When talking shop pays off

Manager and employee share how PE, PDP improve performance

Open lines of communication and clear goals are key to achieving success. That's true not only for teams but also for individual members of a team.

In Renton, Wash., Bill Cogswell and Debby Arkell have found that both the Performance Evaluation and Performance Development Partnership discussions add value to their jobs. "As a manager, both processes focus you on coaching and give you the opportunity for feedback that will help you be a better performer," said Cogswell, senior manager of Communications for Commercial Airplanes.

"The PE and PDP processes have helped me see the breadth and depth of my function and where I fit into the company," said Debby Arkell, a member of the Renton Site Communications team whose manager is Cogswell.

Both Cogswell and Arkell said they believe that PE and PDP work best when viewed as a partnership between managers and employees.

"It is not all on the manager to develop. Rather than an employee saying, 'What are you going to do for me?' it's the manager saying 'What do you—the employee—want to do?'" Cogswell said. "When I know someone is interested in going in a certain direction, I explain what training, job opportunities, etc., they'll need to get the skills to become qualified to get there."

Cogswell said he values the "time to talk and listen from both perspectives. This helps me support my people to get to where they want to go."

"It's not all Bill's responsibility," Arkell said. "It's my job to get involved and discuss the opportunities I'm interested in. What I value most about PE and PDP is how these processes demonstrate my manager has an interest in making sure we're getting as much as we can out of our jobs."

Having used these processes for many years, Cogswell and Arkell listed the following factors that have made PE and PDP successful for them:

• Individual attention and the ability to listen
• Open and honest two-way discussions
• Manager's attitude and commitment to the process
• The ability to work through problems and accept feedback