Manage Team Performance with Greater Confidence

Develop a more structured and practical approach to employee performance with our Managing Team Performance: KPIs, Appraisals, and Difficult Conversations programme. This course helps managers move beyond annual appraisals by treating performance management as an ongoing process of setting expectations, monitoring progress, providing feedback and supporting improvement.

This Managing Team Performance programme is suitable for professionals responsible for supervising, evaluating or improving employee performance, including:

• Managers and supervisors
• Team leaders
• Department heads
• HR professionals
• HR Business Partners
• People managers
• Project managers with team responsibilities
• Newly promoted managers
• Anyone responsible for KPIs, appraisals or performance discussions

MODULE 1: PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT AS A CONTINUOUS PROCESS

• Performance management versus annual appraisal
• The performance cycle: plan, align, monitor, coach, review and improve
• Connecting individual contribution with team and organisational priorities
• Roles, accountability and governance across the cycle
• Common failure points in Malaysian organisations

Participant takeaway: A completed performance-system health check with three priority actions for their own team.

MODULE 2: SETTING CLEAR EXPECTATIONS AND EFFECTIVE KPIs

• From job purpose and key result areas to measurable expectations
• SMART KPIs, targets, measurement sources and review frequency
• Balancing results, quality, customer, process and behavioural expectations
• Avoiding activity-only, vague, uncontrollable or conflicting KPIs
• Using AI to critique  wording while protecting confidential information

Participant takeaway: A completed KPI quality checklist with rewritten KPIs.

MODULE 3: MONITORING PERFORMANCE AND COACHING EARLY

• Productive check-ins: progress, obstacles, support and commitments
• Objective evidence: results, observable behaviours, agreed records and employee input
• Feedback that is specific, timely, balanced and job-related
• Diagnosing capability, clarity, resource and motivation gaps
• Coaching actions, development support and appropriate follow-through

Participant takeaway: A performance evidence log and agreed coaching actions for one case employee.

MODULE 4: FAIR ASSESSMENT, RATINGS AND APPRAISAL PREPARATION

• KPI results, behavioural evidence and the employee’s contextual explanation
• Rating scales, behavioural anchors and an introduction to BARS
• Common errors: recency, halo, horn, leniency, severity, similarity and central tendency
• Calibration across managers and maintaining consistent standards
• Preparing examples, questions, recognition points and areas for improvement
• Checking decisions for relevance, consistency and potential bias

Participant takeaway: Completed appraisal-preparation and rating-calibration worksheets for the same case employee.

MODULE 5: CONDUCTING AN EFFECTIVE APPRAISAL CONVERSATION

• Opening the meeting and establishing purpose
• Reviewing achievements, evidence and context while recognising contribution
• Giving clear, constructive feedback without avoiding improvement needs
• Inviting employee input and handling rating disagreement
• Agreeing on future expectations, development priorities and follow-up

Participant takeaway: A completed appraisal conversation planner, refined after live practice.

MODULE 6: HANDLING DIFFICULT PERFORMANCE CONVERSATIONS

• Separating poor performance, capability gaps, conduct concerns and contextual barriers
• Preparing facts, examples, questions and the required outcome
• Describing the performance gap without labels or personal attack
• Listening to and testing the employee’s explanation without losing focus
• Responding to denial, defensiveness, silence, anger, blame and emotion
• Communicating expectations, support, consequences and follow-up clearly
• Recognising when specialist advice may be required

Participant takeaway: A personal difficult-conversation phrase guide and structured observer feedback.

MODULE 7: FROM FEEDBACK TO PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT PLAN

• When to continue informal coaching and when to consider a structured PIP
• Defining the performance gap and required standard
• Setting measurable improvement goals, evidence sources and review dates
• Agreeing on training, coaching, resources and manager support
• Documenting discussions, responses, commitments and outcomes objectively
• Maintaining consistency with employment terms, company policy and applicable Malaysian requirements
• Escalation, review and decision points without predetermining the outcome

Participant takeaway: A draft Performance Improvement Plan and follow-up meeting schedule.

MODULE 8: INTEGRATED SIMULATION AND MANAGER ACTION PLAN

• Prepare evidence, rating rationale and conversation objectives
• Conduct the appraisal and respond to disagreement
• Address the performance gap and agree on improvement actions
• Document the outcome using clear and neutral language
• Receive peer and facilitator feedback
• Translate learning into a 30-day workplace action plan

Participant takeaway: A completed conversation record and a 30-day workplace action plan.

Enrolling in our Managing Team Performance: KPIs, Appraisals, and Difficult Conversations programme offers a range of practical benefits, including:

Expert instruction
Learn from experienced trainers who understand performance management, employee development and the practical challenges managers face when addressing performance issues.

Practical performance management skills
Develop a structured approach to setting expectations, monitoring progress, coaching employees and reviewing performance throughout the year.

Stronger KPI development
Learn how to create clearer and more measurable KPIs while avoiding vague, conflicting or activity-based performance measures.

Better appraisal conversations
Build confidence in preparing for and conducting appraisals using objective evidence, constructive feedback and more consistent rating practices.

Difficult conversation techniques
Practise handling disagreement, defensiveness, emotion and performance concerns while keeping conversations focused and professional.

Performance improvement planning
Learn how to translate performance gaps into measurable improvement goals, support actions, review dates and appropriate follow-up.

Practical takeaways
Participants will develop useful workplace tools including KPI checklists, performance evidence logs, appraisal planners, conversation guides and a draft Performance Improvement Plan.

Strengthen your confidence as a manager and develop a more consistent approach to managing, reviewing and improving employee performance.

If you’re interested in learning more about this course and what it has to offer, don’t hesitate to reach out to us! We’d love to hear from you and answer any questions you may have. Our friendly and knowledgeable team is here to help, so please feel free to reach out to us at 1700-81-5520 or email at training@excelacademy.my.

Whether you’re still considering enrolling or have already decided, we’re here to support you every step of the way. So go ahead, and get in touch with us today!