The best performance reviews ever!

Although they are almost universally dreaded, there is no reason why performance reviews have to be so unpopular. Try the following and see if it helps.

1. Work together with your council/board/supervisor/employee to set reasonable goals for the upcoming months. Make sure that the goals follow the SMART principle – Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Reachable and Timely.
2. Talk about what it would look like if you achieved each goal.
3. Meet regularly to discuss progress and/or obstacles you are encountering. Once a month is ideal; once every three months is adequate.
4. Meet annually to review the whole year. If you have been talking about the goals regularly, there should be no surprises.
5. Set new goals – including learning and development goals – for the coming year at this annual meeting. Make sure that they follow the SMART principle.

While discussion around annual goals is the center of the annual review conversation, be sure to ask for or to bring information about unexpected work you have accomplished, difficult relationships you have moved to a more rewarding place and what you have learned that allows you to carry out your responsibilities more effectively.

Finally, make certain that all goals and reviews are documented, shared with both the employee and the council/board or supervisor and filed in the personnel file. Before long you will find that instead of being a dreaded, once-a-year event, the conversations will be a key part of how work is managed and recognized.