Employees might feel that they’re under the microscope during performance reviews, but supervisors should try to provide feedback on a regular basis for better job performance and motivation.
As mundane as performance reviews can be, they are vital to success. Hopefully you are spending time with each of your direct reports weekly; however, at a minimum, performance reviews should summarize what you’ve been discussing throughout the year. It is one of the only times you dedicate solely to each employee. Make it count!
- It’s not an event; it’s a process – if you look at the yearly review as an event, it will be a waste of time. Instead, view it as a part of your daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly and yearly routine.
- No surprises – you should never show up to a review and be surprised. The most successful and respected leaders provide immediate positive and constructive feedback.
- Track progress – even more important than a yearly review is a brief review of progress, goals and potential roadblocks on a quarterly basis. Why wait a year to find out you are way off course?
- 360 degree assessments – these can be a good vehicle for obtaining well-rounded and actionable feedback on strengths and opportunity areas.
- Leverage strengths – don’t waste all of your energy and focus on correcting weaknesses. You’ll gain more by focusing the 80/20 on leveraging strengths