Performance Management | Queen's University IRC

Queen's University IRC

Queen's University

Performance Management

AHR 303
2 Credits

Developing Best Practices for High Performing Organizations

For many organizations, performance management has been an established management practice fundamentally designed to align enterprise-wide strategic direction and individual focus, and reward and recognize employee-specific performance outcomes.  Over the course of the past five years, however, performance management has become one of the most hotly debated management philosophies, and has undergone dramatic changes across multiple industry sectors. Developments in technology, quality management, and team-based work systems have served to change the nature of organizational dynamics, how accountabilities are defined, and how performance is planned and measured.

These developments and the evolution of performance management have arguably been accelerated by the Covid-19 pandemic, which has dramatically upended business planning and measurement practices in an unprecedented way. The pandemic, for example, has forced organizations to rapidly change the nature and location of work, with profound implications for performance management. To meet the needs of new and agile business models that need to embrace mobile and virtual workplaces, we are now witnessing a rapid shift to team-based and collaborative performance management, and with a number of new human resources applications that go beyond variable performance pay.

Better practice performance management is being forced to adapt and change in a multitude of ways. In this day and age, performance management needs to be flexible and forward-looking, and fundamentally used to integrate and focus the interdependent efforts [the "how"] and outcomes [the "what"] of teams and employees. Our Performance Management program is designed to give participants insights into this contextual reality and perspectives on the key strategies, methods and processes that can be used to meet the emerging needs of a knowledge-based and virtual workforce. This learning experience will also provide participants with the foundation to better position performance management to successfully optimize accountability, quality, productivity, development, and reward and recognition applications. Based on the changing nature of work and job design, our program will also provide participants with insights into emerging and innovative performance management practices with a focus on team, project, and virtual workplace performance.

Tour of the Program

Learn. Design. Implement

Performance management has become both a strategic imperative and a challenge in an age of dynamic workplace and societal change, and ever-increasing performance aspirations from citizens, customers, and shareholders alike. As a core enabler of performance optimization and accountability, boards of directors and executive leaders consider it to be a core management practice and a key ingredient to better organizational behaviours and marketplace relevancy.

Historical and recent socio-economic, workplace and regulatory developments, however, have made performance management a misunderstood and confusing topic for many organizations, especially for those that do not recognize the interdependencies that cut across management and human resources practices. Performance management processes must be thoughtfully configured, phased-in and actively managed to ensure that related policies and programs are relevant in a digital world, and focused and practical for employees and managers alike. 

Knowledge is Power

We’ll explore the key strategic, methodological and process considerations for contemporary performance management, as well as the strategic trends that are driving greater choice and complexity.

You will:

  • Learn the fundamentals of performance planning and measurement
  • Examine how practices are being disrupted and transformed to meet the changing nature of work, including the rapid transition to virtual business models
  • Explore a range of macro and micro methods, and emerging alternative practices
  • Determine how and what to measure in your organization
  • Assess your current programs and processes, including specific applications for executive, managerial and staff workforce segments

The Case for Change

Introducing a new performance management system requires a nuanced approach that clearly takes into consideration your context, program choices, implications, and the business case for change. It must also be transparent and engender trust amongst all stakeholders. We’ll show you how to make a contextual assessment and set priorities that align with your goals and management practices. 

You will:

  • Use a series of exercises to set priorities and assess implications for your organization’s unique needs
  • Gain an understanding of governance and administrative requirements
  • Develop a business case for a new performance management strategy
  • Learn about related risk and change management practices
  • Explore the role of technology and analytics in performance management
  • Investigate alternative and innovative performance management practices

Learning Outcomes

Transforming Knowledge into Action

Learn how to:

  • Use applied and theoretical fundamentals of performance management
  • Use performance measurement essentials, and identify what and how to measure in your organization
  • Understand the trends and issues that are disrupting and defining the performance management agenda
  • Develop best practices to meet governance and administrative requirements, as well as the needs of specific executive, managerial and workforce segments
  • Integrate performance management systems into interdependent management practices
  • Develop a business case for performance management change, and align and evolve your organization’s approach

Benefits

Organizational Benefits:

  • Educated leaders and practitioners for a more effective contextual performance management strategy that aligns with the realities of the changing nature of work
  • Methods and tools to better understand how and what to measure organizationally, and how to apply the results at the individual and team levels
  • Support for processes and decisions that facilitate a more effective future-oriented and performance-driven workplace
  • Related HR and management applications to identify talent, motivate teams and optimize rewards and recognition

Takeaway Tools:

  • Workbook with resources for developing your performance management programs
  • Measurement frameworks to evaluate and manage policies, programs and people
  • Process tools that can be applied to your organizational planning

Who Should Attend

  • HR managers and professionals developing programs and best practices
  • Leaders seeking to improve performance across an organization

Facilitators and Speakers

Lead Facilitator(s)

Ian Cullwick

Ian Cullwick is a Partner with an international consulting firm, and has served as the Vice-President of HR and Organization Research at the Conference Board of Canada.

Ian specializes in governance effectiveness, performance management, human resources strategy, and organization design.  He consults to a broad cross-section of organizations in both the private and public sectors, including high technology companies, financial institutions, crown corporations, health care and not-for-profit organizations.  He is also a noted thought leader and has authored a number of articles on organization design, performance management and compensation strategy. Ian also teaches in the Executive MBA program at the Telfer...

Read the full bio for Ian Cullwick

Guest Speaker(s)

*The roster of speakers is subject to change.

Venues and Accommodations

May 10-13, 2021 (1pm-4pm ET): Virtual Seat

Queen’s IRC will deliver this program virtually, via Zoom, and all participants will attend the program live as it happens. Plan to use video, as appropriate, and have a dedicated working space to participate and engage with the class.

Nov 1-4, 2021 (1pm-4pm ET): Virtual Seat

Queen’s IRC will deliver this program virtually, via Zoom, and all participants will attend the program live as it happens. Plan to use video, as appropriate, and have a dedicated working space to participate and engage with the class.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I register for a program?

You can register online, call us toll-free at 1-888-858-7838, or email us at irc@queensu.ca. Once you register, we will send you a confirmation by email. Information about the program location, check-in time, and the agenda will follow.

How do I pay for the program?

If you are registering online, you may pay by Visa or MasterCard.  You may also choose to be invoiced first, and pay by cheque (payable to Queen's University) or credit card. You may also wish to call us with your credit card number to make the payment.

If your organization is tax exempt, we will require a copy of your tax exemption certificate.

Do you offer discounts?

Yes. We offer an Early-Bird discount.  If you register 60 days before the start of a program, you will save $300 on the tuition of four- and five-day programs, and $150 on two- and three-day programs.

If you register three people from the same organization in the same program at the same time, you will receive a 10% discount on program fees. If you register five or more people in the same program at the same time, you will receive a 20% discount.

If you know you will be pursuing a Queen's Certificate and would like to remit tuition in one payment before your first program, we offer a special fee with a considerable saving. Contact us at irc@queensu.ca for more information.

Please note that only one discount may be applied.

What is included in the registration fee?

Program fees include tuition, workbook materials, lunches, and some dinners. You are responsible for transportation, accommodation, and some meals.

Once I enroll in a program, may I cancel without penalty?

Substitutions are permitted with no penalty 8 days or more from the program start date.
Substitutions 7 days or less before the program start date will be subject to a $500 charge.
Transfers and cancellations are permitted with no penalty up to 15 days prior to the program start date.
Transfers and cancellations 14 days or less from the program start date will be subject to a 100% charge of the program fee.

Where does the program take place?

Our programs typically take place at a hotel. This information can be found in the tab above, called Venue and Accommodations.

I would like to make my travel plans.  What are the start and end times for the program?

Performance Management starts at 8:30 a.m. (Registration runs from 8:00 - 8:30 a.m.)

The program finishes by 4:00 p.m. on the last day.

If I am working towards a Queen's IRC Certificate, which course should I take first?

You may take the programs in any order that reflects your learning needs at the time. Our certificates feature a core program or programs that introduce you to what we consider the core competencies of the field. The remaining programs offer a deeper exploration of each area. For this reason, we find that participants in the certificate stream benefit most by taking the foundational program first.

My level of expertise is above the foundational program for the certificate I am working on. Do I still need to take that program to earn a certificate?

Queen's IRC offers participants maximum flexibility to customize their individual training needs. Upon request, participants with advanced expertise may skip the foundational program, and choose another program from our entire program lineup, for credit towards a certificate. Participants must earn 12 credits to earn a certificate.

How long do I have to complete a certificate?

We attach no timeline for achieving your certificate. Once you have earned a credit, you have earned the credit. We do recommend, however, that participants complete their certificate within one to six years. Most people earn their certificates within three years.

What if I want to take one of your programs but do not want to pursue a certificate?

That's fine. All of our programs may be taken individually, and you can mix and match the courses in labour relations, human resources and organization development, depending on your learning needs. At the conclusion of each program, you are given a certificate of completion.

I have taken a custom program with the IRC.  Will this count towards a certificate?

Yes. Participants who take an IRC custom program may also use their training days as credits towards a certificate.

If I have other questions, who may I speak with personally?

For a program registration query, please feel free to call us at 1-888-858-7838 or 613-533-6628. To reach the Director and staff members, consult our online directory. To reach one of our facilitators, please contact Stephanie Noel at 613-533-6000 ext. 77088 or stephanie.noel@queensu.ca.