BTSR guidebook ~ Training & skills self-evaluation

What provision at this level looks like and feels like

For the organisation

In 2008, 1% of broadcasters evaluated at this level.

Suppose an organisation is very small and decision-makers are very aware of the day-to-day performance of every team member. In those circumstances, it is just possible for an astute manager to steer the team towards the organisation’s goals while rewarding and advancing team members in a way that all perceive as fair.

In other circumstances the chances of achieving this are remote, with negative impacts on performance, motivation and retention.

Of course individual managers might be great at giving corrective and developmental feedback. That can soften the effect of not having an official system. But unless all managers are equally adept that can also lead to negative impacts on performance, motivation and retention.

For the training function

It is hard to provide effective and engaging training if you can’t define training needs. Since a training need is a gap between actual and desired performance, without any sort of performance review system you have at least one hand tied behind your back.

Benefits & risks of provision at this level

Benefits

Providing nothing saves time and money.

Risks

Providing nothing involves several risks:

• Staff might pursue their own interests at the expense of the organisation’s (and could be unaware that that’s what they are doing)
• Strong contributions might go unrecognised and/or unrewarded
• Opportunities for improving performance through training & development might go unnoticed
• All but the weakest performers might quickly move on to rival organisations
• Any attempt to dismiss an unsatisfactory employee is likely to fail if there is no demonstrable process for measuring their performance.

Processes & benchmarks for evaluating provision at this level

Clearly if no attempt is made to review individual performance, the organisation’s provision is at this level.

However the following also count as “no provision”:

• We’ve got the forms but nobody takes them seriously
• Some managers get away with not evaluating team members’ performance
• Some people in senior positions do not have their performance evaluated
• The process is only used as a prelude to disciplinary action
• Important decisions about training & development and/or promotion and/or disciplinary action are taken without reference to the results of performance reviews.

Reference material relevant to this strand and level

Examples of provision at this level

We can’t offer any helpful examples of provision at this level

What it takes to get to the next level

This is the easiest level to escape – you just have to do something! But not just anything…

Here are some ways to plan your move up:

• Study the risks and assess honestly whether any of them applies to your organisation. If so, you can plan your move up with a full understanding of the problem you are trying to solve
• Cross-check with others in your organisation:
  • why don’t we have performance reviews?
  • do senior managers recognise any of the issues listed under risks?
  • if so, how important is it to address them?
• Look for existing processes and forms that you can adopt from outside the organisation
• Read the material for higher levels …and not just the next one. (Sometimes, in this area, it’s more cost-effective to make a big step up than a small one.)