Performance Management

Introduction | Work Plan | 360 Process

At Cadence OneFive, we strive to invest in each team member’s ability to have the trust, confidence, and safety to be a manager of one—autonomous in their work while accountable to teammates.

If we agree that work is a component of personal self-actualization, then the framework for management shouldn’t seek to extract “performance,” but rather to establish the conditions for self-knowledge and mutual support.

How we build an organization that does this a puzzle to work out together. We’ll try some stuff that works for us, some stuff that doesn’t, and we’ll iterate!

How Performance Management Works

We don’t do traditional top-down performance reviews. Instead, everyone is responsible for their own growth and responsible to each other for team outcomes.

Here’s how it works:

• Work Plans: You create your own work plan using the consent process. Your work plan articulates what success looks like for you, and you get it approved by your consent stakeholders (people whose work depends on yours).

• Regular 360 Reviews: At least once a year (or more often if helpful), you run a consent process meeting where you present your updated work plan and get feedback from stakeholders. This replaces traditional performance reviews.

• Ask for help early: If things aren’t going as hoped, find someone to ask for help immediately. We all help each other pause, work out next steps, reboot, or reorient.

The Work Plan

At Cadence OneFive, work plans are a key part of our horizontal performance management approach. Rather than traditional top-down annual reviews, we empower each team member to create thoughtful personal work plans that articulate what success looks like for them.

What Makes a Good Work Plan

A good work plan at Cadence OneFive:

• Aligns with our mission and values Your plan should connect to our overarching mission of providing the OS for climate retrofits. Goals should embody our values of transparency, inclusion, authenticity, efficacy, and respect.

• Leverages the SMART framework As much as possible, objectives should be Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-bound. This ensures they are clear, actionable and aligned with broader goals.

• Emphasizes growth and development In addition to performance objectives, your plan should include 1-2 skills or competencies you want to actively develop. Identify resources and support needed to achieve this growth.

• Encourages “manager of one” mindset Take ownership of setting and achieving your goals. Be proactive in seeking advice and giving feedback to peers. You’re responsible for your outcomes AND for helping your teammates succeed. Work plans put you in the driver’s seat of your performance and development.

• Enables transparency and collaboration Share your work plan with colleagues who are stakeholders in your success. Use the consent process to solicit input. Clearly outline where you need support and collaboration from others.

• Builds in reflection and iteration Include a retrospective at the end of each cycle to glean lessons learned. Celebrate wins and extract insights from challenges. Adjust and improve your plan continuously; it’s meant to be a living document.

• Clearly communicate your priorities. How do you plan to measure your success? What will you be prioritizing when faced with competing demands for time?

• Specify areas where support is needed. Laying out top priorities implicitly lets everyone know that you will want their help on achieving those goals; however, there may be issues or tasks that you need help from others on (whether these are related to your top priorities or not).

• Close feedback loop for everyone. All consent stakeholders should walk away with a clear idea of how your day-to-day work will ladder up to strategic goals across the team. The review process is a way to prompt getting responses back, both for alignment with work of others as well as to make sure your message is being heard by everyone who needs to know.

Remember, work plans are not just a formality, but a tool for charting a fulfilling and impactful path forward in your work. Embrace the process of crafting a plan that sets you up for growth and success, in service of our broader mission.

Work Plan Format and Content

You may use any format that you wish for your work plan document, including the format suggested in the Work Plan Template.

• Consent Stakeholders are teammates whose work is so intertwined with your own that they get a “veto” on your work plan. The work plan must be revised to satisfy all consent stakeholders that it is “safe to try.”

• Advice Stakeholders are people whose input would benefit your work plan management. They may include external stakeholders, mentors, etc.

The SMART Framework

SMART framework won’t fit every single thing we do at Cadence, but it’s a good way of asking whether your goals can be made more SMART.

What does SMART stands for:

• Specific: The objective should be clear, well-defined, and unambiguous. It should answer questions like: What exactly needs to be achieved? Why is it important? Who is involved?

• Measurable: The objective should have specific criteria for measuring progress and success. This makes it easy to track progress and know when the goal is achieved. Questions to consider: How much? How many? How will I know when it’s accomplished?

• Achievable: The objective should be realistic and attainable given the available resources, time, and constraints. While it should stretch capabilities, it shouldn’t be impossible. Ask: How can the goal be accomplished? What are the limitations?

• Relevant: The objective should matter to you and align with other relevant goals. It should be worthwhile and contribute to your overall mission or vision. Questions to ask: Is this the right time? Does this match our other needs and priorities?

• Time-bound: The objective should have a clearly defined timeline, including a starting date and a target completion date. This helps create a sense of urgency and priority. Ask: When? What can I do six months from now? What can I do six weeks from now?

360 Process for Post-Probation Staff

New hires go through an onboarding and probationary period. After this period, team members are expected to solicit performance feedback regularly via our 360 process. The intent of this process is to empower each employee to own their performance and development.

We do this for everyone so that we:

• Are always in the habit of providing feedback to each other

• Know how to give constructive feedback and engage in tough (even uncomfortable) conversations positively

• Each stay aligned with the work of others on our team

• Embrace accountability in a non-hierarchical way

Every few months, each employee conducts a 360 review meeting. Time between reviews shouldn’t be longer than 6 months.

• Prior to the meeting, the employee updates their work plan and puts together a summary of wins and challenges for the review period that may cover topics like:

  • Achievements and contributions during the period

  • Manager-of-one mastery of their work / horizontal practices

  • Supporting stakeholders

  • Where the employee needs support going forward

• Prior to the meeting, a questionnaire is sent out to the employee’s consent and advice stakeholders to collect feedback.

  • Consent stakeholders are required to respond

  • Advice stakeholders may choose to respond (because feedback is a gift!)

• In a 30-90 minute meeting, the employee presents an assessment of their performance and updated work plan, and gets input from stakeholders

  • Consent stakeholders should generally be present in real time for the meeting

  • Advice stakeholders may participate synchronously or asynch

• Employee incorporates feedback to finalize their updated work plan and sends it around for final consent