Powerful performance reviews
Featured in the Motivation in Practice training manual
By Eddie Davies
Category: People Management and Motivation
Credit price: 3 download credits (Single user)
Two key skills are required to sustain improved performance from motivated staff – setting challenging objectives and providing effective feedback on performance. The theorists Edwin Locke and Gary Latham identified this powerful combination as a key ingredient for motivating people at work. You will use the example of international sports stars to link to research which establishes that a combination of setting goals and providing effective feedback is most effective in motivating such high achievers to outstanding and sustained performance.
You begin this training activity by asking the group to consider the ingredients for success identified by top international sports stars. You point to some research, which establishes that a combination of setting goals and providing effective feedback is most effective in motivating sportsmen and women to outstanding and sustained performance. The introduction leads you into exploring each of these elements in turn. You then focus participants’ attention on goal setting and identify three main areas of performance this can cover. In addition to performance, you highlight the need to complement this with the conditions and standards expected. Participants consolidate this knowledge by working in pairs to identify which of six objectives are worded effectively and which less so. This part of the training activity closes with each participant writing a performance objective they can use as the terminal statement for an exercise to be attempted later. After this you turn your attention to feedback. The participants work in two syndicate groups to identify the key elements needed to give and receive feedback effectively. The results of this exercise are compared with some popular suggestions on the topic. Participants are asked to note which of these ideas they will try to put into practice in a forthcoming exercise. The next stage involves the participants working in groups of three. During this exercise, each participant takes it in turn to instruct another member of their syndicate group to successfully complete a task (prepared earlier) while being observed by the third member of the group. Each phase of this part of the training activity ends with a review of how effective the two protagonists were in giving and receiving feedback. You examine the results of this exercise in a plenary session. The effectiveness of the participants objectives are also explored at this time, before they set themselves an objective to help them to motivate and measure performance improvement when they return to work.
Who is it for: This training resource is intended for use by trainers to introduce participants to the two key skills required to sustain improved performance from motivated staff – setting challenging objectives and providing effective feedback on performance.
| Resource Type: | Activity |
| Min Group Size: | 4 |
| Max Group Size: | 12 |
| Typical Duration: | 03:20:00 |
| No of Pages: | 20 |
Resources: View standard resources for Fenman training activities
Additional resources: Set of photos of successful sports personalities.
Purpose: This training resource is intended for use by trainers in any training event that aims to improve performance and productivity through motivating people at work. The skills are equally applicable to outside settings such as schools, sports training, and developing skills in the performing arts. It has been used successfully on training programmes such as an introduction to effective management, building and leading a team, improving staff performance, motivation, performance appraisal, self and time management, and stress management.
Download the training activity, Powerful performance reviews as featured in the Fenman training manual; Motivation in Practice