We’ve had several meetings with clients over the past month. When asked about how things are going with their employees the replies have been “…well, it’s performance review time again.” followed by the eye roll.

(Of course we have to follow up on “the eye rolls”, clear indicators of discomfort and dread.)  So, is it because this is a sacred, annual process versus an everyday giving and receiving feedback process? As Steven Covey puts it, making deposits to the emotional bank account for both the employee and their manager builds trust.  Read on…

It was time for the dreaded performance review. The new employee REALLY didn’t know what to expect.

The seasoned manager said, “I want you to complete a performance review on yourself. We’ll discuss it next week.”

Is this:

1. Trickery
2. Unfair to the employee
3. Abdication of responsibility by the manager
4. All of the above
5. Or something else all together?

The new employee anguished over the self-evaluation—over HAVING to make commitments about strengths and weaknesses, measured performance, and improvement needs.

The realizations were sobering:

• I’ve never done a real self-assessment of myself and my capabilities.
• I don’t clearly know everything expected of me or how to measure and document my performance.
• I should have been having discussions with my manager throughout the year about these things.

In the end, the new employee made a realistic self-appraisal, gave a copy to the manager, and discussed it item by item.

The manager listened, asked questions, and tried to understand without agreeing or disagreeing.

The manager had completed a performance review on the new employee and handed over a copy to read.

They discussed it, mainly the differences in their ratings, which were few.

The manager thought the employee’s self-review should have been a little higher on a couple of things, lower on a couple, and explained why.

So what were the results here?

1. The employee was prepared.
2. The employee’s view came first and was heard.
3. There was more trust because the performance review was not a one-sided discussion.
4. There were fewer surprises for the employee.
5. The manager learned several new and key things about the employee.
6. It was easier for real issues to surface and be discussed.
7. Employee preparation dissolved the likelihood for conflict.
8. The final performance review was more complete and accurate.
9. It was easier to reach agreement.
10. The performance review was less dreaded for both sides.
11. This time next year, the performance review will go even smoother with this process.

What’s the main point? Employees need to prepare for performance reviews, so help them get comfortable with the process. It works out better for manager and employee.

Martha Forlines and Thad Green