As if the general news wasn’t enough to get you down, spring is often when the performance review process rears its ugly head in many corporations. As a manager for six divisions at Eastman Kodak Company over the course of my 27-year career there, I can relate to this concern, but I also know it doesn’t have to be this way. Why is it that so many people dread both writing and reviewing performance reviews? As a leader, you have it in your power to make this annual conversation one of recognition and encouragement or at least positive coaching and empowerment.
Here are a Few Reasons Why Performance Reviews are Dreaded by Everyone Involved
- Poor Training and Development – Promotions often occur because of great individual contribution followed by little training and development on how to be a good manager and supervisor. If you are in this situation, ask your HR department or the leader you report to for training and coaching in this area.
- Yes, But – Often you are told how you’ve performed through the year and then the conversation quickly segues to a yes, but of what you need to do to improve. All the positive energy and good feeling you just created was just lost. Guess what the employee will remember? Avoid this problem, but separating performance review and performance planning into two different conversations.
- Poor Documentation Processes – It is really difficult to remember accurately the specifics and details of a person’s performance without good documentation throughout the year. Avoid this problem by keeping an active folder for each employee. This is simply a memory-jogger file for collecting specific performance notations that need to be included in the annual review. Once the official review documents have been completed, purge this file and start a new active file for the coming year. This is not an official performance file, but a place to keep your own notes so you more accurately provide details to the employee.
- Generalities - Not providing specific examples is a real downer for employees. Being told you did a good job or receiving coaching without specifics provides nothing to grow on. Make sure you keep detailed notes in your active file mentioned above.
- No Surprises - All too often what an employee hears during the performance review is a surprise. Nothing the employee hears during this discussion should be a surprise. Any time something occurs throughout the year that deserves coaching and correction or praise and encouragement should be mentioned and reviewed at the time it occurs.
- Lack of clarity of expectations – Very frequently organizations have done a very poor job of establishing performance expectations. When employees don’t have clarity about expectations for their job, it is almost impossible to contribute what the organization and supervisors are expecting, yet they will be receiving a performance review documenting what they did or did not do well. No wonder they look upon performance reviews with trepidation. Avoid this morale buster and ensure everyone can contribute effectively by ensuring every position has well documented, shared, and thoroughly discussed performance expectations.
- Subjectivity – In the absence of objective standards and expectations, supervisors have no option but to write performance reviews subjectively. By human nature, some subjectivity usually creeps into reviews, but favoritism and subjectivity can be minimized by writing performance reviews against well-established, openly-shared expectations for each position.
History is hard to overcome and many, many employees and supervisors have negative experiences relating to performance reviews. As a leader, you have an obligation to simply not repeat history. Examine what is the state of performance reviews in your organization and commit to making more positive memories for yourself and your employees.
Don’t Miss Out!
Strategic Planning for Entrepreneur’s, April 16 and 17, give me a call at 480 391 3861 for details.
Keep up to date frequently by following my blog at http://joycefriel.blogspot.com
