Setting work standards
Featured in the Partnerships at Work training manual
By Ken Birkett & Val Rowland
Category: Performance Management
Credit price: 4 download credits (Single user)
Organisations exist to produce a profit or provide a service. In either case there are business targets to achieve if the enterprise is to e successful and flourish. Operations have to be cost-effective, leading to realistically priced outputs. All this is a matter of continuous evolution. The market changes. Employees come and go. Management theory, style and structures progress. All this implies attention to work standards: managers must decide what their people have to achieve in terms of volume and quality of output, furthermore, they have to determine what attitudes and behaviour might produce the best team results; and subordinates, too, have responsibilities to their manager in these matters, as they must accept realistic standards and work to them in a self-sufficient manner. In today’s human resource structures, where there are few levels in the hierarchy, opportunity for communicating standards is much improved. Direct contact between manager and ‘managed’ may be frequent. On the other hand, both parties are likely to have a wider work remit. Focus may centre on the ‘crisis of the moment’ and each person may develop individual work and behaviour patterns. These may be felt effective by that individual, but may appear less so to others. Examples of developing mismatches are when you hear someone say, ‘My people have sloppy work standards’, ‘My boss is a perfectionist’, ‘My people are slow on the uptake’, or ‘My boss doesn’t show me how to do things properly.’ To avoid inefficient disharmony an effective manager will need to decide, communicate and monitor output and behaviour objectives, and an effective subordinate will need consider how best to co-operate in a team environment for the benefit of all.
You start the training activity with a brief introduction to the need to decide, communicate and monitor work and behaviour standards. Participants work in groups considering dissatisfaction with standards, possible reasons and potential cures – then hold a feedback session. Participants practise analysing misunderstood standards and some effects, by way of a performance appraisal role-play. There is a further feedback and discussion session, followed by a round-up of key points.
Who is it for: This training activity is intended for use by trainers to help participants decide, communicate and monitor output and behaviour objectives.
| Resource Type: | Activity |
| Min Group Size: | 6 |
| Max Group Size: | 12 |
| Typical Duration: | 01:40:00 |
| No of Pages: | 22 |
Resources: View standard resources for Fenman training activities
Purpose: This training activity is intended for use by trainers and can be used in team-building courses and personal development training.
Download the training activity, Setting work standards as featured in the Fenman training manual; Partnerships at Work