MAKERERE UNIVERSITY

BUSINESS SCHOOL
BACHELOR OF HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT
OUT OF THE MAZE
NAME REG.NO SIGNATURE
MIREMBE CISSY NANTUME 17/U/14212/PS

1. What is the book about?

Out of the maze tells us a powerful story that illustrates important life lessons about adopting to
change, both in our personal and professional lives. It teaches us the importance of adapting to
new realities. These include; the new situations, thoughts. Beliefs and new directions.

Out of the maze involves passing through darkness which means to overcome our challenges we
must change our mindset, persevere. Take action and finally get out of them like the way hope
and hem did till they found their cheese, apples. Good environment and their longtime friends
haw and the mice.

2. Identify five central messages from the book.

Thoughts and beliefs. Beliefs refers to an acceptance that some things exist or is true, without
proof. In the book we sere HEM had his own beliefs like “the maze is dangerous, cheese is the
only food”. This made him face a lot of limitation in his life. Therefore the message is that it’s
we humans to create the beliefs, change them and follow them

Adapting to change. Change refers to the process through which something becomes different.
This helps us to find the solutions to different problems by use of different approaches as they
can be effective. In the book, Hem was hungry and therefore changed his mind of thinking that
cheeses was the only food. When he tested the apple, he discovered it was so good

Out of the maze. This has the message that when you try to search for your cheeses from
somewhere e.g. in one organization, it is best to change destiny. For example, Hem and Hope,
they tried out dangerous corners and finally landed in the beautiful environment with cheeses,
apple and their friends and that was out of the maze

Hope. This refers to the feeling of expectation and desire for particular thing to happen. This
gives us a message that we should always expect a good result in all the decisions we make. For
example, Hope always encouraged Hem, gave him new ideas and penetrated the dark corner
continually expecting something though it seemed dangerous

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Networking. This the process of interacting with others to exchange information and develop
social contacts. So the message is that social human capital is so vital to our lives. For example,
in the book, Hem met Hope and through Hope he tried to change his beliefs until he reached “out
of the maze”. On the other hand a group of people who met in the business development
seminar, they all received solutions to their challenges

3. Relate the key central messages to performance management

Networking
According to performance management, the top management and the line managers have to
ensure goal cascading to ensure that the objectives are well understood. This is so because it
helps different stake holders come up with different ideas about the organizational goal.

Adapt to change. according to performance management the manager must monitor the
progress their employee when executing there .those who have poorly performed they encourage
them and those who have excellently performed rewarded. These changes in performance gives
the manager an opportunity to develop new performance plan which at the end helps improve
performance.

Beliefs and thoughts. According to performance management, the managers must be flexible
and determine the most appropriate performance easement methods depending on the situation at
hand, for example observation, discussions work in progress with comments. Through this
flexibility it can be very easy to all the time get the required results. Managers must also ensure
that their employees agree to the set targets without compromising with their beliefs and what
they believe they can.

Out of the maze. According to performance management managers must not easily get
disappointed with the performance results, but use them to provide the development plans,
monitoring, and change course of work through drafting of the new performance plans.

Hope. According to performance management, the manager must set expectations and targets
and believe his or her employees will be able to achieve them. This can be through supporting,
directing, encouraging, and giving them feedback. This can help to boost the morale of the
employe3es and thus reaching these targets.

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4. Examine the general management lessons (10) from the book.

Strategy development

Strategy refers to various ways of achieving the set targets by the organization. Management
must develop strategies for achieving the set targets. For example from the book, Hope
developed the strategy of explorering dark corners in the maze which ended up in the success.
(cheeses, apples, Haw and the mice) were found out of the maze.

Risk propensity

Risk is viewed in terms of potential to drive performance and value by managers. The
management has to encourage the desired level of risk taking behavior. For example, from the
book, Hem risked and tried the apples which had never tested before.

Plan development

Management is obliged to have a plan of achieving their set targets. This helps the managers and
employees identify areas for improvement and outline the strategies to achieve the set objectives.
For example, in the book out of the maze, Hope and Hem developed their plan, they agreed not
to carry the tools, use the candles in the dark corners, and explorering out the maze and indeed
when they followed their plan, they succeeded.

Goal setting
This is a powerful tool that can be used to motivate and challenge employees. It also help to
measure the employee performance. For example Hope and Hem set their goal of reaching out
the maze, they believed in it and worked towards achieving it\

Change adaption
This involves being to change flexible to change i.e. if change with it. This can be through new
technology development, change in police. For example in the book when Hem forget his old
beliefs he finally landed on the new cheese.

Determination

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This involves having courage and the ability to do something. Therefore management must be
determined towards achieving the set targets. For example; in this book, Hem received this
determination and decided to come out of his comfort zone, “cheese station c” where he was
stranded’

Team work
This refers to the spirit of working together for the common purpose or objective. Therefore the
management must ensure their employees work together to accomplish and reach their common
goals.

For example, when hem listen than shared ideas with hope, they managed to reach out of the
maze.

Employee counselling
This when you give help and advice to someone to resolve personal or psychological problem.

The management has the obligation of always encouraging their employees and getting them in
course of work and personal life. This counselling can to poor performance, employee with
family issues and sexual harassment. For example Hope tried all the time to counsel Hem to
come out of his old beliefs.

Guiding employee behavior

This refers to guidance whereby one person shares their knowledge, skills and experience.in the
organization this can be to young employees like fresh graduate, through coaching and
supporting them. This helps them to improve on their performance. For example Hope did great
work of monitoring Hem. She helped him change his mind and focused on developing new
beliefs.

Understanding employee behavior

It’s very important to understand how your employees behave. This can be in terms of
characters, performance like super keepers, solid soldiers. This helps to find a way of directing
and encouraging them towards achieving their targets. In this book Hope understood Hems
behavior of being rigid to change, but she became patient enough through encouraging all the
time and finally she got a good result from Hem.

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5. Highlight at least ten lessons for individuals as part of your individual development plan

Being determined. This involves having a strong feeling that you are going to do something and
not allowing any one to stop you. For example Hem and Hope were determined to explore the
dark corners despite of the challenges.

Sharing experience. This helps someone to understand that the situation is not for one person.
Therefore, this create confidence and comfort among individuals. For example, Hope shared her
story of the apple with Hem. In this story, Hopes apple3s had become scares and ye t even Hems
cheese was gone.

Connecting with people. Here I learn to associate with people, because through different people
will find out our way through. For example Hem connected with Hope and through her advice,
everything was successful

Trying out new ideas. In this I learn that when you do the same thing repeatedly you get the
same results. For example when Hem continued using his tools, the results was zero but when
he changed his minds to new ideas, he turned out differently

Having hope. In this I learn that there are many new things I can land on in life. Having faith
that there is a way through. Hope and Hem believed and kept their faith while explorering the
dark corners

Focusing on the new environment. This can be for example comparing the former work
environment with the new one. The focus must be on the new environment and how to see
success in that environment. In the book, Hem received a dream when he was imprisoned at the
cheese station c behind the bars.

Up grading beliefs and thoughts. When change comes we need to change with it because our
old beliefs can’t help us if we insist on them. In this book, when Hem tried to resist change the
mire he got depressed

Empathy. This refers to putting yourself in someone’s shoes. This helps to create a good
relationship, unity among different individuals which can easily help in sharing ideas. In the
book, Hem could always think of his great friend and he could always imagine where he is.

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Reflecting on pour realities. This involves thinking about life. What, why, how, are the
questions that have to be based on to reach on a solution. In the book, Hem asked himself a
question, “if n to all dark corners were dark and not all blind alleys were blind, then could it
possibly be that not all empty chambers were empty?”

Challenging. Here I understand that not all problem have the end results of being a failure when
we face them. Many times through challenges we find our way out. For example, Hem and
Hope, they tried to enter and explore the dark corners and they were always feared, risk and
dangerous

6.List at least ten management quotes from the book

“Things never go back to how they were. They can out better than they were”_ “Hope said”.

“A belief is a thought that I trust is true”. “Hem said”

“An old belief can hold you a prisoner”.

“Sometimes you have to believe it before you can see it”

“There are no beliefs to what you can believe”

“You are not your belief. You are the person who chooses your beliefs”.

“You can change your mind. You can choose a new belief”.

“Some beliefs can hold you down. Other beliefs can lift you up”.

“What does lead you to new cheeses? Trying harder”.

“You don’t have to believe everything you think”.

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