Consultant Interview: Jorge Castellote
In 2017, the Performance Magazine editorial team interviewed Jorge Castellote, Founding Partner at Innoway ME, Saudi Arabia. His thoughts and views on Performance Management are detailed below.
Managing performance will become more objective and purpose driven if people are more free to find their way to get it. This means more freedom, flexibility and accountability.
Trends
- Which were the 2016 key trends in Performance Management, from your point of view?
In my opinion, some of the key trends in Performance Management in the last year were: OKRs- Objectives and Key Results, neuroleadership applied to performance, and the difference between measuring business performance – execution, and business discovery – innovation.
- What are your thoughts on the integration of Performance Management at the organizational, departmental and employee level?
I strongly believe that this process of integration shouldn’t be a control mechanism to track past performance, but a tool towards a better and clearer future.
- Which will be the major changes in managing performance, in the future?
Managing performance will become more objective and purpose driven if people are more free to find their way to get it. This means more freedom, flexibility and accountability.
Research
- What aspects of Performance Management should be explored more through research?
I think that one very important aspect that needs to be thoroughly explored is neuroleadership, namely the use of neuroscience to improve performance.
- Which organizations would you recommend to be looked at, due to their particular approach to managing performance, and their subsequent results?
Among the many organizations out there that deserve to be recognized because of their approach to managing performance and their subsequent results, I would like you to take a closer look at Google, Facebook and Dropbox.
- Which of the existing trends, topics or particular aspects within Performance Management have lost their relevance and/or importance, from your point of view?
There are a number of existing trends, topics and aspects within Performance Management that have lost their importance, but for me the two most significant aspects that have lost their relevance are top-down targets and fixed annual objectives.
Practice
- Which are the main challenges of Performance Management in practice, today?
One vital aspect that has proved to be a challenge is the process of approving targets. While setting targets can sometimes be a difficult process, I believe that approving them is even more challenging, because the success of the whole process is balanced upon their relevance and accuracy.
- What should be improved in the use of Performance Management tools and processes?
I think that all tools and processes that are used in Performance Management should not be used to control, but to create a forward thinking process.
- What would you consider as a best practice in Performance Management?
In my opinion, a best practice in Performance Management is the use of Objective Key Results, most commonly known as OKRs. By using OKRs, an organization can set the strategy and goals over a specified amount of time for its employees or teams. This way all employees have the chance to evaluate how well they executed their objectives, and to identify what they must change to align themselves with other teams and with the company.
Education
- Which aspects of Performance Management should be emphasized during educational programs?
Educational programs should place more emphasis on setting targets and on changing management. I believe these two aspects have not been thoroughly covered and future employees should better understand their importance, as well as the best ways to approach them.
Personal Performance
- What are the limits that prevent practitioners from achieving higher levels of proficiency in Performance Management?
In my opinion, many practitioners misunderstand the purpose of control vs. direction, and how to properly manage this phenomenon.
- What is your opinion on the emerging trend of measuring performance outside working hours?
Working outside working hours is becoming the norm, which is affecting work and life balance. My personal opinion is that to avoid this dilemma, performance must be measured based on achievements, as opposed to the number of hours someone has worked (e.g. Netflix endless vacation days). In the long term, new regulations must be put in place to avoid conflicts (e.g. France regulation on emails after 6pm).
- What personal performance measurement tools do you use?
I mostly use the Balanced Scorecard and OKRs.
Specialization Specific Question
- Consultant Point of View: What are the processes and tools you look at, in order to differentiate a successful performance management system, from a superficial one?
A successful performance management system links to the organization’s strategy, does not employ more than 6 KPIs per department/person, has a forward thinking, quarterly performance appraisal, has informal periodic conversations, analyzing the authority vs. responsibility of the KPIs.
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Tags: Consultant, Interview, Leadership, Performance Measurement
