MAKING GREAT PERFORMANCE
REVIEWSGreg Thomas
http://www.rambli.com
Objective reviews are programs managed by many organizations that measure a person’s performance over the current year. I.e.,
how did they achieve the objectives assigned to them over x period of time.
Typically this is tied to some form of monetary compensation in the form of a bonus or a raise.
It’s not about how many people you manage but how many kick-
ass things that you do. - Anonymous
What if there was
no financial
incentive?
How would you change your role as either the Reviewer or
Reviewee, knowing that all you could offer was growth,
leadership, challenge, support or mentorship?
How could these roles CHANGE?
The REVIEWEE
WHO IS THE REVIEWEE?
That’s you, that’s always you – this is your chance, your opportunity to showcase who you really are and what you want to accomplish.
It’s not your manager’s job to decide on your career path and/or what you want to accomplish this year, they are there to guide and support but not lead…… the Leading is up to you.
1. Prepare for your Review
PREPARE
TRAINING GROWTH SHARPEN
What do I want to learn this
year?
Where do I need guidance?
Where do I want to go this year?
What about beyond this
year?
What do I want to get better at?
Where is there still room for
improvement?
Focus your Preparation around what will help guide your career– Train. Grow. Sharpen.
SELL YOURSELF
Is there a Standard Template to fill out?
Great, then fill it out, don’t write a line – “I did this” – write what
conveys what you have done and where you want to go.
Train. Grow. Sharpen.
WAIT all this prep and you’re still waiting on an
invite?
Schedule it yourself.JANUAR 2016
Take the Lead.
2. The Review
LEARN
IMPROVE
ACHIEVEMENT
CHALLENGE
Every review should answer 4 Questions for you;1) What did you do well on? Achievement.2) What do you need to work on? Improvement.3) What could you be doing better? Challenge.4) How can you increase your knowledge? Learn.
What I can learn next period? I want more.
What did I do well on?
What did I do that knocked your socks off?
What do I need to improve on?
Did I screw up on something?
Great, how do I get better next time?
What can I be Challenged on next period?
Give me something good, something that pushes me.
Don’t hold back.
Learn
Achievement
ImprovementChallenge
DO NOT LEAVE UNTIL YOU HAVE RECEIVED ANSWERS TO ALL FOUR.
It’s not about getting 100% or SMILEY FACES.
It’s about Grow. Sharpen. Train.
Finally…take the critiques
learn how to be better, build on the praise,
ask for help,and
Grow.
3. After the Review
AFTER THE REVIEW
1) Get it all in writing so you have it in front of you to work with.
2) Build a Plan to make it happen.
Now Double it.
x2
Why double it?Trying for something more isn’t going to hurt you, it’s
going to benefit you.
And if you fail, you will still have achieved everything you had originally set out to.
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4. Change the Model
NO FORMWho said you needed to have a form to have a Performance Review.
Make your own and start something – checklists
are great.
NO MONEYWant to do Training but
no money in the budget?
Ask for a few days off to go learn something new on your own and come
back with a demo.
NO CHOICEDon’t have a formal Career Path? Great. Build your own, start
something, lead.
You can always work something in.
NO TIMEToo busy with regular
work? Really for yourself? How’s that
latest XBOX game going?
You have time, now use it.
NO HELPFind a peer to support you and help you with
your objectives.
Maybe even ask for them to review how you
are doing.
You don’t have to keep doing things the way they are because “that is how they have always been done”.
THE REVIEWER
WHO IS THE REVIEWER?
This might be you, it might not. If it is you, you now have an incredible opportunity before you.
Support and Guide a member of your team in the achievement of their objectives toward furthering their career.Your role is not so much a leader as a provider of options and paths that they can go down, if they falter, you are there to help them up, if they succeed, be their cheerleader.
But you can’t do it for them.
1. Prepare for your Review
Your Reviewee just spent a significant
amount of time sending in a great, well-thought out, detailed review.
What are you going to do?
PREPARERead their Review – Twice. Don’t miss anything,
take notes, highlight comments. Read between the lines, what are they really asking for? What are
they really saying.
Come with answers to THEIR Questions that they might have asked.
Prepare Questions to use during the Review to have as a reference.
You can’t remember everything.
Schedule it in advance so your Reviewee has time to
prepare. IF you need to switch times, talk to them and ask if it’s okay before
hand - this isn’t easy for them.
2. The Review
KEY QUESTIONS
How are you?
How are things going within your current role?
What is working for you right now?
What is not working for you?
What could we (i.e., me your manager, your leadership team, this organization, etc) be doing better?
How can I help in the achievement of your career goals?
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YOUR ROLE
PRAISEProvide praise where earned.
GUIDEHelp with their issues.
OUTLINEWhere they need to go and how you can help them.
REASSUREAny worries and concerns they might have.
CHALLENGEDon’t let them coast, push them.
And be silent…
… and wait …
… give them time to think …
… they will thank you for it.
3. After the Review
AFTER THE REVIEW
Write it down, write everything down, every aspect of your conversation.Send it out for confirmation so you don’t miss anything and update where necessary.And this is why you don’t schedule them back to back to back.
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4. Change the Model
A SUGGESTED PROCESS
Monthly One-On-
OnesQuarterly Review
Mid-Way Review
Quarterly Review
Year-End
Works best for Teams of 8 - 10Keep your finger on
the pulse of what is happening
Very Informal, focus on how they are doing.
More Formal
Focus on Career
objectives and Growth
Are you on track towards your goals?
Where can I help you
achieve them?
Time to start thinking towards
next year.
Where do you need to focus.
Last-minute sprints to the end.
Less about the Quarter.
More about the Year In Review
How they Grew, what they
accomplished?
NEVER GO 3 MONTHS WITHOUT SITTING DOWN WITH YOUR TEAM
We all need course corrections and anything after 3 months is too long
to wait.
IN SUMMARY
Don’t think of your performance reviews as an equivalent to your monetary compensation.
Think of it as an opportunity for you to Grow. Train. Stay Sharp.
Accept it as a privilege to help guide someone in theirs.
It’s not about how many people you manage but how many kick-
ass things that you do. - Anonymous
Your career is up to you.
T h e e n dGreg Thomas
http://www.rambli.com