Making Performance Reviews Better

Many people approach the year-end review process with dread. Although feedback is a gift, so often it seems like one people don’t like giving or receiving. There are several reasons for this. For the manager it can be challenging to be constructive, motivating and candid, especially when you have large number of direct reports or there are performance issues.?For those receiving feedback the process is often tinged with judgement, leading to apprehension about the conversation.?For these and other reasons, many people approach the process with a “let’s get this over and done with” attitude. This is a lost opportunity. When done well the feedback process is an important leadership tool that can help both parties improve. The question is, how can we make the process less stressful and more beneficial for all involved??

One idea is to make the review discussion future oriented, shifting the emphasis from evaluation to learning and growth. Employees can’t change the past, but they can learn and grow from it.?The performance review is the perfect forum for this. There are three questions managers can share with the employee ahead of the review meeting that can set this “learn and grow” tone:

1.?What have you learned this year and how will you incorporate these lessons into next year?

2.?What things do you plan to stop, start, or continue next year?

3.?How will this approach help you do better??

By conducting the review through the lens of what’s working and what will make things better managers can facilitate reflection and growth. The employee’s results act as an important data point to evaluate the effectiveness of the way they work today and can point to improvement. By allowing them to consider the growth questions ahead of time the manager not only sets the tone for the meeting, but allows the employee space to think and reflect. As long as both parties are committed to being mutually accountable, the stage is set for a productive conversation

Now, even with the “learn and grow” approach, not all review discussions will be positive. The simple truth is there will be cases where the employee will view their performance differently to the manager. Ideally there will be clear, previously agreed performance benchmarks. However, this may not always be the case, especially when the issues are behavioral.?In these situations, the manager should have specific, observable events to illustrate their concerns.?Even then there is no guarantee the employee will share the manager’s perception. In these cases, both parties may have to acknowledge each others perspective and “agree to disagree”. If the employee, however, has the propensity to be contentious, the manager should consider engaging their human resources business partner into the review preparation process. In most cases they can offer valuable insights and help ensure the process is conducted appropriately.?While this step may seem extreme to some, it is simply prudent practice to engage a professional to provide expert guidance early on when there is a risk of escalation.

For all we don’t like the performance review process, it is a part of the landscape and can play a valuable role in the advancement of the employee, the manager, and the organization. It is very difficult to get better unless you understand how you are doing today. By taking a future oriented approach managers can reduce the stress that inhibits listening, understanding and growth, and facilitate productive, rewarding, and uplifting discussion.?