In practice, good performance management focuses on how to consistently develop SLS volunteers and staff to achieve high standards and outcomes.
By providing ongoing and continual feedback and aligning expectations with the values and expected behaviours of the SLSC and SLSNSW, SLSCs can create a work environment that enables workers to thrive.
Good performance management can look like:
| Focuses on people | CMT members take a proactive approach to performance management that consistently identifies ways to support and develop workers rather than waiting to complete this through an annual event. |
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| Flexible and ongoing | CMT members have frequent check-in meetings to provide constructive feedback that helps workers understand their progress and supports their ability to succeed. |
| Collaborative | CMT members develop solutions and ideas together with their workers to help them feel valued, form a sense of purpose and build their confidence and abilities to perform well. |
By contrast, poor performance management is evident by decreased productivity and behaviours that do not reflect positively, e.g., blaming others and covering mistakes or choosing not to take ideas on board to help achieve their goals.
SLSCs can help manage poor performance by providing workers (both paid and volunteer) with constructive feedback that focuses on facts and examples of poor performance. In addition, it is important for SLSCs not to dictate the expected outcomes but to allow workers to help develop these in partnership with the SLSC. This realigns expectations, ensures they are accountable for their actions and strengthens their commitment to improve.
- Our People
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- Are always honest about what’s important
- Are good at building engagement and trust with people
- Challenge the status quo—constantly challenging themselves
- Think differently because they want to achieve the best possible outcomes.
- And possess the following critical skills:
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- Active listening
- Compliance and administration
- Critical thinking
- Customer service
- Digital literacy written communication
- Gathering and processing information
- Innovative thinking
- Operational leadership
- Organisation and time management
- Resolving conflicts
- Taking care of others
- Verbal communication.
- Resources
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More formal performance management resources are available via the Fair Work Ombudsman website including templates to help manage performance. Note that the resources are designed for paid employees. It is therefore important to always reflect on the SLSC and SLSNSW’s values and expected behaviours as part of managing poor performance as this is the standard across the organisation, both for volunteers and workers.