What is the time of year most managers and employees dread? You guessed it performance evaluations. You want to pick a time of year that I was always was excited to take a telemarketing call that was then. I don’t know who is more uncomfortable about evaluations the manager or the employee. I likened the feeling to a dentist pulling a child’s tooth; you don’t know who will end up with the most discomfort in the end.
Be proactive; don’t wait until four weeks away and start working on the evaluations. Make notes through out the year of successes and have your employees do the same. Insure they know what skill sets they will be evaluated on at the beginning of the year. Don’t make it a surprise and change the tool mid stream. Nobody likes a pop quiz; give them a copy during orientation and set the expectations then.
Before you start; ask everyone to give you a self-evaluation with a list of successes they have had through the year. This will fill in the blanks you have missed and help set the tone to be a positive one. Be very constructive and detailed. Don’t make vague opinions and recommendations. Tell them exactly what you’re seeing and would like to see in the future.
Above all keep everything positive. I know some of you are thinking I have someone that should be getting a negative review. I will challenge you that performance issues should be addressed on an ongoing basis and shouldn’t be a surprise on an evaluation. IF you want these to be painless don’t over look your sacred cows and team cancers all year and think you can address them in an annual review. Great leaders coach in the moment not in the future.
Good Luck and Have Fun With Them.
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