Performance Management

The next topic under the "People" cornerstone is Performance Management.

Everyone has room for improvement! Many years ago, in addition to my normal customer service responsibilities, I was responsible for helping a client with their basic Human Resources needs. As part of that role, I designed and implemented a performance management process. The key to an employee review program is: Make it Simple! I have not run into many leaders in my career who could not wait for the time to write employee reviews. Everyone is busy and the simpler we can make the process, the better.

The version of the employee feedback form that I have used the most has the following sections.

1. Positive Feedback

? List strengths and positive behavior attributes.

? Quantity: 4-5 items.

? I like to start with positive feedback as it sets the tone for the rest of the review and may help the employee relax.

2. Major Achievements

? Provide specific examples of major achievements.

? When possible, use specific examples with quantifiable results.

? Quantity: 3-4 items, or as many as you consider to be significant.

3. Areas to Work On

? List areas where improvement is needed or give tasks that the employee should start performing.

4. Status of Objectives/ Job Duties

? These objectives are very specific and should have been discussed in the previous review or during their onboarding time.

? For each objective, record whether the met, partially met, or did not meet the objective.

5. Performance Ratings

? This section includes a common set of categories that almost all employees should be evaluated as to their level of competence in the area.

? I recommend the following scale:

4 = Outstanding Performance - Results were excellent and continually exceeded requirements in most areas.

3 = Exceeds Performance Requirements - Results at times exceeded requirements in most areas.

2 = Satisfactory Performance - Results met overall requirements.

1 = Some Improvement Needed - Results met most requirements but were marginal in some areas which will require improvement.

0 = Unsatisfactory

Common Categories

? Quality of work Results

? Quantity of Work Results

? Initiative

? Planning

? Communication

? Cooperation & Teamwork

? Leadership (Include if the person has any direct reports.)

Feedback Frequency. One of the questions I am asked related to performance review is: “How often should we conduct a formal, written review?” Many organizations conduct only an annual review. I do not believe that provides timely feedback. Your goal should be to provide feedback so that the employee has what they need to make the necessary adjustments to their behavior or job performance. Some organizations conduct quarterly reviews, but that results in a significant burden on the leadership. The compromise I have settled on as a recommendation is to do a review every six months, with one of them being considered their formal annual review.

Feedback Process. I have found it to be helpful to have the employee complete a self-evaluation using the review form. This is submitted to the leader a week or two prior to the leader completing the review. By doing this, the leader has the opportunity to see if the employee’s perception of their performance is in line with what they are planning to write. It is also a great chance for the employee to brag about their accomplishments as the leader may not remember or be aware of everything they have completed since the last review.

Timely Feedback. Having a formal review process is important, but it is just as critical to have a culture where feedback is given to all team members in a timely manner. I can still remember early on in my career when I sat down with my boss for my annual review. He had positive feedback but then proceeded to point out something that I needed to fix in my communication style. I accepted the feedback and then asked him how long he had noticed this behavior. He said that it had been going on for the better part of the year. I was frustrated! If I had been given this feedback when he first noticed the flaw, I could have corrected it long ago.

Coaching Moments. As a young parent years ago, we were told to always be looking for opportunities to instruct our children. If you are a leader, constantly be on the lookout for coaching moments to put an employee aside and provide honest feedback. Using real examples from recent behaviors makes it a lot easier for the employee to understand what they need to improve. One word of caution: Always coach in private! No one likes to be called out in front of their peers.

Balanced Feedback. In one of my training courses, I ask the class to raise their hand if they were perfect. Other than the occasional joker, no hands go up. We all realize that no one is perfect, and we have room for improvement. Many years ago, with one of my first clients, I was responsible for their Human Resource processes, including the performance review process. I was personally responsible for reviewing a group of employees. Using the form shown above, I had the employees complete their self-assessment which I then completed my review of the employee. I can remember one team member who rated himself a top score in every category. Believing that even the most talented team member can improve, and seeing some flaws in his performance, I provided my review. He still received a very positive overall review, but there were a couple of categories where he received a 2 (Satisfactory Performance) or a 3 (Exceeds Performance Requirements.) The problem was that he came in with a self-rating of a perfect 4 (Outstanding Performance) in every category. As the process included the self-rating first, I was given a warning that there may be a disconnect between his perception of his performance and my rating. This allow me to prepare carefully with specific examples of why I felt there was room for improvement in a few areas.

This employee was former military and he was not happy. The next day he brought in five years’ worth of his reviews which he had received only perfect ratings. After some careful discussion and review of recent examples of behaviors, he finally started to see where he needed to improve, and to his credit, he took the feedback and make the necessary improvements.

Looking back over my 30-year career, I can only think of two of my bosses who took their responsibility to provide balanced feedback seriously. I make not have liked what they had to say at the time, and I did not always agree with them, but looking back on it, in almost all cases, they were correct. Their feedback enabled me to see past some blind spots in my personality and make corrections that enhanced my performance in the future. Some of my leaders felt it was easier to just discuss the positives and pat me on the back. Although I liked the encouragement, it was the easy way out and is not what I really needed.

Providing balanced feedback to the employees under your watch is one of the most important roles for a leader.??