Mid Year Performance Review- Three steps to make it truly helpful

I was fortunate to land my first job in an organisation that is a prominent  industry leader in talent management and performance enabling initiatives. Mid Year Performance Dialogues then became a process that I became well acquainted with. I realised though that often when I had to fill in my self evaluation in my Mid Year Performance form, I found myself digging out my list of Key Result Areas (KRAs) and being suddenly  hit by the realisation of how little time and progress I had made on certain KRAS that I had put down  at the beginning of the year!  I remember telling myself, that I need to keep my KRA sheet where it is easily accessible- maybe on my desktop where I can regularly look at it!

The Mid year performance review becomes a great tool to take stock of one’s progress on deliverables as half the year has gone by and reset and design our personal action plans to enhance effectiveness across areas we need to focus more on. I’ve often found that the areas one has tended to neglect  are those that may personally not interest us much or are areas that we think we can always do and in the bargain  have allowed other areas to take priority, leaving us with little or no time to dedicate to the subject

 Here’s something to help us get back on track.

Step 1- Take a look at your KRAs and identify the areas that you haven’t spent sufficient time or given enough attention to.

Step2-  List out your behavioural strengths. Answer the question: What would people who know you well say your strengths are? During your Mid year dialogue ask your manager what he/she would say were strengths or contributions to the team that you demonstrated over the past six months. If you have done your Belbin profiling, pull out the Work Styles report sheet. This sheet gives one a quick and fantastic insight into one’s work style strengths.

Step3- Now look at your list of strengths and the KRAs that you have identified. Which of the strengths that you have listed out can be leveraged to add impetus and help you successfully complete your KRA deliverable.  Take some time out for this exercise- take a cup of tea/ coffee go to a breakout area where you can do some relaxed thinking,  exercise your mind, what are the possibilities of using your strengths? The aim here is to leverage your strengths such that the KRA in question actually becomes one that you begin to look forward to, you begin to actually see it in a new light.  Once this happens, consciously set aside dedicated time everyday or week as the case might be to attend to the KRA. Ensure this is priority. It becomes easier to commit to setting aside dedicated time because of the inherent value and opportunity this old KRA is now offering; to polish and expand your strengths in a new way!

Here’s an example:

Two KRAs identified that needed attention

• Developing second line, subordinates
• Introducing a process driven approach to streamline our data management

 List of strengths:

• I encourage people and like helping people work together effectively
• I like to be given responsibility for grasping opportunities and driving things forward
• I build better communications with others
  

 From the list of strengths, ‘I like encouraging people and helping people work together effectively’ can very well be used to focus on the KRA of  ‘developing my second line, subordinates’. Can I consciously think of the areas that I can coach and support  each of my subordinates on? Get into details of which project/ what aspects you would like to extend coaching and support  to for each of them. Eg: I can spend more time and look for opportunities to help team member A strengthen his knowledge and comfort with the ‘PQR’ process.

‘I like to look for new opportunities and drive things forward’- this strength could actually be leveraged to get started on the second KRA ie:  ‘Introducing a process driven approach to streamline data management’! Here if the person can identify someone from the team who could help with giving strategic inputs in putting together the system approach, the person can then use his/her strength of driving things to ensure compliance to the process and hence successful adoption of the new systems approach.  Eg: I can get team member AB to go over the current approach and run my suggestions by her, once  the process is finalised, will drive and ensure that the teams follow the process fully in the next one month.

Put in a timeline to take a pit stop- to take stock of progress. We’ve found work does get more interesting and engaging!

 Here’s to an exciting, engaged and enjoyable 6 months ahead!

Pearl D'Souza is a Management Consultant and Director at PrePearl Training Development Pvt Ltd and  Belbin Regional Representative- India. She works with teams to maximize performance- individual and team and build collaboration. To know more on how Belbin can be leveraged to enhance performance check the Belbin Masterclass