Overview
Course overview
Performance management is one of the most important and most frequently avoided management responsibilities. This short course gives managers and HR professionals a clear, practical framework for managing performance effectively, from setting meaningful objectives and conducting regular reviews to delivering honest feedback, addressing underperformance and recognising achievement. Drawing on established performance management models and real-world case studies, learners develop the confidence and skills to have the conversations that matter most and build the accountability culture that drives team performance.
What you will study
Establish the foundations of effective performance management, covering the purpose of performance management, the key elements of a well-designed PM system and the evidence on what actually drives performance improvement versus what generates compliance without genuine behaviour change.
Apply performance management principles and tools to your own management context. Assess the effectiveness of your current approach to managing performance and identify the specific changes in process, conversation quality or culture that will have the greatest impact.
Examine organisations that have overhauled their performance management systems, analysing what drove the change, what they replaced traditional approaches with and what outcomes they achieved. Extract the lessons applicable to improving performance management in your own organisation.
Learn the key tools and frameworks used in effective performance management: competency frameworks, SMART objectives, OKRs, performance rating scales, calibration processes and the structured conversation frameworks that support honest, productive performance discussions.
Design or redesign the performance management system for your own organisation or function, covering objective-setting processes, review cycles, the role of continuous feedback, how to manage calibration and the manager capability development needed to make the system work.
Develop metrics and processes for evaluating the effectiveness of your performance management system, including goal attainment rates, manager and employee sentiment, performance distribution data and the connection between PM outcomes and business results.
Master the discipline of setting performance goals that are challenging, clear and genuinely aligned with organisational priorities. Covers SMART objectives, OKR methodology, the distinction between output and outcome goals and how to cascade organisational objectives into meaningful individual goals.
Build the feedback infrastructure that makes continuous performance improvement possible: regular one-to-ones, structured feedback conversations, 360-degree feedback processes and the cultural norms that make giving and receiving honest feedback feel safe and productive.
Learn how to build individual development plans that are genuinely developmental rather than merely administrative. Covers how to identify development priorities, design stretch assignments, structure mentoring and coaching relationships and review development progress effectively.
Develop the skills to conduct performance reviews that are honest, constructive, forward-looking and motivating. Covers how to prepare effectively, how to structure the conversation, how to handle difficult discussions about underperformance and how to close with clear agreements and genuine commitment.
Who is this for?
Line managers, HR professionals, team leaders and senior leaders who are responsible for managing, appraising and developing the performance of their direct reports or wider workforce.
Learning outcome
Graduates leave with a structured performance management toolkit, the ability to design and lead effective appraisal and review processes and the communication skills to manage both high performance and underperformance with confidence.
Assessment and delivery style
Teaching is designed to be interactive, applied and professionally relevant. Activities may include case discussion, guided exercises, workplace examples, short presentations, reflective planning and tutor-led feedback.
