June 2008

Performance Matters

As you will read in this month’s issue, the meaning of performance is evolving. Performance is no longer just about whether an employee is doing a poor, adequate, or superior job: now it can encompass an organization’s performance in the marketplace, its contribution to environmental sustainability, and the value it places on employees.

The work environment that Indra Nooyi, chairman and CEO of PepsiCo, has created through the Performance with Purpose program is a model of sustainability for others to follow.

Along with the components of human sustainability—offering consumers healthier choices—and environmental sustainability—driving initiatives to sustain the environment—PepsiCo’s talent sustainability aims to have “the right people in the right place at the right time, doing the right work, the right way.”

“The goal at PepsiCo is to operate as a good company, financially successful and ‘societally’ responsible,” Nooyi says in the At C Level article “Doing Good While Doing Well” on page 32. “After we attract the best, we focus on providing associates with the training, tools, and opportunities for their
professional growth and development.”

Companies that provide the most opportunity for employees’ personal and professional growth will flourish in today’s competitive environment where retaining talent is paramount.

The article “Say Good-Bye to the Blame Game” on page 46 strongly suggests that human performance improvement professionals are gaining respect among organizations determined to keep their talent productive.

According to the article by Michael Laff, organizations are opening the door much wider than before to human performance improvement professionals, recognizing that they themselves may not be able to spot the obstacles that hinder performance. Line managers also now recognize the value of
human performance more than they did two decades ago.

Does your organization value its talent? Are performance and employee development major corporate strategies?

It’s time to re-examine performance management in your organization to ensure that your employees feel valued, have the tools to perform their jobs, and see sustainability commitment from the organization. Do it now before it’s too late.

Paula Ketter
Editor, T+D
pketter@astd.org