Trend 4 – A recipe for optimizing “check-in” conversations includes: clarity of current and future performance and development expectations, candid balanced feedback, discussion of capabilities used and their impact on people and situations, and how the manager can better support future action planning.
While not prescriptive, the flow looks something like this.
- Review each performance expectation (goal and capabilities & behaviors used in goal achievement) then:
- Share specific observation-based feedback as well as data-based feedback with the intent to strike a balance of both the positives and negatives. Discuss capabilities & behaviors used and their impact on people and the situation; zero in on a few strengths and areas ripe for continuous improvement.
- Surface the most significant learnings from the work assignment and how they will shape completion of future like assignments.
- Reset performance expectations that align with company goals and are achievable over the next quarter.
- Revisit how the manager can better support the employee.
- Review each development expectation using the same framework above.
- Share feedback; discuss capabilities & behaviors used and their impact; identify growing strengths and development areas.
- Surface the most significant learnings from development assignments.
- Revisit short and long-term aspirational career goals that align with company talent needs. Then reset development expectations.
- Revisit how the manager can best help with development.
The most effective “check-ins” are those where both employee and manager are: prepared, open to candid conversation, steadfast in action planning for the future, and jointly committed to a cadence of “check-ins”. For some folks that cadence means weekly short “check-ins” of about 15 minutes each and for others it will be hour long “check-ins” every month or quarter.
Has the written performance review document become obsolete? No, but it is no longer a dissertation. Instead it is prepared quarterly or semi-annually and summarizes highlights from “check-in” conversations. Does it include a performance rating? Performance rating definitions are more likely to be redefined, to improve their objectivity and overall fairness, than to be eliminated. Why? people want to know where they stand, and they may influence other people practices and programs.
In conclusion, gone are the days when performance management was a vehicle to measure productivity in people and determine salary increases. Today’s performance management system is also a vehicle to engage people in meaningful ways that result in employees’ sense of belonging, contribution to a greater purpose and realization of career aspirations. Outcomes include increased employee retention, healthier company culture and stellar organizational performance. Performance management today paves the way for highly diverse and motivated employees to bring their whole selves to their work.
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