How to Manage Employee Feedback and Performance Management
I once had a poor performance appraisal which showed me the boss had no idea what I was doing. Then recently, I had a glowing performance appraisal with a company where I thought the boss absolutely hated me because he never spoke to me.
I took both performance appraisals with a grain of salt because, well, it was clear neither boss had any idea what I was doing, and they didn’t seem to have much interest in my future with the company. Irrespective of their feedback, I surpassed my KPIs (key performance indicators) and earned bonuses in both positions, but I left both companies soon after.
Whether employee feedback is good or bad, it matters, and it's one of the most telling insights into your corporate culture, your management style, and who you are managing. It’s also key to knowing how long your team will stay together.
Employee evaluations rarely work. They are easily forgotten. According to Columbia neuroscientist Kevin Ochsner, employees apply feedback they are given about 30% of the time. And if your performance management conversation is awkward and uncomfortable, you probably won’t even get that 30% change.
We offer you some tricks to make these moments more productive.
Performance management: How to better manage employee feedback
1. Balance positive and negative feedback
I don’t mean do the “compliment sandwich” of sitcoms. Nor do I mean if you don’t have anything nice to say . . . If you don’t have anything nice to say, you need to sever the professional relationship. But if you intend to move forward together, introduce things in a realm of positivity. It all comes from presenting topics as things to improve on so the team can grow together.
2. Don’t share anonymous feedback
You want to create a transparent and trusting working environment but if you are making things anonymous, it just builds an atmosphere of paranoia. For example, if something happens between two colleagues, never play the "he said/she said" game. Don’t speak for other people.
If an issue persists, it shouldn’t be brought up during a performance appraisal where it’ll look like a premeditated attack. It’s your job to bring the two parties together to talk specifically about the issue when it occurs.
3. Performance management should not be only an annual thing
Let’s face it. We all find performance reviews very disconcerting. Kind of like we are in trouble at school or waiting for the dentist to give us a root canal. And as a manager, you probably don’t look forward to it either. Part of that extreme awkwardness is that you only do it once a year.
If you want to be good at something, practice, practice, practice! Give your colleagues feedback in the moment, and then come up with goals that are shorter term. If you revisit goals, tasks and performance quarterly, problems won't build up and you'll ensure you’re always focused on the future of the business as a team.
4. Be specific
Use the delegation board as a jumping off point. “What did we agree you were going to do?” It’s a constant visual reminder of what each team member has committed to do and their level of commitment or involvement with each task. Spend more time talking about projects where they take the lead, but be sure to gain insight into how the whole team is functioning.
More articles from AllBusiness.com:
- Anonymous Social Media Isn’t All That Anonymous
- Google Ditches Anonymous Reviews—How Your Business Can Benefit
- 5 Ways to Network for Success at a Conference
- How to Conduct Effective Employee Surveys That Will Improve Your Business
- The Poison Pen: How Should Managers Deal with Anonymous Accusations?
5. Did they mess up?
Instead of scolding, ask the employee about the project and how it went. Open-ended questions always yield better responses. Never ask, “What went wrong.” A lot of times, learning “What went right” is a more valuable conversation.
6. Performance management is as much about the past as it is about the future
And don’t forget that performance management isn’t just about talking about the past, but how to move forward together. It’s your opportunity to get to know how your employee expects or wants to grow with your business. Encourage them to shadow another colleague or even mentor an intern. This is your moment to really connect with your colleagues.
Maybe you learn they volunteer at a local soup kitchen and you can encourage them to organize a company event where members of your team can join in. You may find that even the most introverted employees can be leaders and have things to offer to help unite your team.
7. When all else fails, do it over food!
Inviting your employees to meet over lunch is a great way to break the ice, and make any conversation less stressful. Plus, whenever there’s food involved, I consider it always to be a good thing!
RELATED: Is Your Employee Having an Off Day—Or Is Something More Serious Going On?
This is part two of a two-part series. Be sure to also read How Performance Management Is About Managing Expectations.
