The global economic downturn and intense competition in the communications industry mean that companies which employ our members are more conscious than ever of the need to use people's commitment and enthusiasm to make their businesses more profitable. When this reinforces an open culture where people are valued and have opportunities to develop their confidence and learn new skills, then everyone benefits.

But the wrong kind of focus on performance gets in the way of capturing that potential dividend. Forcing performance ratings to conform to a pre-set distribution is an insult to the integrity of line managers who should be trusted to make evidence-based decisions. Changing targets or objectives part-way through the year sends the message that it's not worth going the extra mile. Unclear, inconsistent or aggressive performance management practices undermine everyone's creativity, commitment and ability to work collaboratively, to the detriment of the whole organisation.