Performance Reviews for Success.
Tips and Tricks for Making Your Annual Review Process More Efficient!
Who had a team member whose performance was not up to par? Or one whose performance was just OK. - I think we all faced such situations, some more, some less. But here’s the question: what did we do about it?
Some time ago, I had an assistant manager complaining that one employee was not performing at the same level as the other team members. I could feel the assistant manager was frustrated, ready to give up on the employee, and absorbing the situation’s negative energy.
My only question to the complaint was: What have YOU done about it? - And I saw the big question mark in the assistant manager’s eyes. “ME?” the assistant manager asked after a short moment of silence…
Without expecting an answer immediately, I continued with some questions for self-reflection for the assistant manager:
Have you addressed your observations with the employee?
Have you tried to understand why the employee is not meeting your expectations?
Have you coached the employee and trained or re-trained the employee?
Have you provided the employee with some feedback in the employee’s file?
Have you celebrated success and encouraged the employee if you could see that the previous steps started to be effective?
If there is a mediocrely performing employee in my team, I have learned not to get frustrated over the years. The opposite is the case; I challenged myself and invested energy to help this employee push from mediocrity to the next level, as I agree mediocrity is not an option.
Did I succeed every time? No, I didn’t. There were moments when all the above was not helping me accomplish my goal, and the employee’s attitude or capacities didn’t allow the employee to move on. In such situations, holding the employee regularly accountable for the mediocre performance provided is critical. - Do I like it? NO! But I embraced it and knew I had done my job following the above steps. And this, I owed to my high-performing team.
Now, what does this have to do with performance reviews? Well, performance reviews are done once or twice a year in the best cases. There is one basic rule you want to make sure to follow: an annual review should never be a surprise for your team members!
Therefore, as a team leader or manager, taking ownership of your team's performance is essential, not just once a year but consistently. Here are some steps you can take to address underperformance throughout the year:
Set clear expectations and goals for each team member.
Provide regular feedback and coaching to help them improve.
Identify any training or development needs and provide the necessary resources.
Offer support and guidance to help them overcome any obstacles.
Recognize and praise good performance to motivate and encourage your team.
If necessary, have a fierce conversation with the team members to address any issues and find a solution.
Make sure to document this journey so that when it comes time for the team’s annual performance review, you have a 12-month record instead of just the last few weeks. Keeping a record of one’s performance journey allows you to track your progress and see how far they have come over the year. Also, it helps you identify areas where they can improve and develop additional skills. And, of course, it is a valuable resource when preparing for performance reviews, allowing you to highlight their accomplishments and growth over time.
These steps here will prepare for your staff’s performance review easily, along with some mistakes to avoid to encourage a constructive discussion:
Meeting without Meeting: Scheduling performance reviews and giving advance notice to employees is crucial and respectful. This will provide them with ample time to prepare and be ready for the review.
Criticizing Without an Example: Employees will benefit more from specific examples and suggestions for improvement, which can help them enhance their performance instead of feeling defensive.
Comparing Employees: Performance reviews should solely focus on the employee being evaluated and not on comparing them to others.
Giving False Praise: While finding something positive to say is essential, providing fake praise can mislead an employee and impede their progress.
Engaging in Speculation: Raising hopes for a raise or promotion that may not be feasible creates unnecessary speculation and disappointment. It is better to be honest and transparent.
Repetitive Feedback: Consider altering your approach if you give the same advice and praise in every review. Taking notes can help ensure personal growth and progress across each meeting.
Using "Always" and "Never": Making blanket statements can make people feel defensive. Instead, provide specific examples and avoid using absolute terms.
By proactively managing your team's performance, you can create a more positive and productive work environment for everyone to enjoy. It also will make delivering the performance review to your team a pleasant moment and free of fear for your team members.
With this, I would love to hear about your experience with mediocre team performance and how you prepare your staff’s reviews.