My last article, “Standards of Performance for Smarties,” talked about writing Standards of Performance (SOP). Although an SOP uses a job description for guidance, it’s actually a performance measurement document that identifies the employee’s expected level of performance. When you have a realistic SOP, your employee and their supervisor “Buys In” in advance, giving you confidence that they know how they will be measured.
To demonstrate the effectiveness of an SOP, here’s one for a Production Manager/Supervisor. The standards are written to support specific desirable behaviors according to job description duties and responsibilities.
Safety:
- The employee exemplifies a zero lost time safety goal.
- The employee adheres to safety policies and procedures.
- The employee completes all required safety and first aid training as assigned.
- The employee reports all accidents and safety issues accurately and timely.
Quality:
- The employee understands quality requirements.
- The employee monitors the quality of all items produced within their area of responsibility.
- The employee resolves or notifies management when unacceptable defects are found.
Personal Accountability:
- The employee is knowledgeable about the responsibilities of their position and subordinate positions.
- The employee demonstrates a sense of urgency for meeting production schedules.
- The employee proactively prepares for the work assigned and resolves any concerns or unclear expectations.
- The employee works independently.
Supervision:
- The employee follows EEOC and company personnel policy when hiring, supervising, disciplining, and terminating employees.
- The employee takes responsibilities for team assignments. The employee is willing to pitch-in to help others meet production goals.
- The employee manages labor resources as needed to meet production needs and labor metrics.
- The employee provides training as needed to maintain quality and productivity.
- The employee proactively documents and acts upon unsatisfactory performance or disciplinary issues.
- The employee documents unsatisfactory performance, develops a Personal Improvement Plan to help the subordinate understand expectations, and manages the Personal Improvement Plan until the subordinate has returned to an acceptable performance level, or is terminated for cause.
Professionalism:
- The employee exemplifies the standards they expect from their subordinates including quality, time management, and personal conduct that is consistent with company values.
- The employee represents the company and themselves in a positive and professional manner including at work and in public.
- The employee follows the company code of professional conduct with regard to social media.
When Standards of Performance are written from the perspective of what you expect when reviewing your employees a year from now, and the language is geared to what they need to accomplish, then you are giving your employees both guidance and room to excel in their jobs.