Search

Performance anxiety emerges when an individual is concerned about something to do with their employment and this affects the way that they perform. In an ideal situation, performance management systems are focused on encouraging high performance and supporting innovation through setting clear goals and identifying learning and development needs. This enables individuals to undertake more challenging work, thereby increasing the capacity of a workforce and reducing anxiety. However, in practice the processes involved in performance management systems could, in themselves, create anxiety.The tensions between these points are important as they reflect the promise and pitfalls of performance management systems, enabling us to discuss the source of performance anxiety in organisations. We observed several sources of anxiety, including a lack of clear performance expectations, over-measurement, and a focus on process compliance rather than outcomes.In the first part of this chapter we outline our research project,1 explaining how it was established and the aims. In the second part we set out the data collection processes. The third part explains the reconceptualisation of performance management which developed from the project. In the fourth part we set out the key elements of the new performance management framework the project team developed, explaining how these can be used to manage and, potentially,reduce performance anxiety. In the final part we make the case that focusing on high performance and aligning individual and organisational goals can reduce anxiety and increase innovation in practice.