Sitting here in the dead of winter with the hustle and bustle of the holidays behind us, I hope all those New Year's resolutions are being kept, both personally and professionally.
As organizations closed out 2007 and began a fresh start in 2008, presumably you were involved in the employee performance review process, in one way or another. If you're like so many other professionals I have talked with over the years, the process was not an enjoyable one. These days, it seems to be a rarity where a manager relishes the process of employee performance reviews. Most of us were not built to be the judge and jury mandated during the process. Though they might be extreme cases, I know of several executives who have become physically ill days prior to administering their direct reports' reviews.
Perhaps some of the anxiety, distress and disdain related to employee performance reviews fall into one or more of the following categories:
Timing: Many formal performance reviews are still conducted on an annual basis, which provides dissatisfaction among those employees who wish for more frequent two-way communication of their performance throughout the year.
Procrastination: Some managers are accused of waiting until the annual performance review process to provide meaningful feedback to their employees. Often, procrastination on sharing tough news can yield disastrous results, including workplace violence.
Save the Date: Managers who consistently reschedule performance reviews are sending a message to their employees that they are unimportant.
The Form: Sometimes the form utilized during performance reviews can actually restrict open dialogue — a textbook case of the form driving the process versus the supervisor guiding the review. What's more, a one-size-fits-all form across an organization seldom results in meaningful reviews.
Training: A lack of experience and/or training among managers providing the review can also spell disaster.
Necessary Evil: Some supervisors look at the performance review as a human resource/administrative mandate, rather than a constructive discussion between two parties. This poor attitude can only hurt the process and is unfair to the receiving party.
Absence of Expectations: You can't measure performance if you have nothing to measure it against.
If you find yourself caught up in any or all of these faux pas, consider retooling your approach and/or process by considering the following:
Makeover: Perhaps it's time to throw out the status quo and start fresh. A great place to begin the journey is by asking your top performers to help design or redesign a program that makes sense for them and the organization. Don't be surprised if your elite performers don't want a formal program. These are the same people who don't like to be managed, read employee handbooks or deal with policies and bureaucracy. They just want to excel in their positions.
Hire Top Performers: Discussion of performance expectations begins in the interview process and not on the employee's first day of employment. Identify top performers and hire them. Be sure to let them know what you expect. They will exceed expectations nine out of 10 times.
Informality: Though we all have been taught to document every step we take, consider more frequent conversations without having the written formality of an official form. Top performers like to know where they stand all the time … and not just once a year.
No Surprises: Inform your managers bonuses will not be postponed if they tend to procrastinate with constructive, timely and frequent performance feedback to their staff. It will be simply amazing how the almighty dollar tends to support the timely achievement of corporate guidelines.
Starts at the Top: If you are the CEO, you know it starts from the top. Be a champion and cheerleader for outstanding performance management. Lead by example and watch the productivity improve in your organization.
Most of all don't let the formality of the process get in the way of a great conversation. Perhaps over time, we have taken a simple concept and made it complicated, clumsy and archaic.
The critical component of the equation is the performers you hire and those you keep. Attract and retain average to below-average employees and you end up with an annual disciplinary process versus a constructive dialogue about performance. If you attract and retain top performers (and over time weed out the poor performers), you will liberate your organization from dysfunctional and unpleasant performance reviews.
Now that's a performance worthy of a great review.
Pat Perry is president of ERC, Northeast Ohio's largest organization dedicated to HR and workplace programs, practices, training and consulting. For more information, visit www.ercnet.org.