Traditional performance management processes are often ineffective in increasing workforce engagement and fostering a positive employer-employee relationship. The established method of annually scoring employees against a list of static objectives can make employees feel undervalued and frustrated and can hinder, rather than advance, staff development. Unlocking High Performance shows you how to transform this process to get the best out of your workforce. It presents a new model for performance management based on the three components of planning, cultivation and accountability, and situates this process within the wider aims of promoting work as a healthy relationship between employer and employee rather than a restrictive contract to be complied with. Unlocking High Performance equips you with the tools needed to create clear expectations and goals, deliver feedback effectively, and to develop a culture of coaching rather than criticism. This book also provides practical guidance on how to identify and remove obstacles, effectively manage underperformance, and how to get buy-in for change. Packed with tips, tools and examples from organizations including Vistaprint, NVIDIA and South Dakota State University, this book provides everything needed to design a performance management process which will improve employee experience, help them reach their full potential, and ultimately deliver exceptional business results. Jason Lauritsen is a global speaker, author, and advisor on employee engagement, workplace culture and performance management. Prior to this, he was the Director of Best Places to Work at Quantum Workplace and VP of Human Resources at Union Bank and Trust. He is also the North American Advisor for The Employee Engagement Awards, the first global awards to recognize excellence in employee engagement.

Section - ONE: Work is broken and employees are paying the price;
- Chapter - 01: The shortcomings of 'best practice' and traditional performance management;
- Chapter - 02: Work is a relationship, not a contract;
- Chapter - 03: Rethinking performance management;
Section - TWO: Performance planning;
- Chapter - 04: Creating clear expectations and goals;
- Chapter - 05: Defining behavioural expectations;
- Chapter - 06: Putting the 'why' and 'how' in expectations;
Section - THREE: Performance cultivation;
- Chapter - 07: Motivation;
- Chapter - 08: Recognition and appreciation;
- Chapter - 09: Wellbeing and inclusion;
- Chapter - 10: Removing obstacles;
Section - FOUR: Performance accountability;
- Chapter - 11: Fixing feedback;
- Chapter - 12: A new approach to feedback;
- Chapter - 13: Measurement and ratings;
- Chapter - 14: The role of reflection;
- Chapter - 15: Confronting performance issues;
Section - FIVE: Building a sustainable and effective performance management system;
- Chapter - 16: Making immediate improvements;
- Chapter - 17: Getting buy-in for change and recruiting a design team;
- Chapter - 18: The design process and avoiding the best practice trap;
- Chapter - 19: Developing and testing your performance management system;
- Chapter - 20: Implementation your new performance management system