Beyond salary: The cost of performance targets on human worth

By Henry Atta NYAME

There is a popular Akan proverb: “Nea ?sua nsuo na ?bo abuduru gu.” Literally, it means “the one who fetches water is the one likely to break the pot.” The proverb reflects effort, responsibility, and the risks that come with active work. Some employees genuinely strive to perform well, yet may still fail to meet targets due to circumstances beyond their control.

As the government seeks to introduce a system that links salaries to employee productivity, care must be taken to ensure that performance targets improve work output without undermining human dignity.

In a message on the global day of solidarity for workers, the Chief Executive of the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC), Dr George Smith-Graham highlighted focus on Performance-Based Pay. The Commission envisions a system where: excellence is formally recognized, innovation is rewarded and effort is directly linked to financial outcomes.

The Executive Director of Africa Education Watch (Eduwatch), Kofi Asare, has warned that examination malpractice in Ghana’s senior high schools may not be caused solely by students. He points to unrealistic performance targets imposed on teachers and headmasters. When success is judged mainly by results, pressure can distort behaviour and compromise integrity.

This challenge extends beyond education. Targets are widely used in workplaces to measure performance and guide employees. In principle, they provide direction. However, when they are unrealistic or poorly managed, they can create fear rather than motivation.

Targets themselves are not the problem; the real issue is how they are enforced. In some workplaces, employees are shouted at, blamed, or humiliated when targets are not met. Rather than asking what went wrong, leaders focus on assigning fault. In such environments, dignity becomes the first casualty.

In Ghana, it is not uncommon to see workers publicly reprimanded by supervisors, sometimes by people younger or less experienced than they are. Some organisations demand excellent results but fail to provide adequate training, resources, or support. When targets are missed, employees may be disciplined without any effort to understand the challenges they face.

Observations from some Public Accounts Committee sittings suggest that public servants are occasionally subjected to harsh treatment when their performance or responses fail to meet expectations. In some cases, unsavoury remarks result in heated exchanges and withdrawn responses from the officials involved.

In 2019, workers of SGS Ghana expressed concerns about the company’s productivity measurement system, arguing that it unfairly blamed employees for failing to meet targets. (GhanaWeb, 2019).

Such experiences can damage confidence and create resentment.

Pressure can also encourage unhealthy behaviour. Some employees spend their own money to satisfy clients or meet performance expectations. Others may be tempted to manipulate records to appear successful. When organisations value numbers more than integrity, workers are often forced into difficult choices.

Research highlights the emotional cost of such environments. Gallup’s State of the Global Workplace Report 2023 found that Ghanaian workers rank among the most stressed in Sub-Saharan Africa, reflecting the pressures many face in demanding workplaces.

Compassionate accountability

According to Duncan D. R. (2023), compassionate accountability does not lower standards to maintain peace, nor does it sacrifice human dignity in pursuit of results. Instead, it separates the person from the behaviour, allowing accountability to be applied with empathy and respect.

Workers do not always miss targets because they are lazy or unwilling to work. Personal difficulties such as health problems, family concerns, or financial pressures may affect performance.

Effective leaders seek to understand these challenges before assigning blame.

This thinking is reflected in Marshall Goldsmith’s concept of feedforward, which focuses on future improvement rather than past mistakes. It also aligns with Carol Dweck’s growth mindset, which emphasises that people can improve through learning and effort.

Good leaders ask important questions: Do workers have the right tools? Do they understand their tasks? Do they have enough time and support? When these conditions are absent, performance will suffer regardless of effort.

Stacey Barr (2023) further argues that poorly designed targets are often part of the problem. Targets should not focus only on numbers; they should connect employees to a meaningful purpose. People are more motivated when they understand why their work matters.

A recent study by researchers working with Ghana’s National Board for Small Scale Industries (NBSSI) found that goal-setting increased worker productivity significantly. Importantly, only 10 percent of participants reported increased stress. This demonstrates that targets can be effective when they are realistic, supportive, and human-centred. Organisations that respect and value their employees often achieve stronger long-term performance.

Targets may measure performance, but leadership determines whether people succeed or suffer. Ultimately, leadership determines whether targets build performance or break people.

Henry is an Institutional Assessment Practitioner

[email protected]

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