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What are some performance improvement hazards to avoid?

Home » Management » Performance Improvement » What are some performance improvement hazards to avoid?

All companies want to improve their performance, however, it is a huge temptation to put profits and performance above every other consideration. Watch out for some of these pitfalls common to the performance improvement-obsessed manager.


  • Ignoring intangibles: Some managers focus so much on data that they ignore all the other things that an employee brings to the table. In football, an offensive lineman is not the most glamorous position and he obtains few stats, but he is absolutely necessary to a team’s success. Likewise, consider the intangibles—leadership, positive morale, peacemaker skills, or others—that an employee possesses when evaluating his/her performance.
  • Unrealistic expectations: Major league baseball umpire Ed Vargo joked, “We’re supposed to be perfect our first day on the job and then show constant improvement.” Employees should improve their performance, but there are limits to how quickly and how much they will improve. All jobs have a learning curve, and there is no such thing as the perfect employee.
  • Poor training: Poor performance is not always the fault of the employee. Ensure that your employees are properly trained in their jobs and that they understand the expectations you put on their performance. If they are not adequately trained, the fault lies primarily with you for not equipping them for excellence.

Be very careful not to put numbers over names, profits over people. If you do, you are likely to raise up a group of dishonest employees who vow to make money at all costs. These employees will cheat on evaluations and take credit for the work of others, all in order to convince you that they are improving their performance.



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