My First Performance Review: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
Gale Manning-Weithers
Engaging leaders to grow and transform teams | Training catalyst for collaborative service-driven cultures | Disney Institute Trained CX Professional | Certified Instructional Designer & Virtual Trainer | Barbadian Mom
It was the end of our financial year and time for my first performance review with my new company. I had done my job to the best of my ability and it had been a challenging year but we had added significantly to the bottom line by improving processes, increasing efficiency and rolling out several successful initiatives.
All of my targets had been ticked off as completed ... well all except for one with a 30% weighting but I had a good reason (or so I thought). That particular target depended entirely on three external team members whose 10% each (as per their scorecards) contributed to 100% of my 30%.
I distinctly remember voicing my concern at the beginning of the year: what if these people did not see the importance of this target? If I am judged on completing a task with a 30% weighting as part of my performance, whereas this same exact task only weighs 10% for another person, how would importance be perceived on their end? More importantly, how would I be affected at the end of the year, since my performance was directly linked to bonus pay?
Well as you can guess, I didn't achieve much success with that particular target but it was not for a lack of many persuasive emails and conversations with the team, chats with supervisors, intense discussions with my executive, and many tears of frustration shed in various restrooms. In spite of my efforts the target was the target: however you reached it was up to you and when you didn't reach it, that was up to you too.
Looking back here's what I learnt.
The Good
I would rather have performance targets than no targets at all i.e. setting and measuring goals while being held accountable is important. Sound targets help us to focus on what's important to the organization and the performance management process supports us as we strategically plan on how to achieve objectives, both long and short term. If executed well, you can have some valuable discussions/meetings all throughout the year as progress is monitored and managed AND any adaptations which may need to be made are indeed made. I also love the reward and recognition at the end of the year when you've done a really amazing job exceeding expectations!
The Bad
The bottom line is that sometimes, there is that one target which is just not achievable! If your organization expects a 75% increase in net profit for the end of 2021 for example, in a world still battling with a shrinking economy post Covid-19 and they are not selling PPE (just my top-of-mind example but I'm sure other profitable ventures will apply) how many widgets will employees have to realistically manufacture and sell to achieve this target? How many more cold calls will they have to make each month/quarter, in addition to managing related administration tasks to stay on top of it all? Does anyone even care?
The Ugly
Two of the biggest challenges surround (a) the development of performance scorecards by leaders who are not hands-on in their business but merely see employees as numbers, and (b) the 100% acceptance of this content by managers/supervisors who do not push back or ask for adjustements but simply pass the info on to their team. This leads to staff distrusting a process not deemed fair or equitable, and ends up with more frustration, disappointment and disengagement than achievement.
Then vs. Now: Looking Ahead
Things are very different since my first performance review all those years ago and there is evidence to suggest that more organizations are taking their performance management strategy seriously by paying attention to important details. As I moved on in my career and changed jobs however, my personal strategy included managing my expectations better, and insisting that all of my concerns were thoroughly discussed as well as noted in black and white on all performance review documents.
"The initial reaction of many organizations seems to be a recognition that their performance management systems are ineffective, frustrating and too rigid for a dynamic, high-risk marketplace."
GALLUP
And how forward-thinking are we now? A recent GALLUP article entitled "Performance Management Must Evolve to Survive COVID-19" stated that "the initial reaction of many organizations seems to be a recognition that their performance management systems are ineffective, frustrating and too rigid for a dynamic, high-risk marketplace." Acknowledgement of an issue is always a step in the right direction.
The article also offered sound advice and posited that "the new approach to performance management will have to be more collaborative, adaptive and individualized based on conditions on the ground."
I couldn't agree more but how can we purposefully action this advice? Through the development of agile and responsive performance management systems with realistic scorecards and tasks, supported by meaningful collaboration, conversation, coaching (plus training and the provision of necessary resources to ensure success) and callibration across all levels of the organization. It can be done.
Marketing Leader & Storyteller
3 年Whenever I hear the word "performance review," I instinctively shudder. I think a huge part of it is the unfortunate tendency for performance to be reviewed in a way that favors quantifiable numbers: targets, results, bonus calculations, etc. I know that is an attempt to be fair, equitable, and feel more certain, but the thing is, numbers are rarely any of those things! When we try to translate qualitative information into quantitative formats, we tend to distort the system in a way that actually impedes learning, improvement, and open feedback. Moreover, the numbers game tends to encourage feedback cycles that reward output, not outcomes.
On A Mission to Transform 1 Million Leaders Globally | Certified Talent Management Expert | Global Trainer| Maxwell Leadership Coach, Speaker, Trainer & Behavioral Analyst | Keynote Speaker| Amazon #1 Best Selling Author
3 年Such an important topic Gale E Weithers! So many people place their fate in the hands of a supervisor or manager that may not have what it takes to help them become a better version of themselves. Performance reviews can be very daunting, but I love how in your post you placed emphasis on personal responsibility and accountability. I think that’s very important. I would also like to add: 1. Prepare for your performance review. Actually prepare. Take inventory of the year you’ve had and review yourself before going into the meeting. Where have you excelled? Where are there opportunities still? Making your leader aware of how you see yourself can help the conversation along and encourage some much needed objectivity. 2. Honesty is the best policy. Practice being honest with yourself about yourself and how you show up in your organization. The onus is NOT on your boss or your employer. It’s ALWAYS on you to grow you! If you don’t care enough to be honest with yourself, why should anyone else? 3. Be open minded. Feedback is always a gift. Develop the habit of seeking and providing feedback often. That way, when it’s time for your review, no one is caught by surprise. Thanks for sharing Gale!
The Good Work Advocate ?? Work Transformation Specialist ?? CEO, Crowd Potential Consulting?? Global Speaker??? Career Coach?? Head of Research ?? Board Member
3 年I've had so many frustrating reviews. My frustration usually is the suggested developments for advancements that are never followed up on because priorities change throughout the year. Better to be more agile with the review process
Business Continuity Consultant
3 年My experience around performance reviews have sometimes been an uncomfortable touchy subject because it was viewed as being more tied to compensation than employee development. Performance reviews are great checkpoints to see what is working and what is not, and to reflect on how to keep making continuous improvement. Having regular conversations throughout the year so you have guidance and resources to be successful and not waiting for year to discuss, can eliminate much of the distrust and apprehension that is faced when looking forward or not to your next review.
Amplified Research and Consulting || American University || InspireDC || "Questions > Answers"
3 年I think FRUSTRATION is an unfortunate but common part of the review process. A bigger issue is SURPRISE. I try to set my direct reports up for success. We have constant communication about big projects, instruct them to set up an separate email folder of their work and kudos. And, we have consistent communication about what is going well and what can be improved. I cannot promise staff that they will agree with their performance rating, but I can promise them that there will not be any surprises.