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2009-11-21

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2009-11-05

Agriculture

Lifestyles

Tuesday, October 27, 2009 9:43 PM

LEADERSHIP MATTERS: ‘Performance contracting’ essential

By KEVIN EICHNER, Leadership Matters

If I had to choose just one skill among many that leader/managers ought to possess, I would select performance contracting.

This is a mutual process by which the parties (two or more) agree on what is to be done, how it is to be measured and what outcomes can be expected. When done well, it can inspire people and give them necessary direction. When done poorly, it is the source of more organization dysfunction and stomach-acid than anything I can think of.

Effective contracting has three fundamental elements:

• A set of major missions, or objectives for the year ahead. Not a “job description,” but rather a summary of the five to eight priorities for that individual in that job.

• A performance measurement grid. This specifies three to five performance indicators on which incentive compensation is to be paid, the relative weights of each, and the bonus payouts at each of three levels — Threshold, Target and Exceptional.

• A personal development plan. This is an attempt to target the skills, knowledge, personal characteristics and relationships on which the associate should be concentrating.

Performance contracting is going on all the time. In this sense, it is as much a process as an event. But it is very valuable to reduce these understandings to writing. We even have forms for this purpose at Ottawa University, and we devote a great deal of time and energy to ensuring that our people know what is important and expected, and what they can count on from us to help them meet those expectations.

OU initiated this important process for all of our staff last spring and will implement the same process for our faculty in the near future.

We invite you to join us from 9 a.m. to noon Dec. 1 for a free Leadership Matters workshop that will explore performance contracting for your business or organization. Please register at www.ottawa.edu/leadershipmatters

Kevin Eichner is president of Ottawa University.

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LEADERSHIP MATTERS: ‘Performance contracting’ essential

By KEVIN EICHNER, Leadership Matters

E-mail this story to a friend | Print this article | Enjoy the convenience of home delivery of The Ottawa Herald.

E-mail this story to a friend | Print this article |
Enjoy the convenience of home delivery of The Ottawa Herald.