How to Make Every Performance Review Simpler
One of the most crucial skills for any manager is the ability to provide ongoing feedback to their employees, yet so many fail to do so. Managers often wait until the end of the year to tell employees how they’re performing, which can be shocking to employees who thought everything was A-OK.
There are three things all managers can do throughout the year to make every performance review simpler while avoiding conversations that catch employees by surprise.
1. Follow the performance management philosophy.
If you have a laundry list of items that you need your employee to fix, you’re probably doing something wrong. Don’t wait until you’re fed up with the person to tell them how you feel about their performance.
Feedback is not a once a year or twice a year ordeal--feedback is ongoing. At any given moment, everyone should know what they need to do to succeed, how they are performing, and your development plans for them. And it’s up to you as the manager to ensure this happens.
My rule is if you are thinking about whether or not you should have the conversation, then you should have had it already. Don’t let problems fester--it’s going to keep you awake at night until you resolve it. The earlier you have the crucial conversation, the more likely the person will be receptive to the message and can quickly correct the issue.
Try this: Share both positive and constructive feedback at any major performance-related events and during your weekly 1:1’s. Follow the SBI feedback model.
2. Provide specific goals and requests
Have you ever had an employee submit a work product that was not up to your standards? Maybe you had to remind them to email something to you when they should have known to do it, or perhaps they don’t “get it” like your best employees.
Before approaching them with feedback, see where you can improve. Not everyone on your team will take the initiative to solicit feedback from you, and not everyone on your team is able to work autonomously. Some people will need a little more direction than others to get things done.
Try this: Follow the SMART goals framework when setting goals for your team. If your goals are specific, measurable, aligned, realistic, and timely, it’s hard for employees to come back to you and say, “Well, I didn’t know you wanted me to do that.”
Remember: Vague directions yield vague results.
3. Document, Document, Document
You’re not going to remember every project, task, or conversation you’ve had with each team member throughout the year, so recording the events and discussions will give you something to refer to when it’s time to look at someone’s performance history.
Documenting each performance conversation helps you record a trail of events that have happened throughout an employee’s work history, and this data is something you’ll want to use when writing performance reviews. It will also help you make decisions faster regarding promotion, raise, or termination time because you have a history of performance and are less likely to be influenced by recency bias when making performance-related decisions.
Try this: After every performance-based conversation, add the summary of the conversation on a shared Google Doc or a people management software like Lattice. Include an overview of what was discussed and the next steps each party needs to take to move forward. Don’t forget to add deadlines!
Documenting the conversation benefits you in two ways: 1) You have proof that the conversation occurred, and 2) If there was a misalignment on what was discussed, the employee can bring it to your attention. Make sure you invite the employee to correct the shared document if they see something wrong. This document basically serves as an unofficial contract and holds the employee accountable for your performance standards.
It’s never too late to start incorporating these three managerial habits.
If you need techniques on how to write effective performance reviews, check out my blog on 5 Things the Best Managers Do During Performance Reviews.
Good luck!
Jesse