As we stride into November, for many managers it means we are closing in on Performance Reviews: those wonderful end-of-year meetings where you stare across the table at a staff member who has confidently rated themselves 5/5 across the board, whilst you’re staring back and thinking they’ve performed more like 2/5.
Ah yes … feedback time.
Performance Reviews are a challenge for every manager. Leaving aside (for now, at least) the interesting debate as to whether or not we should bother with them at all (because everyone already knows who the slackers are, right?), most businesses insist they be held formally once or twice a year. For you, the manager, it’s a chance to assess each person’s contribution. To determine, overall, whether or not they have done the work they were paid to, over the past 6 or 12 months.
“Jane did a tremendous job this year. Far better than her colleague Bob, who frankly is lucky to still be here.”
I never actually wrote that in a review, of course. As a manager, you need to be smart whenever you put something in writing. But … these reviews are a great opportunity to sit down with each team member and highlight the wins, accentuate their strengths, raise concerns and set goals for the coming 6 or 12 months. “Keep ‘em simple” was my preferred approach when managing teams full-time. Don’t try to cover off too much. Get to the point. Make the meetings truly useful and also enjoyable, for you as well as each worker.
Said meetings also open the door to test where your relationship is, with each person. After initially asking if they would like some feedback (to which, invariably, the answer will be “yes”) I used to follow up with:
HOW HONEST DO YOU WANT ME TO BE?
Truly one of my all-time-favourite manager questions. Now, you need to be experienced enough (or have received the right training) to expertly handle the conversation that follows. But the responses you receive will determine just how strong your relationship with that employee is. Thus, how straightforward/direct/blunt and yes, honest, you can then be with your feedback, particularly the so-called negative stuff. Which these days corporate world would like us to call, “constructive criticism”. Get it right and you have freedom to openly air your frustrations and areas for improvement. Which should lead to better performance and a stronger team.
Finally, I’m very fond of two-way streets. Everything above works both ways. A good manager can take pain. Swap the roles i.e. ask your staff to also provide feedback on how they rated you as their manager over the review period. Now that’s a fun one. If they tell the truth and you can accept the criticisms that will come your way, learn from them and make the necessary changes, you have the chance to become a stand-out manager. One who makes the world of work better for everyone. And who doesn’t want that?
How honest do you want me to be? Hmm. I’ll opt for brutally honest, thanks.
