|
If you are a business, have your employees take our online performance evaluation to uncover their strengths and weaknesses.
PERFORMANCE REVIEW PROCESS:
Utilize BIZremedies to help your employees grow! You can do this by first ensuring that you have an effective Performance Review Process, so that you can use the performance review to set goals for growth. Then, find the resources on BIZremedies that will help your employees meet those goals. Find an Expert Blogger who speaks on the topic they need to know more about; or have them participate in a Learning On-line Forum; or download Business Best Practices from our BIZ Library in printable, audio or video formats. There are many ways to learn and grow on BIZremedies and an effective Performance Review Process can help you discover those needed areas.
Before you conduct performance reviews of employees, you should keep in mind the following guidelines:
I PRE-EVALUATION PROCESS: Prior to the Performance Review:
1. Create an evaluation that has these 6 components to it and give it to the employee at least a week in advance:
~First, take their job description, and evaluate them against their roles and responsibilities
~Then, evaluate them on key skills for that job
~Third, evaluate them on how well they work with others as a team
~Four, evaluate them against the company and department goals. Did they work wisely with projects and initiatives that would meet the goals at hand? How was their strategic planning and follow-through?
~Fifth, have an area that summarizes strengths and weaknesses. List 3-5
~Finally, have an action plan area that identifies specific actionable steps that need to be taken and the resources that can help them improve. Be sure to look on BIZremedies.com for the many expert resources that can help your employee grow.
2. Let the employee know a day or two at least a WEEK in advance that a review meeting is scheduled. Give the employee a time and date and then adhere to that schedule.
3. Ask the employee to evaluate him or herself and to bring in their self-evaluation for discussion. Have the employees turn in their review of themselves, three days prior to the review.
4. Allow 45-60 minutes for the meeting.
5. The meeting should take place in a private office with a window, where there will be no interruptions, and where others cannot overhear the conversation. If you believe the employee may be emotional, have a box of facial tissue available.
6. Make sure they know that all cell phones will need to be turned off and the receptionist will know not to interrupt the two of you, unless there is an emergency.
7. In your message to them regarding the review, make sure you tell them that you are looking forward to the opportunity to recognize them for their contribution and to discuss ways that they can make a unique contribution in 2009
8. Do evaluations at least once a year, and remember, they look forward to knowing how they are doing.
II SETTING THE STAGE: Creating the Right Attitude for the Performance Review:
1. Remember: You set the tone of the Performance Review. Check out your attitude prior to giving the review. It ought to be about your leadership in helping the employee growing, by lining up with the company goals, department goals, their job description and opportunities to MAXIMIZE into their unique contribution.
2. Communication is 7% words and 93% body language, tone of voice, and non-verbal communication. These all stem from your attitude. It’s not so much what you say, but how you say it. Make sure your attitude is focused on the above.
3. Begin with the end in mind: Remember, you want the employee to walk away with:
o Recognition
o Appreciation
o Growth Opportunities
o Insight to the Company’s Direction and Goal’s and how they can maximize their contribution
o Create a Plan for Improvement: Consider ‘how’ this should be started and what it should contain:
o Identification of area
o Time Line
o Specifics/measurements
o Training
III STARTING THE REVIEW: Beginning on a positive note:
1. When you greet your employee, be sure to smile and look them straight in the eye.
2. Say a positive intentional statement, such as this: “I am looking forward to your review and feel optimistic about your results so far and the opportunities for your continued contribution to the company.”
3. If the employee has had poor performance say, “I am looking forward to your review. I see it as a perfect opportunity to get a plan of action in place that will be mutually beneficial and will maximize your contribution.”
4. Offer them a seat. Be sure you are not seating across the table from them, but instead in the shape of an “L”, otherwise it could get oppositional.
5. Think about what you can do to make the employee more comfortable?
o Offer coffee or other beverages
o Don’t’ look ominous, angry, uncomfortable, or overly formal, or anxious
o Provide a little friendly “small talk” to relax both yourself and the employee
o Ask them: “how are you feeling about the review?”
6. Tell the employee the purpose of the meeting. Convey to the employee that reviews are an important part of the relationship between the company and the employee. Explain that the review gives them an opportunity to see how they fit in to add value to the company and department goals, what they are currently doing that is working and what can be improved. Explain that it is a combination of a Benchmark of their Performance and Goals/Action Plan for Improvement.
7. Before you begin, ask if they have any questions about the process or purpose of the interview.
IV THE REVIEW PROCESS: Creating Maximum Performance:
1. Begin by telling them you are going to review the company goals, department goals and their job description as the foundation by which their performance will be evaluated. Have the company and department goals, along with the job description, with you as a back drop for this conversation
2. Re-read the employee’s job description before you complete a review. Allow the job description to guide you regarding what areas you wish to review.
3.Tell the employee how you rate his/her performance by going through the review form with the employee, point-by-point. Explain why you rated the employee as you did. Discuss how they rated themselves. Make sure both of you are providing some examples where necessary.
4.There is no need to argue about any differences in the ratings. Simply approach the conversation with curiosity as to why they rated themselves that way and provide reasons why you did as well. Be open to their viewpoint, whether you agree or not.
5. Remember, there is never a need to criticize. Criticism would sound like:
o “You are not doing your job.”
o “You too don’t do ______ enough.”
Instead, of criticism use the One Minute Manager Technique that sounds like this:
“I see real potential in your growth when it comes to (blank)”
“I know you are able to apply yourself and improve in (blank)”
“When it comes to (blank), I see that with greater focus (or training), you would be able to improve.”
“I would like to see consistent performance in (blank).”
6. Whatever the growth opportunity is, make sure it is related to some element of the job as outlined in the performance review. NEVER be personal, demeaning or display anger.
7. If the employee’s overall performance is marginal, let him/her know that you expect improvement. For any “less than average” rating of any given category, you should be clear about what that behavior change would look like, and have a written plan for improvement to go over with the employee.
8. If an employee rating is unsatisfactory, let the employee know:
o Immediate improvement is necessary.
o How you will measure that improvement.
9. You should have some idea what affirmative steps the employee must take in order to demonstrate improvement. Ask them for their opinion too. Have them check out the BIZremedies resource possibilities and get back to you on their plan.
10. You should have benchmarks laid out, so that you can discuss the performance in measurable increments (weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, quarterly).
11. If your evaluation of the employee’s performance is marginal, or unsatisfactory, try to mention good points in the employee’s performance if there are any. Balance good and bad, if possible. (If there are not good points, ask yourself: Why has this employee been retained?)
V POSITIVE CLOSURE: Point your employee in a positive direction
1. Discuss your opinion about the employee’s ability to assume greater responsibility. Ask their opinion as well.
2. Ask the employee how he/she feels about the review. However, do NOT argue points with the employee. Allow the employee a reasonable time to express his/her opinion, but indicate that you are firm in your evaluation. Listen with openness to their viewpoint, without necessarily giving up your point of view, unless you have mistakenly overlooked something. If that is the case, be humble, and say they have made a good point, and adjust the rating accordingly. Remember: Employees do not have to agree with your evaluation; they must perform to your expectations as the representatives of your company.
3. When you are giving the review, observe defensive behavior with compassion, but do not react to it by apologizing or getting defensive yourself. Simply say to yourself, “Hmmm…isn’t that interesting…they are having a hard time with this constructive criticism. My job as a leader is to help them to take in feedback. Then say to them, “I know that hearing about necessary improvements can sometimes be difficult, however, it is important that each of us learns how to take constructive criticism so that we can grow.”
4. Remember: “The Speed of the Leader is the Speed of the Gang”…demonstrate openness to constructive criticism by asking the employee if there is anything YOU could do differently that would help him/her improve performance. DO NOT become defensive.
5. If the employee is blaming you for their low performance, ask them, “How does this get in the way of your performance?” Show them possibilities of how they can still perform, in spite of their perceived obstacle in a constructive manner.
6. To close the interview: Ask the employee to sign the review form, by saying this: “The signature indicates only that you have received the review.”
7. Allow the employee to submit written comments on the review form or to be attached to the review form. Give the employee a photocopy of the completed review form.
8. If you rate the employee’s overall performance as good or better, be sure to emphasize the positive. If improvement is required and you have confidence that the employee can improve, be sure to describe your confidence.
9. If you are concerned about their performance, remind them that this is an opportunity to turn things around for the better, and you are hoping that they will choose to do so.
copyright Susan K. Wehrley & Associates, Inc. September 2009 www.solutionsbysusan.com for more information contact:
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
262-780-1944
|
