Raising the Performance Bar

Hugh Margesson discusses the importance of managing performance effectively to achieve more in your business with fewer staff.

When profits or budgets are under pressure, you need your people to be motivated and productive and to understand how their hard work helps your business to survive and thrive. But experience tells us that raising the performance bar can be challenging, particularly if you've already been through a cost-cutting exercise. Here are some ideas to help you get it right.

1. Be clear about what you expect in terms of output as well as input. These expectations may be performance standards, which are likely to stay the same throughout the year, or objectives which have specific deliverables attached.