The Challenge: Shifting Focus from Finance to People
In February 1998, Case Corporation's Chairman and CEO, Jean-Pierre Rosso, announced that the organization was at a crossroads. From 1994 to 1997, the manufacturer of agricultural and construction equipment had executed a highly successful financial turnaround, overcoming the turmoil of the early 1990s. While the management of financial assets had improved dramatically, senior leadership recognized that the effective management of human assets presented the next critical challenge for the organization.
The Solution: A New Performance Management Process
With an increased focus on people practices, human resource leaders at Case launched several initiatives to develop leadership skills and drive performance. A key outcome was a new performance management and development process designed for both managers and individual contributors.
This integrated system was built on several core components:
- Setting Expectations: Clearly defining performance goals and objectives.
- Driving Communication: Fostering continuous dialogue about performance throughout the year.
- Holistic Assessment: Evaluating employees against performance results, development progress, and specific competencies.
To support these efforts, the HR team also developed new, integrated competency models for both leaders and individual contributors, creating a consistent framework for performance and development across the company.