Today’s post comes courtesy of Janet Garcia, ThirdForce UK Director

At MindLeaders ThirdForce, like so many companies it is ‘appraisal season’. We all know the scene; forms dug out from the previous year, meetings scheduled and the door closed. However, this year we finally embraced the technology available to us to bring this process into the 21^st century, and now that we have I can’t imagine we will ever go back. I have had a similar experience with maps, there is nothing wrong with maps – but since I have seen the benefit of technology like the tom tom (or equivalent), I have embraced the change and no longer use maps.

 The first immediate benefit was that it forced my boss (the CEO) to set clear goals for the entire organisation, which were communicated and entered into the software. He and I then sat down and discussed which of those I was responsible for, and these were automatically cascaded down to me with further detail and milestones agreed. I, in turn sat with my team and cascaded the appropriate goals down according to their areas of responsibility. They then sat with their team and on it goes….manager by manager, team by team. This was all automatically entered and tracked in the software and I have a clear dashboard showing who is where in the process. Simple!.

I have heard the term ‘goal alignment’ much overused, but finally appreciate the power of what it can achieve. For the first time in our history, the entire organisation is lined up behind the key goals of the company. Everybody understands what the goals are, but more importantly what their role is in achieving them, which is very motivating for the staff. Furthermore, with the clarity this gives, learning and development plans can be created against those goals with the e-learning already mapped, integrated and tracked through the system. No more broken promises around training that never happens, no more chasing signatures on paper for HR, no more people drifting.

 The software we used is our own, that we also provide to customers, so I am of course biased – but am still looking for a tangible return. Taking my map analogy, I know that by using a tom tom, I have saved time and diesel (leave aside the avoided arguments with my husband) by not getting lost.  Are the same returns as visible with talent management? I can see already we have saved time, by avoiding the entire admin burden. I also believe we are less likely to ‘get lost’ –as we are all pulling in the same direction, towards achieving company goals. I would predict, without taking the analogy too far, that it will avoid arguments, as there is no room for misunderstandings on what people were supposed to be doing. Focus and alignment. This should mean that staff engagement rises, with the resultant benefits on retention and productivity. Can I prove it? Only time will tell, but I am certainly going to try.