It’s that time of year in many companies; since early December in fact, the sometimes painful, sometimes awkward process of giving and receiving feedback has been in process. For some it causes butterflies, for others cynicism. Can we do any better?
HR professionals have tried to improve the process for many decades, with a variety of forms, models and now automated on-line processes. To some extent, the process has improved, but to most, its just as painful as ever. In my former role as CHRO I used to often joke to those complaining about the process, “Just like death and taxes, performance reviews will always be with us.”
I can’t make them go away, but I can offer some advice to lessen the pain.
Check Ins
Checking in on key issues and performance throughout the year will reduce the likelihood of surprises in an annual performance review. Some of my favorite direct reports over the years would often just show up at my door and do a quick calibration check in on any number of issues we were working through. By the end of the year, the review was painless. We both knew where we stood – we’d talked about everything already. Pro Tip: Stay standing during your check ins so they don’t go on forever. 10 minutes is good.
Be Brief
“It was a dark and stormy night….”. Seriously, I saw many written reviews over the years that were insanely long and merely scanning the comments would make you consider a long sabbatical in Tibet. What were you supposed to do? Did you have goals? OK then, you either hit them or did not and if not, there were legitimate mitigating circumstances, or not. Write down what happened and be brief. There is no extra credit for more words. Bosses can simply affirm or add context, but again, keep it brief.
Numbers/Grades/Curves….they Stink
That’s right. I said it. I dealt with so many attempts to reduce grade inflation over the years, that I arrived at the conclusion toward the end of my CHRO service that grades may be hurting more than helping. We use them because we don’t have anything better, so it may be a necessary evil. College courses and jobs are different, but we still evaluate them the same way. Adding in a forced curve exacerbates an already frustrating situation. Remember that Jack Welch introduced that kind of forced ranking because he was managing a century old behemoth, GE, with entrenched and unproductive bureaucrats. Not every company is the same, but somehow most started to imitate that process in the 1990’s. My advice is lean toward accurate feedback. Senior leadership should downgrade weak bosses that don’t have the courage to give accurate feedback, instead of forcing grades. Questions for bosses from subordinates: what went well, what did not and how can I develop? Answer those and you are doing a good review.
What about all those boxes to fill out? Competencies, capabilities, blah blah blah….
Well, you have to give Ceasar what is Ceasar’s. Don’t fight city hall. I could go on with more platitudes if you wish but you get it. Fill a few out and use them productively in the spirit of the process, but, be brief and don’t go bananas writing nonsense no one will want to read.
Calm Down
That goes for folks on both sides of the table. Bosses, don’t procrastinate. Get the conversation scheduled and stick to the schedule. Manage your mood and energy before hand. Listen more than you talk. Those getting reviewed: this is not the end of the world, its not a win/lose scenario. Its something to do your best on, but not to crater over. If it goes ok or doesn’t, save your commentary for friends outside of work and family.
Good Luck!
I wish I could be there for you afterward, to share in the happiness or the frustration. Death, taxes and performance reviews. Suck it up, buttercup! This post was just about handling the review. We’ll address what to do about repeated unhelpful reviews in another post.