U.S. Office of Personnel Management - Ensuring the Federal Government has an effective civilian workforce

• Staff Recommendations
• Policy Documents
• Resources
• Newsletter Articles

• Performance Plans
• Goalsetting
• Linking to Organizational Goals
• Book Reviews

Staff Recommendations    (What to read when you can't read it all.)

A Handbook for Measuring Employee Performance: Aligning Employee Performance Plans with Organizational Goals (9/01) PDF file 1.7MB

Describes a method for developing employee performance plans that are aligned with and support organizational goals using an 8-step process. Provides guidelines for writing performance elements and standards along with hands-on exercises to give users a chance to practice their new skills.

Improved Performance Starts with Planning I (4/99)

Addresses performance planning through setting performance goals and determining what needs to be done to reach them. Considers the results of goal-setting studies as reported by Edwin A. Locke, University of Maryland, and Gary P. Latham, University of Washington.

Improved Performance Starts with Planning II (6/95)

Addresses goal setting at the individual level.

Improved Performance Starts with Planning III (8/95)

Addresses planning for group performance by setting goals at the group level.

Improved Performance Starts with Planning IV (12/95)

Provides suggestions for avoiding dangers and pitfalls when planning work and setting goals. The information contained in this article was taken from "Goal Setting: A Motivational Technique That Works."

Policy Documents

The Policy Perspective on Customer Service Standards (4/96)

Provides a summary of legislative, regulatory, and Governmentwide policies that relate to Customer Service Standards.

Resources

A Handbook for Measuring Employee Performance: Aligning Employee Performance Plans with Organizational Goals (9/01) PDF file 1.7MB

Describes a method for developing employee performance plans that are aligned with and support organizational goals using an 8-step process. Provides guidelines for writing performance elements and standards along with hands-on exercises to give users a chance to practice their new skills.

Newsletter Articles

Achieving Success Through Results-Based Management (6/99)

Mr. Maurice McTigue, a former New Zealand Cabinet Minister and international authority on performance management, shares his views on results-based management.

Balancing Individual and Team Measures (6/99)

The National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis, Mo., shares its experience with moving to a new performance management program designed to strike a balance between appraising individual and team performance.

Change the Language To Change the Culture (6/00)

Describes the importance of developing and using balanced measures to create an empowering, results-oriented, integrated, and externally focused culture.

Dispelling Myths about Poor Performers (4/99)

Describes the findings of OPM's study, "Poor Performers in Government: A Quest for the True Story," that examines the common perception that there are too many poor performers in the Federal Government.

Formula for Maximizing Performance (Summer 2001)

Explains how organizations and employees must have both the capacity and the commitment to perform in order to achieve good performance.

Good Measurement Makes a Difference in Organizational Performance (6/99)

Presents the findings of a study done by the Metrus Group on the value of using strategic measures to track customer and employee satisfaction, financial performance, and operating efficiency.

Good Performance Management Aids Retention and Productivity (4/99)

Presents the results of three studies on retention and productivity describing the critical factors for creating a productive work environment and retaining good employees.

Performance is the Centerpiece of Government Reform (Summer 2001)

Describes President Bush's initiatives, requirements for workforce planning and restructuring, human resources flexibilities, and the focus of the President's Management Council.

Performance Management Competencies: Communication Skills (Spring 2001)

Explains why it is important for managers to possess excellent communication skills and why they are essential for effective performance management.

President's Management Council Committed to Performance Management (2/00)

Summarizes how agencies can become more accountable, performance-based, and results-oriented as covered in the "Report to the President's Council on Managing Performance in Government."

Telecommuting Requires Topnotch Performance Management (Winter 2001)

Describes how supervisors can maintain employee performance levels in a telecommuting environment.

Performance Plans

A Checklist for Performance Plans (8/98)

Uses a series of questions to present criteria for designing performance plans based on sound management principles that comply with law and regulations.

Developing Performance Standards (4/98)

Reviews the principles of writing good standards that can be used effectively to appraise employee performance of those elements.

Measuring Hard-to-Measure Work: Research Scientists (4/00)

Describes one approach to developing elements and standards that measure scientific work that often involves multi-year efforts before attaining final results.

Measuring Hard-to-Measure Work: Secretary (6/00)

Describes how to identify elements and standards that measure the results of a secretary's work.

Measuring Hard-to-Measure Work: Supervisor (8/00)

Describes how to identify elements and standards that measure the results of a supervisor's work.

The Performance Management Mailbag (retention standard) (Spring 2001)

Explains the term retention standard.

Using the Building Blocks of Employee Performance Plans (2/98)

Reviews the characteristics of performance elements, including: critical elements, non-critical elements, and additional performance elements.

What to Avoid When Writing Standards (6/98)

Defines "retention" standards, discusses the basic requirements for these standards, and highlights some of the things you should avoid when writing them.

Goalsetting

Clear Goals Lead to Success in GSA (2/00)

Explains how GSA's Linking Budget to Performance initiative got Region 2 to focus on results and performance improvement.

"Coaching Positive" for Team Success (8/99)

Explains how you can use Tony DiCicco's strategies and techniques to help improve team performance.

Improved Performance Starts with Planning I (4/95)

Addresses performance planning through setting performance goals and determining what needs to be done to reach them. Considers the results of goal-setting studies as reported by Edwin A. Locke, University of Maryland, and Gary P. Latham, University of Washington.

Improved Performance Starts with Planning II (6/95)

Addresses goal setting at the individual level.

Improved Performance Starts with Planning III (8/95)

Addresses planning for group performance by setting goals at the group level.

Improved Performance Starts with Planning IV (12/95)

Provides suggestions for avoiding dangers and pitfalls when planning work and setting goals. The information contained in this article was taken from "Goal Setting: A Motivational Technique That Works."

Performance Management Competencies: Setting Goals (Summer 2001)

Discusses goal setting competencies for supervisors and reviews recommendations made in two publications.

Using Customer Service Goals to Energize Support Organizations (6/00)

Describes the efforts of one support organization to link to their agency's strategic goals and how they choose to communicate their organizational goals to customers and employees.

Linking to Organizational Goals

Balancing Measures: Best Practices in Performance Management (2/00)

Explains what balanced measures are and how they can help agencies achieve long-term goals.

Linking Individual Performance to Strategic Plans (6/98)

Looks at an early pioneer that saw connection between their organizational expectations, goals and outcomes and their performance management process.

Making the Connection: Aligning Employee Performance with Organizational Goals (8/99)

Describes the Handbook for Measuring Employee Performance: Aligning Employee Performance Plans with Organizational Goals and explains how to obtain a copy.

Organizational Goals Can Be Powerful Energizers (4/00)

Describes how strategic goals and objectives can be used to improve employee performance.

Performance Agreements Lead to Improved Organizational Results (Winter 2001)

Describes the benefits three agencies gained by using results-oriented performance agreements with their agency leaders and executives.

Promoting Innovation in Government (Summer 2001)

Presents the recommendations of a Toronto University study on how to promote innovation in public organizations.

Book Reviews

The Balanced Scorecard by Robert S. Kaplan and David P. Norton; Harvard Business School Press, 1996 (8/99)

Reviews the book, The Balanced Scorecard, and briefly explains the balanced scorecard approach.

The Strategy-Focused Organization (Spring 2001)

Reviews Kaplan and Norton's book, The Strategy-Focused Organization, and briefly explains the 5 principles for achieving strategic focus and alignment.