You Have to Dig to Grow
At G.L. Huyett we are in the midst of Period 1 performance evaluations. We work hard to ensure that our performance evaluations develop our talent and build for the future. It is a lot of work, but a process I actually have learned to look forward to.
As I reflect on the process, I find the following guiding principles help me to navigate this process:
- This is a development process and not a judgment process. I write in third person and avoid pronouns “you” and “your.” I speak of “opportunities” and not “mistakes.”
- Use SUMEX statements. I summarize, with an example. This forces me to collect information on performance in period, and avoid fuzzy adjectives like “good,” “nice,” and “worked hard.”
- Be direct. With care, the message is received if direct and not beating around the bush.
- Define expectations. I try to define expectations for the next period so that performance is elevated through time, even among high performers.
Each performance evaluation is a chapter in the novel of a person’s development. The plot lines are the various successes and failures in a period, and the exposition of future expectations. As the character (employee) navigates the plot line, it is likely that a story develops over time of escalating achievement and personal success.
When you think about it, delivering a performance evaluation is like farming— you have to dig to grow.
Does your company do performance evaluations? If so, how often? How effective are they?