TALENT DEVELOPMENT
At the City of Aurora, my team of six and I were tasked with redesigning the PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT LIFECYCLE, replacing the outdated three-box evaluation system. In conjunction with the introduction of Workday as the platform, we aimed to create a dynamic, continuous performance conversation between managers and employees.
One of the critical steps in this project was meeting with executive leadership to identify the core competencies that would guide performance evaluations. After several strategic discussions, we established 6 key competencies for individual contributors and 11 competencies for managers. These competencies formed the foundation of our new system, ensuring that performance was measured consistently and aligned with the organization’s goals.
The project followed 7 key steps in project management to ensure smooth implementation:
Initiation: We recognized the need to replace the outdated evaluation system and aligned with leadership on fostering ongoing performance conversations.
Planning: We collaborated with HR, technology teams, and executives to define the project scope. This included selecting Workday as our platform and identifying the 6 competencies for individual contributors and 11 competencies for managers.
Execution: Our team worked with Workday specialists to embed these competencies into the platform, creating a seamless performance management cycle, covering planning, check-ins, reviews, and evaluations.
Workshops & Training: We developed and delivered training for all employees at each phase of the cycle, focusing on critical topics like feedback, coaching, documentation, and goal setting to support continuous, effective conversations.
PLEASE REFER TO THE FOUR IMAGES BELOW.
Monitoring & Control: We piloted the system with select departments, gathering feedback and making adjustments to ensure the platform and competencies were effectively integrated.
Implementation: Following the pilot, we rolled out the new performance management system across the organization, offering continuous support and resources.
Evaluation & Closure: We evaluated the success of the new lifecycle by collecting feedback from users and monitoring the system’s usage to measure improvements in ongoing performance discussions.
By collaborating with executive leadership to define clear competencies and following a structured project management approach, we successfully implemented a performance management system that not only streamlined the process but also fostered meaningful, continuous development conversations.
