Frequently Asked Questions

What is this course about? The principal objective of this course is to help you develop the skills and ability to manage the performance of others successfully. This course specifically addresses the performance management process from planning through to appraisal or review, and the requisite inter-personal and intra-personal skills to operate in partnership with the individual. You learn how to build practical skill sets for delivering effective performance within your team. These skills sets include new approaches to generating a positive productive performance partnership and fostering commitment to success through effective communication. With a sound understanding of the elements of a successful performance management process, you learn to use specific approaches to facilitate employee learning and growth to produce outcome-focused results. You learn to work with the team member to create task and personal goals and to recognise the benefits that this approach brings to the team member, your workplace and to you. Who will benefit from this course? Anyone who is responsible for managing or developing the performance of others finds this course useful. In addition, those who are involved in designing or setting up a performance management process or who have others reporting to them, will benefit. This course is also important for individuals who expect to take on management responsibilities in the future. You learn the benefits of creating clear performance plans and appraisals. What background do I need? Everyone's performance affects business outcomes. Therefore, this course is applicable to anyone who wants to understand how individual performance growth in the workplace can best be supported. Why is managing performance important? Never before have organisations been subjected to such rapid change and so many market pressures. Now, more than ever before, organisations understand that to remain competitive and deliver customer success, every individual's effort needs to be focused on successful business outcomes. With an effective process to manage performance in place, and with skilled and understanding performance managers, team members grow and develop in line with organisational imperatives. In order to participate in organisational growth and personal development, individuals need an effective and empowering framework to foster individual performance and development. Regardless of the organisation structure, success hinges on the effective use of personal strengths and capability at all levels. Can you really learn how to be a performance manager? Yes. This course provides opportunities for you to practise strengthening and improving your skills to manage performance. Through the application of people-focused techniques, and by using a practical approach, you develop a personal toolkit to effectively manage performance. These practical skills and techniques are currently applied at leading and successful organisations worldwide. You leave the course with a greater understanding of what makes people willing to work in partnership with their manager to develop their own performance and capability, and the confidence to apply the skills and techniques learned. Will I learn how to set up a Performance Management System? No. This course addresses the integrated set of processes concerned with managing performance. The emphasis is placed on how the people involved work flexibly together, and the skills involved in getting the best from individuals, rather than on the establishment of prescribed procedures and practices that can be rigidly applied to everyone. Will I learn how to conduct employee disciplinary meetings? No. This course focuses on developing the performance of individuals to their maximum effectiveness in the workplace. Situations requiring disciplinary action should be handled in accordance with organisational and/or legal requirements, which are outside the scope of this course. How much time is spent on each topic? Content Hours Setting the stage 0.75 People and process in partnership 1.0 Structuring a framework for building performance 2.25 Transitioning to performance manager and coach 2.0 Managing the journey to success 1.5 Delivering a positive performance appraisal 2.25 Implementing best practice 1.25 Times, including the workshops, are estimates; exact times may vary according to the needs of each class. How much time is devoted to the workshops? Course workshops are the backbone of this course. The majority of time is spent preparing for, doing, or exchanging feedback on a variety of individual, pair and group activities including: Personal planning sessions Self-assessments Guided discussions Group workshops Formulating and documenting objectives Practising key techniques Developing coaching questions Will this course help me deliver more effective appraisals? Yes. This course provides the understanding, techniques and skills required to ensure that performance appraisals and reviews become a constructive, positive experience for all concerned. How is this course different from Course 290? Course 290, Management Skills, focuses on a broad range of practical skills and roles for effective management, whereas Course 274 specifically addresses the performance management process from planning through to appraisal or review, and the requisite inter-personal and intra-personal skills to operate in partnership with the individual. This course creates an integrated approach to managing performance at both the people and process levels. Is this course applicable to a Project Management Professional (PMP) certification? Yes. Although this course is not designed as preparation for the exam, it is beneficial to anyone working toward PMI's PMP certification. For those who are currently certified, completion of this course counts as 11 professional development units (60 units must be completed every three years to maintain certification). For more details, please see the Learning Tree PMI Registered Education Provider Q&A. How does this course relate to other Learning Tree courses? Learning Tree offers other courses in communication, management and planning. This course complements the following: 224, The Art of Coaching: Enabling Employees to Achieve Their Potential  290, Management Skills provides new and experienced managers with the practical skills needed to lead effective teams of technical professionals. 346, Project Leadership: Building High-Performance Teams provides the knowledge and skills to build cohesive, high-performance teams. High-performance teams are the result of an exemplary leader who creates the conditions in which individual team members can contribute their best. 296, Project Management: Skills for Success presents the skills needed for planning, organising, implementing and delivering successful projects using paper and PC-based techniques. 340, Project Management for Software Development provides insight into the software development process, including what to expect at each stage of development and how to tailor models to your environment. 294, Influence Skills: Getting Results Without Direct Authority focuses on the specific behaviours and attitudes that enable you to achieve desired results without relying on the use of authority. 288, Change Management: People and Process provides the knowledge and skills to guide the people in your workplace through the process of change. 292, Communication Skills: Results Through Collaboration provides the tools and techniques for improving listening skills, delivering effective messages and bridging different communication styles. 222, Leadership Skills: Building Success Through Teamwork provides the skills required to inspire service teams to deliver high-quality results.

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