Peak Performance in a Crisis Environment
- Robert Hislop
- Oct 31, 2020
- 3 min read
Updated: Mar 11, 2021
The original version of this article was published on October 13, 2020 in The Daily Observer from the amazing island of Antigua and Barbuda. The author of the article is Shawn N. Maile, Certified Human Resources Professional (CHRP), for The Human Resources Professionals of Antigua and Barbuda (HRPAB). Shawn interviewed Robert Hislop on the subject of "Peak Performance in a Crisis Environment". Read Robert's perspective and responses below.
Robert Hislop is an Executive Coach, Brand Strategists, and Innovation Consultant whose career spans 20 plus years in Sales, Marketing, Business Development, Business Analysts, and Brand Management. Currently, he is the principal consultant at 2Tuumbs International where he coaches individuals to clarify objectives and develop strategies to achieve those goals.
Human Resources Professionals of Antigua and Barbuda (HRPAB) caught up with Robert to get his insight on performance management in a crisis environment as well as to some insight on branding and coaching from the Human Resource perspective.
As we are in the last quarter of the year, many companies will be focusing on their annual performance appraisals. We asked Robert from his experience as an executive coach, how can management focus on performance at a time when everything seems to be up in the air?
“Some organizations are doing a good job of managing in the current environment while some are not”. He furthered that many employees were not mentally prepared for working remotely/working from home or on reduced rotating schedules. Additionally, people are feeling disconnected but Robert believes that HR and Management need to take a look at the employee's from a mindset perspective. This he explained that for those who are not in the office to connect with other coworkers may be feeling the effects negatively by not being able to have this level of interaction virtually and resultantly feeling lost and left out. To this, he stated that HR will have to encourage and support initiatives in the rest of the organization to amplify the human element into their daily functions as well as the technical and productive sides.
Switching slightly to the field of executive coaching during a time such as this and the changes that have been experienced, Robert noted that not much has changed. He added though coaches have had to pivot to online coaching to engage, their clients, they too must find a way to support the growth and development needs of their clients.
Switching back to performance management, we asked what a well-performing company looked like from the employees, customer, and management perspective.
“Firstly there has to be buy-in from all persons to understand that all concerned are moving in the same direction”. “Secondly we have to be able to build the trust that is necessary for all persons to perform well”. “Thirdly, employees must understand how revenue is derived to keep the organization functioning optimally and lastly understanding how poor customer service affects the employers brand from a sales perspective and also from a recruiting top talent perspective”.
When the idea of doing away with performance management was pitched, we were curious as to what this would look like.
“Performance Management can't be done away with in totality but the system should be tweaked to be specific to the various segments of the organization being evaluated”. According to Robert, using the same tool to evaluate salespeople as engineers may cause one group to be unfavorably rated. To this, he added that as jobs are done differently individuals should be assessed differently to their colleagues while maintaining the human element of their ability to perform.
As it ultimately relates to the end of year appraisals, Robert stated that management would have to look at the reality of lockdowns and lost productivity at no fault of the employee. Therefore management has to consider all things while planning for this year’s year-end review. This change he added will have to be lead by the HR Department to ensure equality across the board and ensure the system is one that can be replicated for years to come regardless of the economic outlook.
The Human Resources Professionals of Antigua and Barbuda (HRPAB) is a registered non-profit, professional association dedicated to the advancement of the HR profession for the national development. We began informally from 2009 and legally registered in 2011. HRPAB's growing membership represents private and public organizations as well as independent consultants specializing in one or more areas of human resource management and development. Membership is offered for three categories: professional, non-professional and honorary.
Very good article Robert! I do believe HR plays a major role especially now with ensuring there remains a level of connectivity and involvement with the employees. Working from home has its many benefits but also it can take a toll on you. Balance is everything. I do also hope that the performance appraisals are tweaked accordingly based on the “new normal”
This was a great article Robert Hislop , as you mentioned human resource department and management need to take into consideration the effects of COVID on employees performance when conducting an employee's review. The work from home protocol is something new in the Caribbean countries and is definitely a learning tool for everyone to adapt this new process and how to perform in this #newnormal.
Great article Robert! In 2020 this pandemic has really changed the way companies operate, working from home which was a temporary measure may now become the new normal! I agree that HR and management have to strategize how they intend appraise employees performance and ensure a certain level of productivity to achieve company goals. I totally agree that employee performance should be measured differently, deliverables cannot be standard and should be tailored or adjusted based on the job function and department. With all that said, in every challenge there is an opportunity for companies to come up with creative ways using online communication tools to engage employees while they work from home. It is also important for the company to…
Shawn Maile thank you and the team at The Human Resource Professionals of Antigua and Barbuda (HRPAB) for the opportunity to offer my perspective on “Peak Performance in a Crisis Environment.” Keep up the great work and wishing you and your colleagues at HRPAB continued success as you champion the advancement and delivery of Human Resources management to all of your member organizations and partners.