Effective corporate initiatives and processes are the bedrock of successful organizations; the "Developing Practice" series provides manager with essential frameworks to identify, formulate and implement the best policies and practice in the management and development of people. It is individual employees who make or break the best-laid corporate plans; performance management can ensure that they serve (rather than subvert) major organizational goals. Overall business objectives can always be translated into process measures, and thus into specific targets for individuals and teams. Inappropriate targets are worse than useless, but skilfully chosen ones can help build genuine employee comitement to innovation, culture change or customer care. In this comprehensive text, the author and his colleagues from ER Consultants demonstrate how these building blocks can be used to create effective performance management structures. In particular, the book examines in detail how to: establish a prortfolio of measures, quantitative and qualitative, designed to track both inputs and outputs; forge forward-looking appraisal schemes, underpinned by clear and precise information, to enhance everyday management activities throughout the year; draw up comprehensive personal development plans based on careful analysis of opportunities and needs; encourage learning and development, overcome the obstacles and evaluate the results; and design and implement schemes for performance-related pay which motivate and reward employees for achieving corporate goals. There are no universal recipes for performance management - different environments will always require different systems - but there are fundamental principles and some questions all organizations need to ask themselves. This book provides an introduction to issues and initiatives. Mike Walters is the author of "What About the Workers" and "Changing Culture".