The Art of Effective Performance Reviews
Conducting a great performance review is a bit of an art.
Managers who are just learning this art often ask us what they should be talking about—other than specific performance targets—with their people during reviews. In addition to the fine details (specific performance goals, noteworthy achievements, critical skill gaps, “reach” projects, future potential roles, etc.), we advise managers to ask questions that will help them understand the “big picture” where each individual is concerned.
This is where the “art” of performance reviews enters.
Managers need to ask the right questions and use the right probing techniques to learn the truth about crucial performance-related issues—for example, how employees feel regarding their own performance, the appropriateness of their responsibilities, their interactions with coworkers, their contributions to the department, their commitment to the company itself, and their feelings about the future, among other things.
Interestingly, Forbes recently published an article, 9 Things You Should Tell Your Boss At Your Next Performance Review, which is obviously written as advice for workers. But managers should read the article as well, and consider using a number of its key points to guide their performance review conversations. For instance, the first four items on the list are: 1) what makes you happy; 2) how you want to grow; 3) what you’d really like to work on; and 4) how you envision the future.
These are actually perfect examples of the issues managers should be talking about during reviews (in addition to the more prosaic performance matters noted above). In other words, don’t wait for employees to bring up these topics. Bring them up first by asking your reports about them. Doing so will help you dial into their perspectives, needs and interests—all of which are crucial to effectively managing their performance and developing them. Plus, you’ll send a clear signal that you care about how employees are feeling, not just trying to squeeze the most work out of them. That’s the kind of manager people want to work for.
Address some of the issues covered in the Forbes article and you’ll not only create an artful performance review … but you’ll also go a long way toward creating a meaningful one.