As we approach the end of 2024, many will be completing performance reviews and evaluating themselves and others. For too many, they will have to go and find those 2024 goals and objectives and come up with some comments regarding those items. For others, there are no clear goals, and the exercise is just one of personal reflection. A smaller category may have some clear goals and objectives that have either been met or missed depending on all types of variables and performance.
Regardless of where you are in that spectrum of evaluating performance, the key is not how to complete a performance review. The real issue here is the question of how to win more often, how to pursue reaching our potential more effectively, and/or how to build teams and develop people to sustain higher levels of results.
If you are looking back over the past year and can't clearly see growth and development, you may need to stop and really challenge what's going on. If you are looking back and continue to see you or your team falling short of expectations, goals, or targets, maybe you need a different approach for 2025. You can be really busy, working really hard, and not be effective.
The following is a progression of questions and potential actions for you to consider to make 2025 a meaningful year for you and your organization:
- Have you clearly defined your purpose and what success looks like? I am not talking about goals and objectives here. I am talking about why the organization exists, the difference the organization will make, and the reason you are where you are within the organization. Far too many of us are working in organizations with no idea of purpose or what success looks like. Purpose is the foundation and inspiration that provides both the vision and motivation to pursue something beyond just completing a task.
- Have you discovered the key driver(s) to your success? There may be one key driver, or two to three, but not many more than that number. The focus here is "key"! There may be other things that matter, but I am referring to those essentials for success. These are the elements that must be done at a high level to be successful in pursing that purpose and experience success as you define it. While other things matter, ultimate success rests in this/these key driver(s). The same concept applies to your individual role within the organization.
- Have you organized the organization or your team around the key driver(s)? Too many organizations have failed to organize and have divisions, departments, and numerous people and groups working very hard on things that don't drive success. The result is a lot of hardworking people contributing very little to the organization. The same concept applies to an individual's time. It's astounding how much cost could be reduced or eliminated by merely a change in organizing around the the key drivers and not just doing with others say we should do.
- Are you using goal setting properly? Goals are the engine to drive us toward reaching our potential, fulfilling our purpose, and guiding our efforts each day. Notice I refer to them as an engine and not a destination. Goals are not the end game. Purpose is the destination. Goals help us manage our process, measure our progress, and motivate our pursuit. Goals should be input (do) focused rather than outcome (results) based. Goals drive our actions not reflect our performance. Now, that's a very different view of goal setting. However, when we set short-term input based goals, we will find ourselves doing the right things focused on key drivers.
- Are we communicating all of the above throughout the organization so that every team member is both aware and engaged? Does everyone know purpose? Does everyone know what success looks like? Have we clearly defined the win on a daily/regular basis so that everyone not only knows how the organization is performing, but also how they are performing? Are we connecting with our team regularly to evaluate our/their performance?
- Are we investing in ourselves and our people to develop so that we are better tomorrow than we are today? I am talking about real development that actually makes a difference. There is way too much spent on training programs that are interesting and thought provoking that, quite frankly, don't change anything. Don't think training, but rather think development. Find a plan or hire someone to lead a very focused effort that will truly lead your team to being better equipped to lead than they are today. John Maxwell's comment that everything rests and falls on leadership is true in every organization, so get it right!
- Are you constantly challenging and evaluating? Be firm in your convictions, values, and purpose, but you must be flexible in your strategy, approach, and actions. A willingness to adapt, pivot, and change will be needed at times to maintain direction and momentum. A key to success for any leader is to be able to see things before others see them and guide a team through uncertainty. You can only be effective here if you are constantly challenging, evaluating, and looking ahead for potential obstacles.
If you take a close look at the progression of steps above, I have essentially eliminated the need for a year-end review. There is no need with this process. Goals are constantly being set, monitored, evaluated, and revised to support pursing the key driver(s). Performance is a routine discussion to ensure progress is either maintained, corrected, or elevated.
Development is an ongoing foundational aspect of the organization's culture and thus isn't a year-end afterthought. When executed at a high level, any team member or leader should be able to look back and see clear growth over time.
The key here is to stop for just a moment and quit being so busy in the business to consider a better way. This way may just reduce the number of tasks being performed, the number of divisions to manage, or the number of problems to solve. The organizational chart may just get blown up entirely.
The process is really pretty simple:
- Start with purpose and what success looks like.
- Narrow your focus down to the key driver(s) only.
- Organize around the key drivers...you may have some secondary needs, but just what's necessary for compliance...huge opportunity here!
- Short-term input based goals to drive the right actions.
- Communicate and connect with team.
- Effective development of leaders...another huge opportunity that few do well.
- Effective balance of rigid and flexible - rigid focus on purpose but flexible strategy to pursue.
It might just be worth you taking a look as you struggle through another year-end performance review seeking better results next year!
