When we think about the ‘characteristics of effective learning’, we immediately think of children. Just the words ‘playing and exploring’ conjure up images of children eager to discover and try out their own ideas. Yet how often do we put these fundamental facets of learning in an adult context? How often do we actively apply critical thinking processes to ourselves?
We in the early years sector have a great wealth of knowledge regarding how children learn and develop, yet we don’t always employ them when it comes to adults. Perhaps this is because many of us didn’t come into the early years sector to manage adults. But staff relationships are just as important as the activities we undertake with children. Imagine having an unhappy, disempowered and ineffective team and trying to create an environment for children to flourish, grow, learn and develop. Impossible. How do children learn, grow and develop? Through all of their senses, through trial, error, copying, risk-taking, support, challenge, making mistakes. So why do we offer support to children who are struggling with something, and yet often bemoan adults who struggle?
The overarching, multi-disciplinary area of neuroscience is vast and growing rapidly. Our knowledge of how the human brain works is influencing many walks of life. We can use this knowledge to also support our work with adults – and this means actively considering that adults will at times also not feel safe or secure.
For me, performance management should be a holistic approach. It should be as much about support, training, mentoring and other CPD opportunities as grievance and disciplinary procedures. If we saw staff as ‘unique individuals’ working in ‘enabling environments’, supported and challenged by ‘positive relationships’, there would be less need for the more difficult, negative model of performance management. Although performance management is not a linear process, for writing purposes I’ve adopted a route from pre-employment to dismissal, which I’ve called a ‘positive performance management model’.
A POSiTIVE PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT MODEL
1. Recruitment and selection
2. Induction
3. Continuing professionaldevelopment (CPD)
4. Peer observation
5. Supervision and one-to-onesessions
6. Appraisal
7. Sickness monitoring
8. Support and challenge
9. Promotion, demotion, resignationand dismissal.
Let’s consider each of these points.
1. It may seem odd to consider recruitment as part of performance management. But if job descriptions are outdated and not fit for purpose, then we could potentially have difficulties later (either as staff or as leaders). Likewise, if it is only ever the same people who interview, then how do upcoming leaders gain the experience and skills necessary for their future careers?
2. Induction processes are all too often rushed exercises designed to gain an employee’s signature. They should be about using a practical (involve, don’t tell) approach, and include a clear outline of the job, orientation (both practically in terms of facilities and opening hours, and how the employee fits into the team), meeting with senior employees, and information about the organisation’s culture and values, as well as key policies.
3. CPD covers many ways in which adults help each other to learn. How are formal and informal CPD opportunities used to tackle development needs and to support ongoing practice?
4. Peer observation can bring people out in a cold sweat, but it can be a superb way to support CPD. The trick is convincing staff of its value and transparency. A 2007 study of teachers who had attended workshops on peer observation by Courneya, Pratt and Collins found that ‘there was universal agreement that the … workshop exercises would make them less judgemental, and more tolerant of approaches to teaching that were different from their own’. If staff have negative views of it, consider treating it in the same way as observations on children, with records and evidence used as positive tools to support learning and development.
5. A much misunderstood area, supervision in the supportive, one-to-one sense, has its origins in the social work sector. A document from the now-defunct Children’s Workforce Development Council, Providing Effective Supervision: A Workforce Development Tool (2007), brings together the expertise of both sectors. It offers a step-by-step approach to developing a useful supervision model, suggesting three simple strands – ‘line management’, ‘professional supervision’ and ‘CPD of workers’ – and is designed to be used as a learning exercise. The fact the CWDC is now defunct does not mean that this is not a very useful, and underrated, resource.
6. Are appraisals seen as an ongoing development tool, which can be used to support and challenge? Or are they purely a form-filling exercise? Some staff see them as an opportunity to be criticised. They should be the accumulation of continuous support and challenge, an overview of the current state of play, and opportunity to plan goals, and future support. They can be a useful time to link staff to the company’s overall direction of travel.
7. Is your current sickness policy applied consistently and sensitively? Does it encourage good attendance? Are ‘return to work’ interviews carried out? Does the current policy feed into wider performance management? For a complete once-over, ACAS and the Health and Safety Executive both offer non-biased, UK legislation-based, accessible and up-to-date models for sickness monitoring and absence management.
8. We wouldn’t expect children to learn how to achieve without some support, and also challenges. These concepts are like a set of scales – with both sides needed for equal balance. We need support through the difficult times, or to develop new skills. We all need to be challenged; whether to undertake a new activity, develop a new skill or to consider practice that is not perhaps where it should be. When supporting children, we would develop a plan, look at who else could help, monitor, celebrate achievements. Throughout we would hold on to the belief that the child was capable of achieving. Keep this in mind for adults too.
9. Demotion or dismissal are often the saddest and most frightening areas of performance management. However, if a positive performance management model is in place and has comprehensively followed all of the points, at least informed decisions can be made, based on a range of evidence.
A positive performance management model benefits everyone. Staff have a clear understanding of what is expected and when, as well as what support and challenge is available. Career paths and succession planning can be easily mapped and developed so that everyone can develop. Additionally, leaders have a clear view of what is going well and what needs to develop, and children and families benefit from a workforce which is supported and challenged and therefore able and empowered.
To quote Senge, in The Fifth Discipline (1990), it is about ‘letting our children be our teachers, as well as we theirs – for they have much to teach us about learning as 
a way of life’.
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Adapted from Performance Management in Early Years Settings by Debbie Garvey, early years trainer and consultant (£17.99, Jessica Kingsley Publishers)
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