be done “to ensure Mental Health & Well-Being becomes a Global Priority for all.”

According to WHO, the cases of people experiencing anxiety and depression increased by 25% in the first half of the COVID-19 pandemic, where the gap in treatment for mental health disorders has expanded as mental health services have been severely interrupted. Professionals or employees were one of the populations who were affected the most.

Based on report, 55% of 1,425 U.S. workers surveyed share that their mental health issues have been affecting their productivity on the job since the pandemic began. The same report shows that workers suffering from mental health issues increase to 46% (during the pandemic) from 39% (pre-pandemic), and more than 10% suffer from serious mental illness. 

How To Performance Manage Employee With Mental Health Concerns

WHO believes that strengthening awareness and response to mental conditions at work, especially for those with supervisory responsibilities like managers, is a key component of protecting and promoting wellbeing at work. They recommend mental health training for managers and employees and programs for people to learn stress management techniques and lessen mental health symptoms.

Training in mental health promotes greater awareness of how occupational pressures affect mental health and may be controlled. It also assists supervisors in recognizing and responding to supervisees who are experiencing emotional distress. Aside from mental health training, here are a few things managers can do to support employees’ mental health while managing performance:

1. Cultivate a culture of connection by checking-in with employees, especially now that many individuals work from home, it may be more difficult to spot the warning signals of distress.
2. Enhance managerial competency. Focusing on employees’ strengths while promoting efficiency and performance is an essential skill to develop.
3. Build a strong system for employee management. Managers should still adhere to performance management practices when managing employees who have mental health difficulties. They must modify this procedure when mental health concerns are present to balance fairness.

In establishing a competitive employee performance management system, The KPI Institute offers a Certificate in Employee Performance Management Maturity Assessment. This micro-certification course examines the key components required to develop an employee performance management system in businesses and also uses a maturity model to evaluate the system’s complexity.

Enrolled professionals in this course have the chance to access the Employee Performance Management Maturity Model Framework v2.0 and learn first-hand how to weigh the upsides and downsides of organizational processes and develop ideas for improvement in six important areas:

• Performance Planning
• Performance Measurement
• Performance Review
• Performance Recognition
• Performance Improvement
• System Governance

Establish the proper framework for defining, evaluating, and motivating performance in your organization; invite your colleagues and enroll now! For further information, visit https://kpiinstitute.org/

This piece is originally published in the latest edition of Performance Magazine. Here is the response of Alina Miertou, a Senior Management Consultant at The KPI Institute, to the question “What’s the Best Way to Measure Employee Performance?”

I wouldn’t say there is a “best way to measure employee performance management given that performance management practices should be customized for the context they’re being implemented. 

However, we can still see the traditional approach in employee performance management based on bi-annually appraisals of the KPIs, behaviors and skills, and competencies in numerous organizations. Clearly, there has been a trend developed in the past few years, and this is abandoning the traditional performance appraisals in favor of recurrent feedback and more informal check-ins. 

One of the reasons for the change we see in employee performance management comes directly from the employees, with the workforce dominated by millennials. The management style is forced to accommodate their expectations, such as participation, flexibility, creativity or focus on creating an impact through their jobs. A study done by PWC in 2011 stated: “Millennials tend to be uncomfortable with rigid corporate structures and turned off by information silos. They expect rapid progression, a varied and interesting career and constant feedback.” 

The second most important reason comes from the business needs. In a world full of information that is changing rapidly and facing a growing employee retention issue (for example, all the organizations I have worked with this year had at least one objective regarding retention and improving their brand as an employer), we can no longer afford to base our employee performance management on punishing or rewarding past behavior or past performance. 

We are challenged to always be on the lookout for ways to improve performance and grow the talent pool available in the organization. A growing number of organizations (around more than a third of US companies) are choosing a less rigid and more frequent performance review rather than a formal appraisal score. 

Alina Miertou facilitates the Certified OKR Professional Live Online Course of The KPI Institute. The course is designed for professionals who want to understand how to deploy and use OKRs. Some of the learning objectives are to distinguish objectives, key results, and initiatives; identify the different types of OKRs; and determine the advantages of stretched goals. Learn more about the course and its schedule in the following months here.

Building healthy work relationships is essential for both the employees and their employer when they are building a performance-oriented culture.

Citing several studies on work relationships, SHRM Foundation’s Effective Practice Guidelines Series shows that high-quality human relationships can impact one’s physical and psychological health, cognitive abilities, thinking capacity, learning, resiliency, commitment, creativity, and organizational citizenship behavior. This means more efficient employee coordination with qualities that support “greater organizational effectiveness and efficiency.”

However, the work setup of most companies changed when the COVID-19 pandemic struck the world. Organizations moved their operations online, forcing employees to perform their duties and communicate virtually. 

Cultivating professional relationships is not easy in such an environment. Employees connecting virtually rather than face-to-face communication have lesser chances of building relationships, according to a study held by Xiao-Ping Chen, the Philip M. Condit Endowed Chair in Business Administration at the University of Washington Foster School of Business.

Findings showed that it is difficult to understand the nonverbal cues of remote workers, such as facial expressions, hand gestures, silence, or delayed responses. Moreover, most employees struggle with paying attention during a meeting done via video conferencing.

What Organizations Can Do

Increasing resilience in the workplace as people recover from a crisis means giving them purpose and hope, flexibility and adaptability, and connection to their colleagues. Organizations can arrange activities that can help employees stay connected even while working remotely. 

In an interview with CNBC, Jason Fried, CEO of the project management company Basecamp, recommends a daily check-in with colleagues or a time at work where they can share ideas and express support over personal matters.

Meanwhile, education company General Assembly implemented watercooler chat over coffee through video chat rooms. Meg Randall, the director of product delivery for the company’s tech team in New York City, said that those coffee breaks help her mentally start her day. “It’s a small talk that lasts for a few minutes, but it’s a nice ritual if you’re craving that human connection every day, which I have been,” said Randall. 

Trust, transparency, and open communication can also help organizations nurture healthy work relationships. One of the ways this can be tested, particularly between leaders and employees, is performance evaluation. Assessing employee performance has changed due to the pandemic. 

In the online event held by ECCP and HURIS on August 2021, Cristina Mihăiloaie, Business Unit Manager at The KPI Institute, said that the performance criteria used for employee evaluations, whether it involves key performance indicators or not, should be “flexible, easy to adapt to changes, and more focused on the extent to which the role is successfully achieved, compared to looking at operational details.”

“For example, employees who worked from home and multitasked between being a parent and a professional may have missed some meetings, or maybe they seemed more absent during work. Overall, if the output of their job is good, the operational details may be less important,” she said. 

Join Cristina as she delivers the Certified Performance Management Systems Audit Professional Live Online course on 07 – 11 March 2022 / EMEA 18:00 – 22:00 GST and ASEAN 09:00 – 13:00 CST (US).

This 40-hour course will discuss how to diagnose and audit the maturity of performance architectures for five capabilities: strategic planning, performance measurement, performance management, performance culture and employee performance management.

Don’t miss this opportunity to widen your knowledge and experience in employee performance management. You can sign up here.

Promoting excellence and improving performance happens at all levels. We oftentimes focus on employees, managers, and heads of departments, but we mustn’t forget about the upper echelon – directors, and executives. They represent the starting point for an organization’s vision, mission, and overarching goals.

If we were to take a look at many companies, a large percentage of the reason they became and remained successful is their leadership, specifically, the people positioned at the highest ranks.  

However, a number of organizations also failed precisely because the individuals at the helm did not know how to steer them in the proper direction, oftentimes swaying too much to one side or going completely off-course. 

Here at The KPI Institute, our belief is that no business should ever fail or steer off-course if it benefits from proper management. Many of our courses focus on ensuring mid-tier level or intermediate-level leaders receive the knowledge they need in order to stabilize, improve, or maximize the performance of their organization. With that said, we felt it was high time we also focused on a business’s zenith, namely its uppermost executives. 

The Executive Program in Strategy and Performance 

The Executive Program in Strategy and Performance is the most complex educational program in The KPI Institute’s portfolio.

It is designed for business leaders who are interested in strengthening their skills in strategic planning, performance measurement based on Key Performance Indicators, data analysis, and reporting, strategy execution in dynamic markets. 

The Executive Education Program is split into two parts: a postgraduate diploma course and a graduate certificate course.  

• The Postgraduate Diploma in Strategy and Performance spans over the course of 3 semesters, or 18 months, and covers 8 specialized learning experiences. Once you’ve finished all your studies, you are required to put together a practitioner portfolio that will focus on 40 assignments. This course also awards you 280 CPD points, for your CPD development portfolio.
  

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• The Graduate Certificate in Strategy and Performance only lasts 2 semesters, over a period of 12 months, requiring its learners to complete 4 specialized courses and put together a practitioner portfolio that will focus on only 20 assignments. This course also awards you 140 CPD points, for your CPD development portfolio. 

Out of the 8 specialized learning experiences, 6 are mandatory, while 2 are elective. The 6 mandatory ones are Strategic Planning, Performance Measurement, Performance Management, Strategy Execution, Performance Management System Audit, and Employee Performance Management. 

The final two are up to preference. You can choose whichever two options you wish, out of the following: the Balanced Scorecard, Objectives and Key Results (OKRs), Innovation Management Framework, Data Analysis, Data Visualization, or Benchmarking. 

Admission process 

The admission process for Executive Education Program is straightforward and only has 4 steps: 

1. You schedule an initial discussion with us, expressing your interest in this program 
2. You submit an admission file, which will contain your letter of intent (200-500 word), your CV, and all diplomas that reflect your educational background 
3. We will review your admission file 
4. We will schedule an interview with you 

After the interview is concluded, we’ll look to submit a final answer on your application process in up to 3 days’ time. 

Participant profile 

This course is primarily aimed at mid-tier and high-level leaders, from sales managers, chief accountants, production supervisors, and facilities managers, to directors, presidents, vice-presidents, and CEOs.  

Our intention is to focus on business leaders who wish to better their ability to plan ahead and strategize for the future, based on present data. We cover all aspects related to business improvement, from strategy execution, data analysis, and KPI measurement, to systems thinking, project management, and performance reporting. 

Competency framework 

Each of the courses covered in this program is intended to help you expand your competencies and capabilities so that you will become an integrated strategy and performance executive. The core of our Executive Education Program courses focus on the following:  

• The Certified Strategy and Business Planning Professional will augment your strategic planning capability, whilst improving your strategic thinking, stakeholders’ engagement, and communication competencies.
  

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• The Certified Agile Strategy Execution Professional will advance your strategy execution capability, whilst refining your systems thinking, project management, and leadership competencies.
  

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• The Certified KPI Professional will amplify your performance measurement capability, whilst developing your KPI selection, data collection, and data visualization competencies.
  

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• The Certified Performance Management Professional will elevate your performance improvement capability, whilst enhancing your data analysis, problem-solving, and decision-making competencies.
  

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• The Certified Employee Performance Management Professional will supplement and boost your knowledge on employee performance management capability, whilst progressing your employee performance planning, employee evaluation, and feedback sessions competencies.
  

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•  The Certified Performance Management Systems Auditor will evolve your Performance Management System maturity model based-assessment capability, whilst intensifying your examination, analytical thinking, and solutions design competencies.
  

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Through the Executive Education Program, we aim to build a new generation of executives, one that is ready to surmount any business trials or obstacles, much like a seasoned general.

In the 21st century, it is unacceptable for a business leader to falter in the face of adversity when in this day and age, there are more tools and tricks available than ever before. 

At The KPI Institute, we believe that through knowledge, dedication, and hard work, any challenge can be overcome. Even though some hurdles are greater than others and may cause setbacks, many of the greatest success stories in history came from failure. 

It is high time we addressed the high rates of failure in strategy execution so often encountered in organizations. It is time you shape the future, by knowing exactly what needs to be done and how to generate changes in the strategy and performance management practices of your organization.

It is time to become the best version of your professional self that you can be. 

2020 is slowly, but surely, coming to a close. We are already halfway through November, with December creeping up on us. We can almost hear a distant, faint Mariah Carey, singing ”All I want for Christmas is You”.

We have had an extraordinary year, completely revamping our certifications and moving them into the online environment. What followed was simply astounding.

Our attendance numbers went through the roof. We began delivering around 6-10 courses a week, instead of our regular 3-4, and participants flooded our events, which was direct feedback that our mission was a success.

Whilst there are still a few weeks left in 2020 – 5 to be specific, we will continue to deliver the same level of quality content in all of our certifications, so if you have not had the chance to sign up for any of the courses, we highly recommend you give them a look-see HERE.

Up until the 14^th of December, we’ll still be going strong with numerous events, focusing on a wide variety of topics, from KPIs, OKRs, performance management, and supplier performance, to strategy and business planning, innovation performance, data analysis, and employee performance management.

Keep a lookout on our social media channels – Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter, to always be updated on which courses are next, and how can you sign up for them, in the remaining 5 weeks.

Whilst 2020 has been a challenging year, we know we can finish strong, and look forward to a much brighter and better 2021.

Employee management represents a core element of a sustainable, proficient, and efficient performance management system. All aspects, starting with onboarding, continuing with measuring results & obtaining buy-in, and ending with a fair severance package, require implementing a first-class EPM system.

That’s where we come into play, with our Certified Employee Performance Management System (EPM) Live Online Course, hosted between the 10^th – 14^th of August, 2020, at 18:00 GST Time and 09:00-13:00 CST (US).

What will you learn?

• How to unravel performance management (PM) framework’s fundamentals
• How to trace your employee’s accomplishments, per each performance management cycle
• How to employ the right tools to gauge your employees’ results objectively
• How to deliver a well-planned employee appraisal session
• How to develop a Performance Management System business case

What’s in it for you? – Benefits

• Foster fundamental competencies, which will help you design, implement, monitor and evaluate your performance management cycle successfully
• Revamp how you approach visibility & transparency
• Clarify expectations and accountability related to performance
• Access some of the latest and most relevant PM tools, which will help you implement all of the knowledge gained during the course
• Pinpoint core corporate competency and skill gaps, in order to engender sustainable growth

Presenter profile

Teodora Gorski
Managing Director MENA
The KPI Institute

Teodora Gorski is the Managing Director MENA at The KPI Institute, as well as a Project Management specialist with experience in Research, Organizational Development, and Human Resources. As a Managing Director, Teodora leads organizational development initiatives, to support and enhance the organization’s strategic plan, and manages the development & growth of The KPI Institute’s MENA branch.

Some of Teodora`s most significant projects include designing and implementing various corporate expansion projects, as well as implementing performance management systems & business development strategies for the Middle East.

She also has experience in working with organizational design, in relation to managing structural change and developing organizational capabilities. Teodora has also been involved in determining companies’ needs for human capital development and building a company’s stock of HR, to support organizational strategies.