EdTech Insight – When Your Employee Is Underperforming

by | Jun 25, 2024 | Harvard Business Review, News & Insights

Executive Summary and Main Points

In the realm of international education and digital transformation, the latest insights derive from leadership practices within managerial structures. A critical skill set has been highlighted by Jenny Fernandez, a leadership coach, who emphasizes the importance of frequent feedback and strong managerial relationships in addressing subpar performance effectively within teams. Her method, which prioritizes preparation, tone, and open-mindedness, cultivates an environment conducive to improving individual and team morale as well as reducing turnover rates. These practices may have implications for leadership models and digital transformation strategies within the global higher education sector.

Potential Impact in the Education Sector

The adoption of Fernandez’s approach within Further Education, Higher Education, and among Micro-credentials could potentially revolutionize the performance management aspect of education. Institutions implementing similar strategies may experience enhanced performance dialogues, facilitated by digital platforms that allow for consistent feedback. Strategic partnerships within educational technology could leverage these insights to develop AI-powered tools for monitoring and guiding student and staff performance, thereby improving overall institutional efficiency and student success rates.

Potential Applicability in the Education Sector

Innovative applications of Fernandez’s insights could include AI-driven feedback systems and performance analytics tools tailored to the needs of global education systems. Integration of such technologies could allow for more frequent and meaningful interactions between educators and students or between academic staff, ensuring that expectations are managed proactively. This would naturally embrace a digitally transformed landscape, where data-driven insights inform real-time performance interventions in a culturally sensitive and ethical manner.

Criticism and Potential Shortfalls

While Fernandez’s strategies are promising, there may be challenges when implementing these into the educational sector on a global scale. Comparative international case studies reveal diverse cultural responses to feedback and management practices, which could affect the adoption and effectiveness of such approaches. Moreover, ethical considerations around privacy and data protection must be addressed, especially with the integration of AI tools in monitoring performance. Educational institutions must be mindful of these differences and potential invasive nature of constant monitoring to avoid detrimental effects on the morale and autonomy of educators and students.

Actionable Recommendations

International education leaders looking to implement these technologies should consider the following recommendations: develop a framework for consistent, constructive feedback tailored to diverse academic cultures; adopt AI-performance tools gradually, ensuring transparency and consent; provide training for educators to leverage digital feedback methods effectively; forge strategic partnerships with EdTech companies to develop custom solutions; and monitor the ethical implications and cultural responsiveness of these technologies. Doing so could enable higher education institutions to make strides in leadership, performance management, and digital transformation, ultimately elevating the quality and reach of global education.

Source article: https://hbr.org/podcast/2024/06/when-your-employee-is-underperforming