These resources are intended for members of the OSU IT/Controller's Unit Performance Management Pilot.  They do not represent current OSU Policy.

Visual of Annual Review Steps

Introduction

Goal, standard and metric development is the fourth step in the Annual Plan Development process.

There are three steps to develop goals, standards and metrics 

  • First, Performance Goals, standards and metrics are developed.
  • Next, a Gap Analysis is conducted to identify gaps in the knowledge, skills and supports that  are required to successfully execute the Performance Goals. 
  • Finally, Development Goals, along with associated standards and metrics, are written to address the knowledge and skill gaps. 

 

Performance Goal - specific employee performance expectation.

Development Goal - learning strategy to develop knowledge and skills needed to enable successful execution of Performance Goals.

Performance Standard - performance threshold, requirements or expectations that must be met to successfully execute a specific goal.

Metric - measure used to evaluate performance against the Performance Standard.  Two types of metrics:

  • Qualitative - performance is measured using observation of performance and outcomes. Two types are process and outcome measures.
    • Process Measure - decisions and actions required for successful performance.  
    • Outcome Measure - desired outcomes of successful performance.
  • Quantitative - performance is measured using numerics or statistics.  Three types are quantity, frequency or percentage measures.

SMART Goal Writing Process - a process used to draft goals that are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and timely.  Utilizing this process results in goals that clearly define expected performance, the performance standard and relevant metrics.

Integrating performance standards and metrics into goals ensures supervisors and employees share an understanding regarding job expectations and what success looks like. The goals then provide guidance for daily decision-making and action-taking.  And they enable ongoing tracking, evaluation and improvement of performance.

Importantly, they set the stage for an ongoing collaboration between the supervisor and employee wherein both people are empowered to contribute to successful performance, make real-time changes and ensure goals are accomplished.

Select Performance Expectations

  1. Review information gathered in the Review Process, the revised Position Description and the matches identified in the Matching Process.
  2. Use that information to identify key performance expectations for the new Annual Plan period.
  3. Select the most important to write as Performance Goals.

Write the Performance Goals

  1. Decide the purpose of each goal. Examples of purpose include:
    • Maintenance - continue performance that is consistently good and consistently meets expectations.
    • Improvement - correct performance that is unsatisfactory and fails to meet expectations.
    • Innovation - create a new process, function or program.
    • Stretch - surpass current performance by: utilizing new/different competencies; exceeding current level of performance; developing a new/different specialty; or working on a new/different program or project, or in new/different settings or circumstances, etc.
  2. Write the goals using the Smart Goal Writing process and record them in SuccessFactors (navigation guide).
    • Draft a goal by addressing the items on the SMART table.  As you proceed, refer to work you have already completed in the Annual Plan process.  Notes are provided in each section about relevant work to reference.  Keep revising the goal until it addresses all items.

Assign Ratings to Performance

Professional Faculty and Classified Employees have slightly different rating scales (see illustrations below).

Each goal developed using the SMART Tool is the performance standard, i.e., the performance required to successfully meet the goal.  Hence, the goal is equivalent to the Meets All Expectations rating for Professional Faculty and Performs Requirements for Classified Employees. 

Rating Scales
Professional Faculty Classified Employees
  • Surpasses expectations
  • Meets all expectations
  • Meets some expectations
  • Does not meet expectations
  • Makes outstanding contributions in critical areas while meeting all major requirements of the position.
  • Performs requirements of the position in a satisfactory manner.
  • Does not meet performance requirements of the position in major or critical areas.

Use the appropriate rating scale resources to define the other ratings:

The supervisor’s and employee’s shared goal is to ensure the employee has the knowledge, skills and supports necessary to successfully execute the Performance Goals.

The Gap Analysis is adapted from the leadership skill called En-Able, which is taught in the Managers as Leaders and Leadership Collaborative courses. 

The En-Able skill is based on the tenet that organizational factors have to be in place to enable successful performance (see En-Able illustration).

Hence, once a Performance Goal is designed, the organizational factors need to be assessed to identify gaps that must be addressed to enable successful performance.

Once those gaps are identified, Development Goals and a Support Plan can be designed to address them.

Use the Gap Analysis Tool to identify gaps in the employee's knowledge, skills and support.

Select Development Goals

  1. Review the information gathered via the Gap Analysis for each Performance Goal.
  2. Based on that review, identify gaps in knowledge and skills that need to be addressed to enable successful performance.
  3. Select those to write as Development Goals.

Write the Development Goals

  1. Decide the purpose of each goal.  Examples of purpose include:
    1. Maintenance - continue performance that is consistently good and consistently meets expectations.
    2. Improvement - correct performance that is unsatisfactory and fails to meet expectations.
    3. Innovation - create a new process, function or program.
    4. Stretch - surpass current performance by: utilizing new/different competencies; exceeding current level of performance; developing a new/different specialty; or working on a new/different program or project, or in new/different settings or circumstances, etc.
  2. Write the goals using the SMART Goal Writing process and record them in SuccessFactors (navigation guide).

Development goals are not rated in the SuccessFactors system.

Next Step: Support Plan