What is considered the first step in managing performance?

The first step in managing performance is setting expectations, which establishes a clear understanding of what is required and what success looks like. It involves defining goals, responsibilities, and standards of performance for individuals or teams. By articulating these expectations upfront, you create a framework that guides behavior and efforts toward desired outcomes.

This step is crucial because it lays the groundwork for any subsequent actions related to performance management. Without setting the expectations, it becomes challenging to evaluate performance accurately or provide meaningful feedback since there would be no agreed-upon standards for comparison. Moreover, when individuals know what is expected of them, they are more likely to be motivated and aligned with organizational goals.

While evaluation, training, and feedback are all integral components of effective performance management, they follow the initial step of setting clear expectations. Evaluation assesses how well individuals meet those expectations, training equips them to achieve the desired performance levels, and feedback provides constructive insights for improvement, all of which hinge on the clarity provided in the expectations phase.