Unlocking High Performance - by Jason Lauritsen (Paperback)

About the Book

Supercharge your workforce with this practical guide to designing a performance management process that motivates, engages and empowers staff.

Book Synopsis

Traditional performance management processes are often ineffective in increasing workforce engagement and fostering a positive employer-employee relationship. The established method of annually scoring employees against a list of static objectives can make employees feel undervalued and frustrated and can hinder, rather than advance, staff development.

Unlocking High Performance shows you how to transform this process to get the best out of your workforce. It presents a new model for performance management based on the three components of planning, cultivation and accountability, and situates this process within the wider aims of promoting work as a healthy relationship between employer and employee rather than a restrictive contract to be complied with.

Unlocking High Performance equips you with the tools needed to create clear expectations and goals, deliver feedback effectively, and to develop a culture of coaching rather than criticism. This book also provides practical guidance on how to identify and remove obstacles, effectively manage underperformance, and how to get buy-in for change. Packed with tips, tools and examples from organizations including Vistaprint, NVIDIA and South Dakota State University, this book provides everything needed to design a performance management process which will improve employee experience, help them reach their full potential, and ultimately deliver exceptional business results.

Review Quotes

"Unlocking High Performance is a field manual for leaders and HR practitioners seeking to create workplaces that attract, retain and develop the talent required by any successful and competitive business. Leaders can always choose to do the hard work to get it right. Reading this book is a great way to either begin or remain on that path."-- "Joni Thomas Doolin, Founder & CEO, People Report & TDn2K"

"In Unlocking High Performance, Jason Lauritsen greets us with a hopeful, affirming message: work can be much better - more challenging and more fulfilling - if we do things a bit differently. He shows how common practices like annual performance appraisals may be holding you back - and how you can improve employee engagement and bring excitement and productivity back to the workplace."-- "Daniel H. Pink, author of When and Drive"

"Jason captures the ways in which organizations can help employees find meaning in their work by building stronger relationships and creating a workplace culture grounded in trust, respect, recognition, and humanity. If you want to inspire and motivate your employees to do the best work of their lives, then you should read this book."-- "Derek Irvine, Head of Strategy and Consulting, Globoforce"

"Jason understands the interworking of even the most complex organizations and cuts to the heart of the matter - life is about relationships and work is no exception."-- "Ryan Picarella - President, The Wellness Council of America (WELCOA)"

"Jason Lauritsen shows you how to deliver on the original promise of performance management. It's not about bureaucratic documentation; it's about making work better and creating better workers."-- "David Burkus, author of Friend of a Friend and Under New Management"

"Performance management has failed because its view of what makes people successful is far too limited. Jason takes a much more expansive and holistic view and shows how it is truly possible for people to love their work and flourish, so their employers can grow and thrive as well."-- "Steve Smith, Partner, The Starr Conspiracy"

About the Author

Jason Lauritsen is a global speaker, author, and advisor on employee engagement, workplace culture and performance management. Prior to this, he was the Director of Best Places to Work at Quantum Workplace and VP of Human Resources at Union Bank and Trust. He is also the North American Advisor for The Employee Engagement Awards, the first global awards to recognize excellence in employee engagement.