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Division of Human Resources

Performance Characteristics

Performance characteristics are qualities, traits, or individual characteristics that are required for satisfactory performance. As a manager, select the characteristics that best emphasize the qualities that are needed for employees to perform duties and objectives successfully. 

 

The extent to which employees can work by themselves; requiring very little supervision and self-sufficient in assuming the duties of the job.

The degree to which the employee makes mistakes or errors that require correction.

The extent to which the employee can adapt to job or organizational changes.

The physical appearance of the employee at work; cleanliness, grooming, neatness and appropriateness of dress for the job.

Concerns whether the employee is at work each day.

The effectiveness with which the employee presents accurate information both verbally and in writing.

The extent to which the employee cooperates with supervisors, associates and those for which work is performed.

The extent to which the employee can be relied upon to meet work schedules and fulfill job responsibilities and commitments.

The extent to which the employee displays interest and enthusiasm for his/her work and takes pride in a job well done.
The extent to which the employee knows the details of the job and follows the job procedures.
The quality of work-related decisions made by the employee.
The extent to which the employee efficiently completes their work and effectively meets deadlines.
The extent to which the employee is prompt in reporting for work and assignments/appointments at the specified time.
 The extent to which the employee neatly, thoroughly, and accurately completes job assignments according to established standards of quality.  
The extent to which the employee produces an amount of acceptable work in order to meet schedules over which they have control.  
The extent to which the employee establishes positive relationships with co-workers (for example, being a good team worker, being tactful and courteous with co-workers).
The extent to which the employee establishes good relationships with the public (for example, being courteous and helpful).
The extent to which the employee follows established safety practices and corrects unsafe work practices on the job.
How effectively and efficiently the employee uses their time to accomplish their job tasks (for example, does not wait until the last minute to work on important projects).
The extent to which the employee wants to learn about their job and asks intelligent question about the job.
The manager is concerned with making decisions. Sometimes these can be made using simple logic. Other decisions call for the ability to weigh pros and cons in what is basically a very uncertain or ambiguous situation, calling for a high level of judgment or even intuition. The manager must therefore develop judgment-making skills, including the ability to cope with ambiguity and uncertainty, striking a balance between the necessity at times to be guided by subjective feelings without ignoring objective logic.
Successful managers have a command of such basic facts as goals and plans (long and short term), product or service knowledge, who's in the organization, the roles and relationship between various departments, their own job, and what's expected of them. If they don't store all this information, they know where to get it when they need it.
Managers vary in the degree to which they can sense what is happening in a particular situation. Successful managers are relatively sensitive to events and can tune in to what's going on around them. They are perceptive and open to information - "hard" information, such as figures and facts, and "soft" information, such as the feelings of other people. Managers with this sensitivity are able to respond appropriately to situations as they arise.
This essentially involves monitoring the implementation of agreed organizational plans. Controlling involves: establishing standards, measuring performance against these standards, and correcting deviations from standards and plans.

The ability to come up with unique responses to situations, and to have the breadth of insight to recognize and to use practical new approaches. It involves not only having new ideas, but also having the ability to recognize a good idea when it comes from someone else.

This refers to continuous learning and growth for the manager and the employees. Developing involves: continuing education and training to stay abreast of the current state of the art in one's field, making projections based on current trends, determining training needs, and selecting appropriate learning activities.

A manager motivates by creating an organizational environment or climate in which employees can perform to the best of their ability. Employee motivation is affected by: the work itself, a sense of achievement received from performing the work, recognition received for work performed; the possibility of advancement and growth; and a sense of trust and responsibility.
This refers to the process of arranging people, tasks, and resources in the most orderly and efficient way. Organizing involves: structuring or grouping employees and their activities; assigning specific work to specific groups or individuals; and deciding on the chain of command, span of control and delegation of authority.

The manager's job involves a degree of emotional stress and strain, which arises as a natural consequence of working situations involving authority, leadership, power, interpersonal conflict, meeting targets and deadlines, all within a framework of some uncertainty and ambiguity. Successful managers must cope with this. Resilient means that they feel the stress, (they don't become thick-skinned and insensitive but are able to cope with it by maintaining self-control and by giving to some extent.

The process of making assumptions about the future and gathering facts and opinions to visualize and to achieve the proposed activities. Planning involves; establishing objectives; communicating the objectives; surveying resources; establishing policies, choosing alternatives and taking action; creating procedures and rules; establishing budgets; establishing timetables; and deciding on standards.

Includes meeting affirmative action goals in such areas as hiring, promotion; or placement; level of personal and organizational commitment to equal opportunity; progress toward achieving a fully integrated and representative work force; and contribution toward minority programs and other social/economic equal opportunity goals.

This category includes technical knowledge, for example, technology relevant to results required; constituency building techniques; engineering knowledge; relevant legislation; sources of finance; and knowledge of basic management principles and theories such as planning, organizing, and controlling.

One definition of management often cited is "getting things done through other people." This definition may be inadequate, but it does point to one of the key features of the manager's job - it requires interpersonal skills. The successful manager develops a range of abilities that are essential in such activities: communicating, delegating, negotiating, resolving conflict, persuasion selling, using and responding to authority.

NOTE: All supervisors and managers must be rated on Promoting Equal Opportunity if their job duties or responsibilities include or impact any of the following: hiring, promoting, or placing employees, supervising, purchasing or contracting.

 


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