Performance management training builds on success, employee feedback

October 19, 2009
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The Performance Management and Appraisal Series, which begins Oct. 21, has taken cues from last year’s success to build a program that better meets the needs of staff.

The series of workshops, offered by Human Resources’ Workplace Learning and Performance (WLP), introduces employees to the performance management system at DePaul and offers modules aimed at building skills and best practice in goal-setting, giving and receiving feedback, and coaching. 

“I learned that unclear expectations or misunderstandings regarding expectations are a source of stress for many employees and managers,” says Angela Longoria-Shajahan, housing services coordinator, who attended all four of last year’s modules and earned a certificate of completion.  “The program offered an effective way to ensure employees and managers are on the same page when it comes to performance management.”

Terry Taylor, instruction coordinator with University Libraries, was particularly impressed by the power of the role-playing exercises. “They were extremely helpful, and it still felt like a safe environment in which to try different approaches to performance management situations. It also was very helpful to be able to share ideas with other managers from different areas of the university.”

According to Mary McGuinness, manager of Training and Development, last year’s learning series attracted 178 employees who attended one or more of the four-module series, increasing participation in the program by 40 percent from the prior year.

Participants expressed high satisfaction in the series’ improved design, content and facilitation and felt it increased their knowledge of performance management concepts and practices, says McGuinness. “Despite the success of the program, however, evaluation feedback taught us that the series started too late in the year and that the pacing was too fast,” says McGuinness. “We took that feedback, along with other insights and ideas we collected from employees throughout the series, and made modifications to the schedule, the materials and the course content.” 

Employees also provided feedback to improve the performance appraisal form.  This series will introduce an improved Staff Performance Appraisal Form that contains clearer definitions of the rating scale and recognizes the difference between performance goals and development goals.

The program begins in October and ends in May, offering employees a flexible schedule with plenty of time to register and complete the modules before the performance appraisal period begins in March 2010.  In addition to the modules, open labs designed to assist employees with writing individual performance and professional development objectives are offered monthly in the Loop and in Lincoln Park.  The program also may be customized to meet department needs and timeframe.

For more information on the Performance Management and Appraisal Series and workplace performance, visit hr.depaul.edu.  Workplace Learning and Performance staff may be reached by e-mail at training@depaul.edu or by phone at Ext. 2-8500.