Discover the Art & Science of Performance Management

PGC
4 min readJul 19, 2016

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There are many trends that surround talent nowadays and these come in all shapes and sizes. Not only that, but there are multiple approaches that lead to a higher quality performance management and at the end of the day the results will be well worth it.

Like all HR professionals know, the field of performance management is a very demanding one and it can be very hard to obtain the results you want. However, studying it is a necessity because the more you do so, the better the results will actually be at the end of the day and that’s what matters the most you can rest assured of that.

Many companies tend to focus on having a preference when it comes to tackling the overall performance management process and with that in mind you can opt for multiple approaches. You can either see this as a science, or you can see it as an art, which is what matters the most at this point.

You have to wonder though, which approach is the best one here, should you see this as a science or as an art, is any one of these delivering better results than expected, and how can this stand out in the long run, you just need to figure this out and the results will be more than impressive, you can rest assured of that.

As a science
The organizations that are mostly focused on facts, numbers and metrics see the performance management as a science. Not only that, but they prefer the idea to crunch data and see it from a new perspective, which does come with its own set of challenges and great ideas. You do need to keep in mind the fact that the art and science of performance management is very demanding, and that on its own can be more than impressive at the end of the day, which is what matters the most. This approach is great because it bases itself on data that is concrete and to the point, which is a very important thing to say the least.

This way you can also figure out if the observable nature is ok, if it meets performances or not, and at the end of the day that can be well worth your time, you can rest assured of that.
Should you use this approach? Performance management can sometimes be all about numbers, so it does come down to you to you to make sure that the results are well worth your time, so do try and keep that in mind.

As an art
With this approach you have the ability to determine how we can understand and reach the overall performance and at the same time it delivers a much better focus and result than you can expect. You will need to make sure that you place a lot of emphasis on the needs and the motivations that you have, because the more you focus on these the easier it will be for you to figure out what doesn’t fit the model and pattern.

With this approach you focus more on intuition and make sure that you refine everything properly in order to get the best possible results and outcome. It might be a little tough at first, but that is definitely doable, so it all comes down to you to deliver the best experience and results at all times.
You should refrain yourself from choosing the extremes because regardless of what side you choose the extremes are always bound to fail, so it all comes down to you to get the best results and experience, if you do so the outcome will be well worth it and much appreciated.
HR professionals know that harnessing the power of performance management is mandatory and with these approaches such a thing is no longer an issue. Most companies nowadays tend to choose the scientific approach as being the more simpler and convenient one, but as always the results tend to differ from company to company.

In conclusion, both art and science can be great approaches for performance management and it all comes down to you to figure out the results. Do that and the outcome will be well worth it at the end of the day, you can rest assured of that.
So don’t hesitate and factor in both approaches as both of them can be very useful and filled with great results. Sure, it all comes down to the industry you pertain to and other factors, but as long as you focus on this the results can be well worth.

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PGC
PGC

Written by PGC

PGC is a boutique Management Consulting firm engaged in the business of enabling its clients to transform their Org, Culture & Capabilities.