Do you remember the days when you sat alone in a room with your employee (s) once a year, anxiously explaining how you think this individual has been performing and wishing you had a broader perspective on his contributions to the team?

Today’s forward-looking leaders and employees know that annual performance feedback is often too little and too late when it comes to delivering results and improving business outcomes.

Let’s take a look at The History of Performance Reviews in this creative infographic by WorkSimple,

Global organizations that work in cross-cultural, cross-functional, and/or collaborative communities and want to encourage the best performance from their workforces can build an environment where everyone’s feedback counts and can be accounted for.  While many organizations for years have infused cross-functional teams, focus groups, and/or employee committees in decision-making and idea sharing, these effective organizational practices can often limit timely performance feedback.  Now, through the use of real-time performance feedback technologies and having a well-designed performance management system which aligns directly to the business strategy, performance insights can come almost instantly from people within and outside an employee’s direct reporting structure. In a rapidly changing business environment, social performance enables a proven way to improve performance feedback and mobilize people to work at their best through integrated talent management strategies, technologies and coaching. Rather than stand-alone tools, companies can now infuse internal social platform technologies and web interfaces to provide leaders new ways to understand everyday work processes, allowing for continuous coaching and visibility into valued contributions, which can enable more immediate development and effective employee recognition.

Imagine leaving a client presentation and then logging into a company portal where you can submit your feedback in real time, rather than waiting for the next debriefing to be scheduled. Imagine if something needed to be added to enhance the content for the next client presentation scheduled later that day. Now, cloud computing and next-generation talent management are powering up performance.

Employees can contribute to the workplace community by submitting their feedback, regardless of where they sit on the organizational chart or whether they are participating in the formal performance review cycle. They too are able to offer impressions of others’ work that can aid in strengthening work relations and collaboration.

These advancements help to address performance issues more rapidly than ever before, and within the appropriate context. In a networked work environment, the ability to quickly share feedback across the enterprise is key for organizations to stay competitive. Additionally, organizations can better incorporate appropriate feedback into the formal evaluation process as it’s aligned to the business strategy. Infusing an integrated performance-management design solution offers a simplified and more intuitive way to mobilize people and cultivate a culture where great work matters.

How might innovating your performance management system benefit your workplace in the coming year?  Learn more about expanding performance impact,  click here 
Infographic Credit: WorkSimple

©2011 All rights reserved. Judy White, SPHR, GPHR, HCS is the founder and president of The Infusion Group™. A trusted partner in creating new possibilities in talent management and workplace culture design to have a meaningful impact on people, businesses, and society. The Infusion Group™ brings together a portfolio of workplace services to achieve personalized business strategies for clients in the new world of work. For more information on achieving greater workplace potential, please visit www.theinfusiongroupllc.com.