Glossary

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Dashboard: A graphical, quick-read presentation of metrics designed to represent statuses of important strategic processes and goals at an organizational, business unit or individual level. Some experts distinguish a dashboard from a scorecard by defining the latter as having more of a strategic context, but others suggest any difference is just semantic. Dashboards may be configured in employee performance management software to present different sets of information to different participants, depending on their roles and responsibilities.

Drag-and-drop: Drag and drop is an intuitive Graphical User Interface utility used for easy movement of icons and data on a computer monitor. A common example is the ability in a Windows Explorer-like browser to click on and drag a file icon from one directory to another.

Employee Engagement: The discretionary effort above and beyond meeting minimal performance expectations exhibited by an employee in his or her daily work. Research points to employee engagement as a key driver of an organization’s success in satisfying its customers and, as a result, achieving its financial goals.

Employee Performance Management: An ongoing, broad-based organizational process designed to monitor, measure, empower and improve employee performance and thus to make a profound contribution to the achievements and success of the parent organization. The activities of performance management may include performance appraisal, development planning, aligned goal-setting, 360 degree feedback, talent planning, career planning, salary planning, succession planning, and coaching and training.

EPM: In our usage, this is an acronym for "Employee Performance Management." In other contexts, EPM can stand for “Enterprise Performance Management.” See Employee Performance Management for further clarification of these terms.

Forced Ranking: A controversial performance management practice used by many companies and made popular by GE during the tenure of CEO Jack Welch. Forced ranking forces managers to rank employees in perceived order of performance quality, often with a target percentage quota for different performance levels. Proponents tout its leniency-fighting accuracy and value in rooting out poor performers. Critics call the practice “rank and yank,” complaining that its heavy handedness can falsely impugn capable employees, undermine teamwork, and cultivate employee resistance.

Gap Analysis: The practice of identifying the difference between a desired result and actual results. In performance analysis, gap analysis is most typically applied in employee learning and development, to identify competency deficiencies and to guide training programs.

Goal/Performance Goal: A performance objective for an organization, department, team or individual. A commonly used rule of thumb for goals is that they should be SMART – specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and timely (with some variations on what the five letters stand for). However, high level goals (“improve customer satisfaction levels”) are often less specific than individual employee goals (“improve response time to customer inquiries by 25%”). One of the big challenges in performance management is linking individual goals to corporate objectives.

GUI: Acronym for Graphic User Interface, meaning the interface of human and machine. Typically, the presentation of software with graphical elements displayed on screen, associated with keyboard/mouse operations and commands used to access software capability.

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