From the Coach’s Corner by Executive Coach Robert Oberleitner- learn why it’s never too early to prep for your upcoming performance review.
With the fiscal 2021 rating cycle only recently having been completed a few months ago in many agencies - Why is it to your benefit to start thinking about performance reviews now?
Whether you are an employee or a manager, performance review time can be a source of anxiety, surprise, disappointment, or a dreaded task that takes a lot of your time. It doesn’t have to be that way if you take proactive steps throughout the fiscal year vs. only at rating time.
For Employees
If you are an employee, what action steps or behavior changes have you made so far based upon the feedback you received at your 2021 end-of-year (EOY) performance review? What is your plan to continue this forward progress? If you did receive actionable feedback, make a point to check in at least quarterly to confirm that you and your manager are on the same page regarding the results of the steps you have taken. If you did not receive actionable feedback last year, and you would like to opportunity for a better performance review this year – ask your manager what you need to do to get a better rating in 2022. Finding out now provides you with the time to make the meaningful changes your manager will recognize as representative of your work this year.
For Managers
If you are a manager, providing direct and actionable feedback throughout the year paves a path to easier performance write-ups and less EOY stress for you. Conducting check-ins throughout the fiscal year and making a point to identify representative examples of where employees have exceeded satisfactory levels or met higher-level standards, provides positive acknowledgment to the employee for what to repeat and additionally gives you specific examples to draw from when drafting the EOY write-up. These examples of their work, or independence that is expected for the next rating level, supplies a guidepost for employees and clarifies expectations. Supervisory notes can be an aid to supplement your memory of discussions and employee actions throughout the full year. An end-of-year rating result should be a collection of discussions throughout the year not be a surprise to anyone involved.
Next time, I will address difficult performance review conversations. If you have a topic that you would like covered in a future “Coach's Corner” send it to [email protected]
The "Coach's Corner" Articles are written by Robert Oberleitner, executive coach. Raymond James is not affiliated with and does not endorse the opinions or services of Robert Oberleitner.
