Bob stinks at his job. He heats up tuna fish sandwiches in the kitchen microwave...every day. His main contribution to the bottom line is not using the company WiFi while he's watching Netflix on his iPhone during conference calls. Worst of all, Bob hoards the multi-color post-its.

But Bob, and many others like him, escape the annual performance review process with nary a scratch. Why is that?

Performance evaluations need to be impactful

When assessing the effectiveness of company performance management processes, I see the same thing time and again, where "exceeds expectations", "high performance", or "4-out-of-5" are by far the most commonly selected categories. Meanwhile, "average performance" is a rating for people who are actually performing below company norms.  

This "Everyone's a 4" culture destroys the potential utility of the formal performance management process, but a fair, honest, well-executed process should result in positive consequences for the organization.

Have your managers focus on the Three Cs — Candor, Communication, and Consistency — to get the most out of your performance evaluations.

Candor: Being nice isn’t 'nice'

Performance reviews should be helping employees grow and improve. If you shy away from saying things that don’t sound or feel nice, you miss out on opportunities to help your employees grow and it could enable a lack of accountability. Also, be specific. The general "I need you to be more client-focused" is useless. "Here's how you supported Client X, here's what I liked about that, and here's what I'd like you to have done in that situation" is actionable.

Communication: Managers should be having conversations, not checking boxes

The forms of old had many boxes, with selections between good and bad, meeting or exceeding expectations, etc. Reviews are far more valuable if managers are asking open-ended questions and working with the employee to develop answers. It's important to note, though, that these conversations should be occurring throughout the year, and that the content of the performance review does not come as a surprise to the employee. If the conversations happen throughout the year, the performance review can become a nice opportunity for the employee to say "Back in August, you mentioned I should be more proactive in seeking new business with existing clients - have you seen any improvement?"

Consistency: Performance Reviews should be consistent in what they appraise

The definition of what is low, medium, or high performance should be the same across the board. Expectations can vary based on position, but the traits that are valued should be consistent. Consider calibration sessions, where multiple managers who know the same employees can discuss and agree upon those individuals' performance levels. These are very helpful when unveiling a new competency model or performance management system and can be very helpful for new managers as well.

One final thought: throughout the year, use the 5:1 ratio. Give five positive comments for every negative comment. Don’t leave out constructive criticism, but don’t focus entirely on things that need improvement either. Recognizing the positive aspects of an employee’s performance throughout the year builds trust and commitment.

How Aspirant Can Help

Managing teams is tough - especially when it comes to getting the most out of everyone. Aspirant's Organizational Effectiveness experts can help tailor a plan to keep your company engaged and actively collaborating. Use the form below to schedule a casual discussion to explore how we can help amp up your team's productivity.

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