How do we move employees from good to great or so-so to good? One method is through performance reviews, and conducting a review that is truly about helping the employee develop. Performance reviews shouldn’t be about checking a box off for HR or an obligatory meeting, it is about truly caring about the employee and wanting to help them grow and develop in a way that serves them, the team and the organization as a whole.

Why Conduct Performance Reviews?

Does this seem like a silly question? Large companies tend to be more rigorous about their performance review process than smaller companies, but even large companies often conduct reviews for the wrong reasons. Performance reviews are not meant to just meet some HR policy or provide a reason to give a raise/bonus or not. Yes, those are reasons, but the real reason to conduct a performance review is…ta da!, to assess the performance of the employee in order to help them understand where they are performing at an outstanding level and where they need some improvement or development. This makes sense, I know, and yet I promise you so many companies do performance reviews more as a perfunctory task than to help the employee.

Let’s not overlook other reasons to conduct performance reviews:

1. It provides you an opportunity to have scheduled time with an employee to hear their concerns, learn about their professional desires, understand what they need, and, yes, even get to know them a little better on a personal level.
2. You get to observe how they respond to feedback and may be able to use this as a coaching opportunity.
3. You may discover something that is important for you to know. Often in these one-on-one meetings, you’ll learn that they want to be promoted or learn a new skill…something that they may not have shared otherwise. It gives you the opportunity to, if possible, help them get what they want so they don’t leave your company to get it somewhere else.
4. Finally, it helps you set and align expectations. If you aren’t seeing improvement each time you conduct a review then it’s appropriate to share with the employee your expectations. Maybe they will always have a job but won’t get promoted or take on new roles. Of if you are seeing huge development in them you can share what’s next for them and what they need to develop to get there.

Handling Performance Reviews for Results

What’s the trick to making performance reviews successful so you get the results you want?

1. Determine the goals for the review. Is it simply to share your view of their performance as justification for compensation increases (or not)? Or is it to let them know they better step up or they will be stepping out? Start by determining what the goals are for the review and stay focused on those.
2. Don’t water down the review. Often, managers don’t want to hurt someone’s feelings so they water down the review. They aren’t clear about what needs improving or the consequences for non-improvement. Or they treat the review like an Oreo cookie…starting with what they did great, sandwiching in what needs improved and ending with kudos. How can the employee understand what you’re trying to tell them if the meaty stuff they need to hear is sandwiched between the sweet stuff?
3. Take the necessary time. This is important, so don’t squeeze it in between meetings so there isn’t enough time to handle well.
4. Set the boundaries and expectations at the beginning. If you have allocated an hour, tell them that’s what time you have. Let them know what to expect…you’ll share your thoughts and review with them next steps and they will have time for sharing their thoughts. Whatever is going to occur, let them know specifically.
5. Monitor and keep monitoring. Don’t assume now that you have told them what needs to be improved they will just do it. Some will and many won’t or won’t really know how. Regularly monitor and have short meetings to share what you see as progress and areas that still need work.

Treat Performance Reviews as Important

Not everyone in your organization will become a superstar by conducting effective performance reviews. That isn’t necessarily a goal to strive for. Yet every human being needs coaching and support. How do we know what we are doing well, and not so well if we don’t have someone tell us? We can’t measure our own improvement and need to have others share their thoughts and feelings.

If you, as the manager, treat performance reviews as important, you will get the best from your employees, or determine that what you see now is the best you can expect. Every top-notch athlete or artist or successful professional has had someone to coach and mentor them. Performance reviews are one vehicle to help you achieve this.

A final comment. Don’t get frustrated when you don’t observe instant change or improvement. Remember, your job is to mentor and guide and coach them to where you want them to be and know they can be. I’ll leave you with this quote from Tom Landry: “A coach is someone who tells you what you don’t want to hear, who has you see what you don’t want to see, so you can be who you have always known you could be.”

Does your company have solid performers you want to take to the next level? Contact Linda today for a complimentary thirty-minute call to discuss how coaching can help you achieve results.