Healthy Performance Management for Engineers? It’s Possible!

Many engineers prefer writing code and view performance reviews and career management as distractions. However, Kazakov, Engineering Director at Canonical, introduced a new perspective that makes performance and career management exciting and valuable.

Rethinking Performance Management

During his recent talk at the Shift Conference, Kazakov addressed the familiar disgust engineers’ feelings toward performance management. He acknowledged that many see it as an unmanageable process but asserted that engineers can find value.

Engineers can enjoy these processes by refining performance management and integrating it with career development.

Kazakov introduced a Performance and Career Management Framework for engineers and engineering leaders. This framework redefines performance oversight, transforming it from a chore into a growth opportunity.

The Career Management Framework

Kazakov’s framework connects performance evaluation with career goals. Here’s how it works:

Clear Expectations: The framework stresses the importance of setting clear performance metrics directly related to career aspirations. With defined expectations, engineers gain a clearer understanding of how their performance drives future opportunities.

Regular Feedback: Continuous feedback is crucial to personal and professional growth. Kazakov’s framework promotes frequent check-ins to keep engineers aligned with their career objectives and address performance concerns promptly.

Career Development Integration: Kazakov merges performance evaluation with career development rather than isolating it. This approach helps engineers link their day-to-day tasks with long-term career goals, making performance reviews more impactful.

Flexibility and Adaptation: The framework encourages engineers to remain flexible, acknowledging that career goals and industry demands evolve. Developers stay in sync with their career trajectories by adjusting the performance management process to fit these shifts.

Not a Bureaucratic Formality

Making performance evaluation part of career development makes the process more relevant. Engineers are set on their current performance and invested in reaching their future career plans.

This framework promotes a culture where performance management is seen as a useful tool for growth rather than a bureaucratic formality.