The performance review season is upon us. Though it’s a standard part of running a business, most managers dread the performance review process. For some managers, the thought of sitting down with an employee and giving them feedback seems like a scary proposition. What will the employee think? How will the employee react? Will their performance improve?
If you want to make sure that your feedback actually impacts an employee’s performance, try using these tips for writing performance reviews that connect with employees:
1. Focus on actions not traits.
2. Make one key point.
3. Provide examples to illustrate your point.
4. Share what you want to see in the future.
5. Share your appreciation for their work.
Reviews are the most dreaded—yet most important—part of your job as a manager.
If you’re like most managers, you probably don’t look forward to writing performance reviews. The problem is: even if you dread them, they still need to get done.
When written effectively, performance reviews can have a positive impact on employee engagement and development. They can also help reduce turnover and enhance an individual’s ability to contribute to an organization. But only if they are done well.
Too often, performance reviews fail to meet their intended purpose. They become more about documenting what went wrong over the past year than highlighting strengths and identifying opportunities for growth.
If you want your performance reviews to actually help your employees improve, here are five actions you can take to ensure that happens:
It’s that time of the year again. Your annual performance review is coming up and you want to know how to write a performance review for your direct reports and peers. And this isn’t just about how to write it, but how to do it in a way that will actually help your employees improve.
We’ve all had those managers who seem to be the only ones who can hold constructive conversations with people and get them to change their behavior in meaningful ways. They are often called “coaches” and they usually have a lot of influence within the organization.
The reason they have so much influence is that they often have a lot of information about their people that others don’t have, which makes them experts on their team members’ strengths, weaknesses, and potential. As a result, they are able to make recommendations that are both accurate and compelling.
When it comes to writing performance reviews, these coaches know what they’re doing because they understand the purpose of the review process: it’s not just an opportunity for you to evaluate your employees’ performance-it’s also an opportunity for you to help them improve.
It’s time for employee reviews – and you have to write the performance reviews. It’s an important task, but it doesn’t have to be difficult. In fact, when done right, it can be a rewarding experience for both managers and employees.
If you’re dreading writing performance reviews, take heart – we’ve gathered up all of our best tips, samples and advice on how to write great reviews.
And don’t forget to check out our free “how to” webinar series where we cover how to write performance reviews in more detail.
Here are some suggestions for writing a review that will motivate your employees and help them improve.
Be specific. Include details about what your employee did well and what you would like to see improved. This is not the time to be vague or general in your descriptions of performance. You will not help your employee by being unclear or ambiguous about what s/he is doing well and where improvements can be made.
Focus on results, not personality. Be careful to focus on behaviors, actions and results rather than specific personality traits or characteristics. Avoid saying things like “you are impatient.” Instead say “your impatience is causing customers to feel rushed during the checkout process.” Similarly avoid saying things like “you are never on time.” Instead say “you were late for work two days last week.”
Use examples. Don’t say things like “you don’t contribute enough” or “you need to be more productive.” Instead give an example of when the person didn’t contribute enough or describe a situation where they could have been more productive. For example, you might say “last week in the meeting you didn’t make any suggestions for improving our process – I’d really like to hear your ideas!” or “the other day I noticed there was an error in our quarterly report –
Performance reviews are a part of life in the working world. They will make or break an employee’s career, so it is important that employers handle the review with care and professionalism. With these tips, you will be able to write a performance review that is both fair and beneficial to your employees.
The following tips can help you prepare for writing your review, and also help you write the review itself.
1.
As a manager, it’s your responsibility to provide employees with feedback about their performance. You’ll make this process easier for yourself by providing feedback on a regular basis, not just once or twice a year.
One of the most effective ways to give feedback is by acting out a scene. It might seem silly at first, but most employees find it to be refreshing and memorable.
For example, if you want an employee to speak up more in meetings, you might act out a scene where you play the role of the employee and stay silent during a meeting. You could also act out a scene where someone else stays silent and you tell him that you wish he had contributed his thoughts.
Here’s another example: if an employee makes too many spelling errors in her emails, you could act out a scene where you play the role of the employee and send an email full of typos to your boss. Or you could act out a scene where your boss sends an email full of typos to everyone in the company.
Acting out scenes can also be used to improve management skills. For example, you might act out a scenario where an employee is upset about something but doesn’t say anything until it’s too late — then ask your manager what she would have done differently
