What does performance management mean to you? Managers tend to define it differently, but you may identify performance management as the systematic process of:

1. Planning work and setting expectations
2. Continually monitoring performance
3. Developing the capacity to perform
4. Periodically rating performance
5. Rewarding good performance.

The main aims are to ensure that employees are aware of:

• The responsibilities for which they will be held accountable
• The strategic direction of the pharmacy and how their contribution fits
• Support and resources provided to enable them to do the job
• What to do and what not to do?
• The decisions they can make and what to refer to others
• The expected level of performance
• Corrective feedback
• Expected action in terms of specific behaviour, to improve their performance
• That they will get recognition and, if appropriate, reward for superior performance
• Consequences for poor performance.

Managing employee performance every day is the key to an effective performance management system. Setting goals, making sure your expectations are clear and providing frequent feedback do help people perform to their best. It is simply unfair to assess an employee as performing poorly if the pharmacy lacks a formal performance system. Also remember that pay is rarely the only reason why people leave a job, although low pay levels are often a disincentive to stay with a company.