How to evaluate your marketing staff: assessing employee performance leads to quicker attainment of marketing goals

University Business, Jan, 2005 by Bob Sevier

For poorly performing employees, the result of the evaluation should be termination, or at the very least, probation. We often mistakenly believe that it is kinder to retain employees that are ill-equipped or in over their heads. Usually this is a mistake. Not only does it send a dangerous signal to other empLoyees, but it actually does the individuaL a disservice. In most cases they know they are ill-equipped. Rather than delay the inevitable, step up and be kind, fair, and decisive. Everyone will breathe easier.

CONCLUSION

NearLy 20 years ago I worked in the office of public affairs at Denison University (Ohio). My boss, Stewart Bradford Dyke, hated formal evaluations. He preferred conversations, sometimes constant conversations. But they seldom had any sting. He tended to focus on two questions: Is this the best you can do? And if it's not, why not? The result was better performance and lifelong lessons.

To evaluate someone is in large measure, to hold them accountable. However, before you can hold someone accountable for a job, you must make sure you are giving them the tools they need to complete the job. From a marketing perspective this means:

* A clear sense of the individual and institutional goals and objectives

* Sufficient resources (time, talent, and treasure) to get the job done. This includes, of course, cooperation with other stakeholders

* The authority to act and complete their work in a timely fashion

Any evaluation of performance is ultimately unfair if your people do not have clear objectives, resources, and authority.

Changing behavior

Changing the behavior or performance of a staff member is always difficult. However, a careful reading of HR literature, and lessons learned from experience, leads me to believe that if you do not change how someone is evaluated and how they are rewarded, you will never change their behavior.

Bob Servier is a senior VP of Stamats Communications (www.stamats.com)