The University of Western Ontario, in collaboration with the Professional and Managerial Association (PMA), has earned a Quality and Productivity Award from the Canadian Association of University Business Officers (CAUBO).
The university made commitments in its 2007 Strategic plan to excellence in staff leadership and performance, to development of a vibrant and healthy workplace culture, and to collaborate with employee groups to develop performance evaluation systems that focus on competencies, accountabilities for outcomes, and recognition of valued attributes.
Back row (l-r): Jane O’Brien, Peggy Roffey, Andrew Fuller, Peter Hawke and Mark Shannon. Front row (l-r): Eileen Grainger, Brad Hansen, Gitta Kulczycki and Scott May.
To fulfill these commitments, Human Resource Services partnered with PMA – made up of about 900 professional-rated employees – to develop the Performance Dialogue and Goal-Setting System (PDG), earning them honours as the 2009 Ontario Regional Winner by CAUBO.
“The project aligns with one of Western’s strategic plan commitments to staff and a supportive workplace,” says Andrew Fuller, Senior Facilitator, Learning and Development Services. “The award is a tribute to the many PMA leaders, employees, and Human Resource team members who contributed to the design and implementation of what we believe is a meaningful approach to performance appraisals.
Where previous systems were inconsistently applied and focused on past activities, the new method develops a more judicious, objective, collaborative and future-focused approached, aligned with key expectations of employees.
After reviewing literature on culture development, performance and management, and employee engagement, Western designed and piloted the creative new form and process, conducting surveys and focus groups to identify areas for improvement.
“On the whole, year one feedback was positive – in particular employees appreciate the dialogue questions which explore future aspirations, interests, and the supports they need for success,” says Fuller. “We have just completed year two, and we plan to again consult with employees and leaders to continue to improve the process.”
Since receiving the award, Fuller says other universities have been contacting Western for ideas, and to learn from our experience.
A key goal of the PDG project is to help leaders and employees have a different experience of each other – one focused on enhancing performance, relationships and engagement.