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/

The KPI Institute has announced the awardees of the Employee of the Month (EOM) for July 2022.

The TKI People Awards series features the employees and the teams recognized by The KPI Institute for going above and beyond expectations, excelling as team players, and creating a tremendous impact on the company.

The KPI Institute celebrates the success of five (5) employees at work. Learn more about the employees, who excel in the month of July through the interview below, where they share thoughts in receiving the recognition up to the career lessons they have learned as a professional that you may also practice in your working environment.

 

 

 

Raluca Vintila

Management Consultant

TKI Consulting

 

1. What do you want to do when you are not working? What are your hobbies, passions, or involvement in your community?

Raluca: I love spending time outdoors as much as possible, especially traveling. In addition, gardening is one of the latest passions I discovered. I also love supporting local non-government organizations (NGOs) that look after environmental protection, forestation, and animal care.

2. What do you appreciate most about working at The KPI Institute?

Raluca: I appreciate the flexibility to match personal preferences and interests with TKI business needs. I think we have a super-open culture, where you have the freedom to contribute.

3. What are you looking forward to in terms of your new projects, collaborations, and role here at TKI?

Raluca: I think my current position is a good fit for me; exploring customer relationships and training delivery. I would love to continue in this endeavor. I already tried everything I wanted to try, like research and instructional design.

 

 

Mohamed Fouad

Art Director

Biodigy

 

1. What does receiving the Employee of the Month award mean to you?

Mohamed: It means a lot to me— feeling appreciated by my superiors for my work and effort I exerted to every task, and the desire to achieve more achievements in the future.

2. What’s your favorite accomplishment so far at TKI?

Mohamed: My favorite accomplishment is when I worked on two branding projects. I am so honored to be part of creating the visual identities for ILMS & LMSL

3. When you’re faced with a challenge at work, how do you find a solution?

Mohamed: I search for the best solution, and ask my manager.

4. What would be the three main career lessons that you have learned thus far?

Mohamed: The three main career lessons I have learned so far are as follows:

• Trust the process as you will achieve what you dream about. 
• Appreciate what you have.
• Always work on your skills on a daily basis.

 

 

Asmaa El Cadi

Marketing Manager

ILMS

 

1. What does receiving the Employee of the Month award mean to you?

Asmaa: I was surprised when I first got to know about it [EOM award].  I am glad that my work did not get unnoticed, and I am very grateful to work with such a highly skilled team of very kind people. 

2. What’s your favorite accomplishment so far at TKI?

Asmaa: This award itself is a great accomplishment to me, plus the fact that my team and I are currently managing our work pretty well. We got to understand each other’s way of working and strengths, and I can say— now, we harmoniously complement each other.

3. When you’re faced with a challenge at work, how do you find a solution?

Asmaa: I admit, I was usually the type of person who would try hard to find a solution by myself whenever I am facing any challenges. With my current team, I learned to seek help and advice from my colleagues. I have the chance to work with experienced people from different backgrounds, so there is always someone who has my back.

4. What would be the three main career lessons that you have learned thus far?

Asmaa: The first career lesson I have learned is getting to know your team members and developing good relationships based on respect and appreciation. The second thing is being result-oriented and trying to have the same vision as your team to accomplish any project. Lastly, maintaining a good work-life balance:  staying healthy and getting the time to do the things you love will positively impact your productivity at work.

 

 

Tudor Modruz

Senior Business Development

MENA

 

1. What does receiving the Employee of the Month award mean to you?

Tudor: Receiving the EOM award is an acknowledgement of hard work and dedication. This award also provides another incentive to continue the development path. This award would certainly not have been possible without the help of my colleagues, who I would like to thank on this occasion.

2. What’s your favorite accomplishment so far at TKI?

Tudor: My favorite accomplishment is seeing the developed ideas proved useful and added value to the related activities.

3. When you’re faced with a challenge at work, how do you find a solution?

Tudor: Challenges are sometimes the big learning opportunities in everyone’s career. In my case, changing views and balancing the impact of any decision make the best solution that is easier to reach.

4. What would be the three main career lessons that you have learned thus far?

Tudor: The following are the three main lessons I learned so far as a professional:

• Recognize and appreciate the success of others.
• Teamwork is a key aspect.
• Keep learning every day.

 

 

Kimberly Tilar

Publisher and Editor Specialist

TKI Research

 

1. What does receiving the Employee of the Month award mean to you?

Kimberly: Receiving the EOM award means a lot to me. It serves as a reminder to become more competent, and consistent in giving my best in every project or task that I do. This award also shows that my work values and performance are appreciated by my colleagues. 

Thus, I would like to thank these people: Len Cristobal, Daniela Vuta, Cristina Mihailoaie, Dragos Anton, Andrei Costea, and Alexandru Seliscan, for guiding me to become the best version of myself since day one. 

2. What’s your favorite accomplishment so far at TKI?

Kimberly: Growing professionally and personally with my colleagues here in TKI is something I can consider my favorite accomplishment. So, aside from my participation in the production of the Performance Magazine, one of my favorite accomplishments is receiving the final versions of the articles written by our researchers and contributors. That means, at some point in the writing process, I have been  helpful to my colleagues in improving their pieces and encouraging them to express and share their knowledge in the best form it possibly can be. 

3. When you’re faced with a challenge at work, how do you find a solution?

Kimberly: I admit that I am the type of person who likes to figure things out on my own as I do not want to cause any inconveniences to others. But I have been able to change this attitude. Whenever I face a challenge at work now, I search for the possible solution first on my own. Then, I consult with my superiors and workmates for their suggestions or feedback. I narrow  down all the options, ideas, and advice I receive  to come up with the best solution.

However, it is important to take a breath when things are becoming overwhelming before making a decision. So, allowing myself to pause and have a peaceful mind is what I actually do first when facing a challenge. After that, when I know that I am in the right place and mind, I conquer everything.

4. What would be the three main career lessons that you have learned thus far?

Kimberly: The three main career lessons that I have learned so far as a young professional, especially in the TKI are:

• Communication is the key to everything: Conflicts can be avoided when good communication is being practiced, especially in the work from home setup with a community of diverse culture.
• Good skills are a must but having empathy skills will lead you to other greater things: In an article from Harvard Business Review, it has been  mentioned that “empathic workplaces tend to enjoy stronger collaboration, less stress, and greater morale, and their employees bounce back more quickly from difficult moments such as layoffs.”
• Everyday is a new opportunity to grow: In TKI, I am able to handle different tasks and projects, and collaborate with my colleagues from different departments. So, in every situation, I always make sure that I have takeaways, something I have learned and would like to keep to improve. Moreover, do not be afraid to ask questions. You will learn a lot by asking questions.

---

The KPI Institute is a globally recognized organization that focuses on business performance. It offers research projects in 12 practice areas, including strategy, KPIs, employee performance, and customer service as well as innovation performance. 

The KPI Institute uses a variety of publications, subscription services, and a knowledge platform in disseminating insights, that is available to registered members. Training and consultation services are also provided worldwide to assist in putting these insights into reality. 

 

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.