Importance of Including BAU in Performance Review Goals
Written on
Chapter 1: The Role of BAU in Performance Reviews
In order to ensure a seamless Performance Review process, it’s crucial to include BAU (business as usual) objectives. My experience managing Performance Review processes across various organizations has shown that excluding BAU can lead to confusion and frustration among employees.
The typical scenario unfolds like this:
- Performance Review deadlines are set.
- From entry-level employees to senior management, there’s widespread dissatisfaction with the process.
- I would motivate everyone with incentives like chocolate and guide leaders in establishing SMART goals for their teams.
- Eventually, the Performance Review process concludes, everyone submits their reviews, and a collective sigh of relief is heard.
While it’s tempting for corporate offices to focus solely on rewarding innovative projects, dismissing BAU goals often leads to discontent. For instance, many managers feel puzzled and frustrated by this approach, as their teams may not engage in special projects.
Including BAU in goal setting during Performance Reviews is essential for several reasons.
Section 1.1: The Reality of Project Work
Not all employees have the opportunity to engage in project work. Consider the following examples:
- An office administrator who manages emails, processes standard responses, orders supplies, and updates records.
- A customer service representative who answers calls all day.
- The payroll team, responsible for ensuring timely payments.
- A finance clerk who oversees invoice payments and manages purchase orders.
Most employees perform the specific roles they were hired for, often involving repetitive tasks. It’s straightforward to define KPIs for these roles, such as adherence to timelines, compliance with standard operating procedures, and work volume.
However, expecting busy team members to take on additional projects solely for performance evaluations is unrealistic.
Subsection 1.1.1: Recognizing Core Skills
The majority of a team member’s time is dedicated to their primary responsibilities, reflecting their core competencies and career paths. If their evaluations focus exclusively on project work, it raises the question: why should they be recognized only for tasks outside their main job description?
While engaging in diverse projects can be beneficial for growth, it should only occur if employees have the capacity and desire to participate, alongside their BAU responsibilities.
Section 1.2: The Logistics of Project Goals
If Performance Review objectives are solely project-based, where will these projects originate? Additionally, how can team members find the time to balance both project work and BAU?
While some team members may be eager to take on extra responsibilities, especially if they seek advancement, others may not share that enthusiasm. I’ve witnessed managers fabricating non-existent projects to meet the requirements of a flawed Performance Review system, which ultimately wastes valuable time.
Chapter 2: Conclusion
Performance Review objectives should genuinely reflect the contributions of team members toward organizational goals. If that involves completing BAU tasks, then those should be recognized in their reviews.
As I conclude this discussion, I hope to see a shift away from the trend of prioritizing only project work in Performance Review goals.
If you found this discussion insightful, consider joining my expanding email list focused on leadership and training. It’s free, and you’ll receive a complimentary SMART goals prompts spreadsheet to assist you in creating effective goals for yourself and your team.
Visit us at DataDrivenInvestor.com
Subscribe to DDIntel here.
Have a unique story to share? Submit to DDIntel here.
Join our creator ecosystem here.
DDIntel showcases notable contributions from our main site and popular DDI Medium publication. Explore more insightful content from our community.
Follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube, and Facebook.
This video discusses effective strategies for setting performance review goals, emphasizing the importance of integrating BAU objectives.
This video provides an analytical comparison of Goals, OKRs, and KPIs, helping to clarify how to align them with performance reviews.