Creating An Environment for Productive Performance Evaluations
The EdgeBrook Lane team has spent a lot of time reflecting on Performance Management Systems with clients, and we have a few key takeaways...
One formal conversation on performance a year is NOT enough; these conversations should be ongoing. Managers must find intentional, specific ways to engage with members of their teams throughout the year so no feedback is surprising to each employee.
Manager Training and Support is ESSENTIAL! The ability to keep top performers and provide good feedback to struggling employees is essential for managers. Yes, the evaluation form or performance management system is important, but the conversation is the MOST important. What are you doing regularly to support your managers to ensure they manage their employees well?
Be aware and help managers recognize all types of biases that can come out during performance evaluations.
Know your organization! Know what managers and employees can handle, and keep the Performance Management process simple.
Performance management evaluations should be a conversation, not a manager talking the entire time. Evaluations should cover an employee's past performance and should also focus on the employee's career development, goals, etc.
Lastly, but most importantly, employees have to KNOW what they were aiming for before the review. Employees need to know their goals, objectives, etc., before being evaluated against such expectations.
This small list is not exhaustive, but it's a starting point so we can do better for our employees. If you manage people, making these incremental changes is a vital way to keep your teams engaged and create an environment for productive performance evaluation conversations.
