Do you enjoy doing performance reviews?

Gopal asks: Do you enjoy doing performance reviews? Why or why not? If there are key strategies or tactics which could be deployed, what are they?

In answer:
Performance reviews when undertaken correctly are a conformance of achievement from an employees view point, and a communications exercise on competencies, behaviour and development from an employers point of view.

The problems occur when: the goals and targets are poorly set or measured; when the system changes without communication; the notes from the last meeting are lost or not even taken; and when the economic situation takes a turn for the worse. All of these result in a potential occasion for confrontation. It is only when the meeting or what is communicated in it comes as a surprise that there are problems.

All managers should clearly communicate the required performance to their people - goals, targets, sub-markers, etc. If they are not, then why should they not be surprised when employees get upset? Resultantly from experience, managers and employees should have at least monthly one to one meetings, and quarterly performance review meetings. This then results in an annual appraisal.

The role of the manager is to communicate those goals and targets, and the measurement system. They then need to understand how the employee thinks they are doing against the target, and the difference between measured and actual results - a gap. They then need to explore this gap and understand the reason of under or over performance - perhaps the measurement system is wrong and rewarding poor behaviour, or perhaps the employee is doing something which could develop the whole team performance. The process then needs to adjust the set goals and targets in preparation for the next period, and the agreed checks.

The role of the employee is to both schedule these meetings if a manager is laxed in their diary, and make sure the communication of these goals and targats is noted down in a set of agreed notes. That way, incompetent managers can not create under-performance situations which could result in surprise/shock and resultant confrontation.

Performance reviews should not be scared, they should just be a conformation of what is known and has progressed since the last meeting. I have sympathy with employees who dread these meetings, but if your performance is up to scratch - and the notes confirm this - what have you got to fear?

Good Luck!