Preparing the Groundwork

Engage all members in the process. Invest time in effectively communicating the intent and benefits of the framework. This will help team members to identify essential elements and build ownership of the process.

Highlight the intent of the framework as a process, as well as tools and resources, to promote and maintain a culture where all team members feel safe and comfortable to be engaged in conversations about their performance and its development.

Communicate to your team members that the Developing Performance Framework will empower and enable them to talk about their work role, identify key work tasks and access specific and relevant professional development to build capabilities and fulfil career aspirations.

Communicate the benefits of the framework by emphasising that it's about job satisfaction, spending your days in a place where you feel valued and supported when carrying out your day-to-day tasks as well as when facing new challenges, where you can discuss your learning and that of others, and where improvement is planned for and does not just happen randomly and by chance.

Have discussions with your team members to help them understand the difference between the developing performance approach and performance management systems. This will enable you to help your team overcome any fixed ideas they may have due to past experiences.

Identify that the Developing Performance Framework is focused around a shared responsibility. As a team leader, it is your role to negotiate with your team around how best to implement the Developing Performance Framework in your workplace. Together, discuss the ways that each phase will be facilitated, using the most useful tools and resources for each employee group, and deciding on key timelines.

Get to know your team. This will encourage positive participation and help to facilitate effective Developing Performance conversations. The Developing Performance Framework website offers many tools and resources, which will assist you to get to know your team members. By knowing and understanding your team members, you'll improve communication and interactions - and help to build trust and positive relationships.

Establish shared norms (i.e. group protocols) for interaction with your team to facilitate effective Developing Performance conversations. As a team leader, you create the conditions for team members to develop their performance - you succeed by modelling and acknowledging lifelong learning as a shared responsibility. It's your understanding of the framework, the strategies you use to embed the process, your enthusiasm for the process and the relationships that you build with your team that will bring people on board and ensure that this process benefits all involved.

Implementation Guides are a useful resource in planning and implementing a meaningful Developing Performance process.