Developing Performance a Step-By-Step Guide to the Developing Performance Conversation

Developing Performance – a step-by-step guide to the Developing Performance conversation and plan template for public servants

The step-by-step guide is designed to be used by team members in conjunction with the Developing Performance conversation and plan template. Team members are encouraged to read the step-by-step guide, reflect on their work and respond on the Developing Performance conversation and plan template. Steps 1 to 4 guide you through preparing for your conversation with your team leader, and are best completed before your Developing Performance meeting. Throughout the Developing Performance conversation, contributions to the template may be modified. Steps 5 to 8 guide you through the process of articulating your Developing Performance plan and are completed in collaboration with your team leader.

Step 1: Describe your major responsibilities Major responsibilities describe the main focus areas of your work, rather than daily tasks. Major responsibilities can be derived from work unit and team planning, self- assessment of the relevant standard/capability framework, and through regular interaction with your team leader. Your Developing Performance plan identifies links between your work and departmental priorities.

Conversation

What are your major responsibilities? What activities are associated with What is expected of you in your role? meeting these responsibilities?

Step 2: Identify highlights, lowlights, challenges and important partnerships

Reflect on your major responsibilities, consider all aspects of your work and identify: • highlights (what you enjoy most in your work) • lowlights (what you enjoy least in your work) • challenges (what you are challenged by in your work) • partnerships (partnerships that are important to success in your work).

Highlights of your work Lowlights of your work Major challenges for you Important partnerships

Step 3: Determine professional and personal goals

Having identified your major responsibilities, actions associated with meeting these responsibilities and the highlights, lowlights, challenges and partnerships important to your work, consider your professional goals and aspirations. When developing goal statements, ask yourself: • What does success look like for me? • What would others expect to see?

Professional goals/aspirations

Step 4: Reflect on strengths and areas for development

Reference to the relevant capability framework is essential when considering your strengths and areas for development. As a public servant, you will need to use the QPS Capability and Leadership Framework (CLF). You might find it useful to access the Self- Assessment Proforma (under Tools and templates on the Public Service Commission website) relevant to your role classification, and complete this as part of your preparation for your Developing Performance conversation. Team leaders will also refer to the QPS Capability and Leadership Framework to reflect on your strengths and areas for development prior to your conversation.

Strengths and areas for development (as identified in relevant capability framework self-assessment and as negotiated with supervisor/team leader Strengths Areas for development

Step 5: Articulate your focus areas for improvement, agreed performance and development goals, actions to develop capability and indicators for success.

Using the information you have collated in the conversation section of your plan, you now need to articulate your planned performance development – phase 2 of the Developing Performance process. It is recommended that you limit your Developing Performance plan to three or four areas to focus on, with three or four corresponding performance and development goals. Reflecting on the SMART approach to developing goals will be useful here (see below). Having identified the areas for improvement, discuss each area with your team leader and agree on performance and development goals, actions required in developing this capability and indicators for success.

Remember to apply the SMART (Duncan Haughey, www.projectsmart.co.uk) approach to developing goals:

Specific Measurable Achievable Relevant Time based

Are the Can you measure Are the Are the Is there a time performance the performance performance goals performance goals period within goals specific? goals? If you can’tachievable or relevant? Do they which the A general measure it in within your contribute to the performance statement such some way, you influence? strategic goals of outputs need to be as ‘improve won’t know the school or the achieved? student results’ whether the goal department? does not has been provide enough achieved. definition about the area and

A useful stem to frame goal setting (Growth Coaching International) is:

By (date) … I will (what you wish to achieve) … so that (why this is of benefit to self/organisation)…. Examples of goals using this stem are:

By the end of May I will actively listen to colleagues and clients, trying to see things from their perspective so that my workplace relationships, team effectiveness and performance are enhanced.

OR By the end of April I will improve the accuracy of my records and files and seek regular feedback from my supervisor to gauge satisfaction so that corporate data is accurate and easily accessible. Developing Performance plan Focus areas for Agreed Actions to develop Indicators for improvement performance and capability success As identified in development goals relevant capability Refer to Smart Goals Be specific What will you/others see framework Framework if your goal is achieved?

CLF 3 - 3 By the end of May I  Identify and  Treating Supports will actively listen to observe good people productive colleagues and listeners in the respectfully working clients, trying to see workplace  Valuing/respect relationships things from their  Listen carefully in ing differing perspective so that conversations to my workplace perspectives 3.2 c. Actively understand the listens to relationships, team  Regularly using effectiveness and words and the colleagues and meanings behind a range of performance are listening clients enhanced. them 3.3 c. Tries to see  Use questioning to strategies things from the clarify meaning,  Regularly using other person’s perspective and a range of perspective understanding questioning  Avoid interrupting strategies so others have time to share their  Reduced thoughts and interruptions in feelings conversations  Access information  Regular on active listening positive and and questioning constructive techniques e.g. feedback online, articles, received from reference books mentor/supervi  Seek regular sor/peers feedback from peers and/or mentor

Signature and date (team Signature and date (supervisor/team member) leader) Step 6: Articulate your career aspirations, career goals, actions and indicators for success to develop capability

The final step in preparing your plan is to consider your career aspirations. You will notice in the plan that this has been broken down into short, mid and long term aspirations. This may help clarify your thoughts and allow you to put timeframes around each goal. When you identify your career aspirations, talk with your team leader about the goals, actions and indicators for success to develop your capability that you could undertake to realise your aspirations.

Career Actions to develop Indicators for Career goals aspirations capability success

Short term

Mid term

Long term

Signature and date (supervisor/team Signature and date (team member) leader)

It is important that both you and your team leader sign off on your plan to represent the negotiated, supportive nature of the Developing Performance conversation, and for accountability purposes.

Step 7: Regular conversations between team leader and team member

Having agreed on your plan and goals with your team leader, it is important to have regular conversations about your progress. These may be both formal and informal. Your plan should be a ‘living document’ that is referred to regularly throughout the work period. Formal reviews should be undertaken during the agreement period (phase 3), and at the end, to review progress and development of capability (phase 4). The following provides a guide for reflection and discussion during phase 3 of the Developing Performance process. Review and recognition of achievement – Mid review  What are my successes?  What has challenged me?  What could I have done better?  What have I learnt in completing these key work tasks?  How have I built on my strengths?  What else do I need to focus on to continue to improve?  What support and professional development do I need to continue to develop my performance? Signature and date (team member) Signature and date (supervisor/team leader)

Step 8: Reviewing and recognising achievement

Having agreed on your goals and overall plan with your team leader in phase 2, and enacted your plan through phase 3, it is important to review your progress and recognise your achievement. Share how you like to be recognised and what reward and recognition strategies work for you with your team leader. This will help your team leader support and recognise your achievements appropriately and in a manner that has meaning for you.

The following provides a guide for reflection and discussion during phase 4 of the Developing Performance process.

Review and recognition of achievement – Final review  What are my successes?  What has challenged me?  What could I have done better?  What have I learnt in completing these key work tasks?  What are my strengths and how can I build on them?  What areas do I need to focus on next?  What are my career aspirations and what pathways are available to me?  What support and professional development do I need to develop my performance further?  What action is required if I do not meet performance expectations on a regular basis? Signature and date Signature and date (team member) (supervisor/team leader)