Performance Reviews

As we move beyond the 6-month mark in the working year it is time to take stock of fiscal goals, internal needs and communicating to the team where they stand. Yes, it is the time of year for employee reviews.

Your employees might not know how they’re doing. Even in the smallest teams, where one-on-ones are common place and development is a core value, you might be lacking in feedback. In larger companies, it can be hard to give feedback, and a formal review is exactly what employees desire to stay engaged.

A good performance review system is designed to facilitate conversations. This might seem like a lot for people that communicate with the team, or individuals regularly. But remember this is an engagement that encourages discussion and can have long-term positive impacts on leadership-team relationships. A performance review is not the place to surprise an employee about their poor performance. Those conversations should have already happened.

A Great Performance Review Has Three Elements:

• Successes – Discuss what they specifically did to further the company’s objectives and the behaviors they exhibited to achieve.
• Challenges – Again, no surprises here. Have an honest conversation about behaviors that need to change to lead to further success and growth.
• Goals – What are the three or four things they need to do in achieving the company goals for the year and beyond? Review what the results should be. Discussing and setting a personal goal during the performance is a great engagement tool, as well. Some members have partnered with us on creating a specific Individual Development Plan for key team members to help hone their potential.

It is important for an employee to be engaged and a part of their own success. Covering these three topics provides a template for sharing and conversation. The largest portion of the review should focus on goals. An employee’s goals should mirror and be in support of the overall goals for the organization.

Let your team members know how they contribute to the health and growth of your business!

-Chris Adams