Performance reviews that build trust
Performance reviews are the ultimate test for your employee relationship. In one short meeting you can cement a relationship or destroy it. It is not about the final rating; praise can lack authenticity whilst a challenging review can be a galvanizing call to action. 5 tips to ensure you build trust and create a powerful roadmap for your employee’s success.
1. Do not rely on your own opinion. Your lens is too narrow, your opinions can be discounted as subjective, and you will erode trust if you rely mostly on your own observations. What you need to do is solicit the feedback of 5+ stakeholders across the organization so you develop a balanced view based on collective observation. This takes you from “I think” to “What I hear from your stakeholders is ….”. Even though most companies mandate soliciting feedback, >25% of all reviews I had were basically the opinion of the boss.
2. Make feedback blinded. When giving feedback there is often an urge to state who it is from. Best practice is to not declare the source(s), especially for negative feedback. Being able to say it comes from multiple sources is the best approach. Giving names can create resentment and accusation between sources, with you in the middle. What a source intended as feedback for growth is perceived as criticism behind the employees back to the manager.
3. Give space when feedback is negative. A negative review can be hard to take. An employee needs time to process. One tactic I use is when giving negative reviews is to provide the written review to the employee at the start of the meeting and then leave the room for ~15 minutes for them to read and process. My observation is that the rest of the meeting is better for all involved. I do not recommend giving more than 20 minutes, and never send a bad review by email and then meet later. Always be present when you deliver.
4. Do not give false hope. Do not avoid difficult subjects and don’t make promises you can’t deliver. Nothing will sour a relationship more than a person thinking they are doing well and continuing behaviors that are derailing their prospects.
5. Create positive conditions, even in negative circumstances. Explain the purpose of the review and how you have solicited broad feedback to help gain the best information regarding the employee’s performance and development, and reaffirm your ongoing commitment to their career growth.
