A performance review meeting involves a dialogue with the employee. The dialogue sets the tone and promotes a shared understanding of goals and expectations – for both the employee and the supervisor. The supervisor’s relationship with each employee is unique; the performance review document should be customized to the employee each review period.

The most important goal of a performance review is to guide the employee into the future. At the end of the review, an employee should have a clear understanding of the performance expectations for the next review period. As changes occur over the review period, make adjustments and document changes to the objectives. Reviews lead directly to employee development discussions.

A performance review allows you and your employee to communicate about:

• Setting performance expectations and key responsibilities of the job

• Reviewing how effectively performance expectations have been met in the past

• Discussing how to meet or exceed performance expectations in the future

• Establishing an employee development plan

Remember: Communication is the key!

Get Ready,
Get Set

Before starting to write any performance appraisal document, consider the following points:

• The employee should understand the performance review process and who, what, when, and where it will happen. Eliminate surprises! Ideally, this should be communicated early in the employment relationship.

• All supervisors are required to develop formal appraisal reviews for their employees once a year.

• Performance appraisals are legal documents.

• The timing of the actual appraisal meeting is important, not just from the agency’s perspective but from the employee’s perspective. Choose the time and environment that will create the most successful dialogue.

• Remember, formal appraisal review documents are used to make employment decisions.

Your agency may have specific expectations:

• Check to see which performance review document your agency uses.

• Be sure to address any content requirements your agency has. For example, there may be specific performance standards your agency requires in addition to the statewide core performance standards.

• Your agency may recommend that management and the immediate supervisor review the document together before the employee reviews it. This gives managers an opportunity to coach supervisors on content, goals, and perceived biases.

• Be aware of your agency’s method of distribution for the final appraisal document.

• Know your agency’s review cycle. There may be specific expectations concerning when the performance evaluation should be completed.

Go!
The Process

Know Yourself!


• Respect employee's diversity in ideas and approaches.

• Establish the performance goals. Don't dictate the method - it can stifle creativity and productivity.

• Maintain objectivity throughout the appraisal process and the appraisal document. Watch for 'rating biases' or personal perceptions that can creep into the performance appraisal document and discussion! A bias can be anything that can affect the way you evaluate someone's performance, but does not reflect actual performance outcomes. Many times a second level review (e.g., with management) can catch biases.

• When evaluations are based on facts, the following situations can be avoided:

 

Approaches to Feedback and Coaching
Waterfall Effect	The employee receives good appraisals for a long time then suddenly is hit with a negative appraisal without having a clue there was something wrong.
Halo Effect	One positive item overshadows everything else during the rating period. The employee is always seen in a positive light, regardless of performance.
Horns Effect	One negative situation overshadows all positive performance aspects during the rating period. The employee is perceived negatively, regardless of performance.

 

Gather Information and Feedback


• Gather all your information before starting to write the appraisal document.

• Consider asking the employee for input. For example, “What achievements are you most proud of this year?” and “Are there obstacles to your success on the job?” (See Self Evaluation Questions. PDF 55 KB)

• Think of the BIG picture or ‘core message’ you want to give your employee. Ask yourself, “What is the single most important message I want to communicate about the individual’s performance through this appraisal?" Once you have that in mind, you can go forward.

• If your agency has the Employee Appraiser software, use it to fine tune your writing. The software has tools that give examples of higher or lower language to describe behaviors.

• Rather than copying the examples, write them to fit the employee.

• Give actual examples of the employee’s behaviors whenever possible. Match examples to performance expectations.

 

Communicate


Listen, Give Feedback!

 

• If you have an issue with part(s) of an employee’s performance, take the courage to confront it with respect and dignity. Hinting, hoping, or inferring won't acheive the success you are seeking.

• Before meeting with the employee, review the communication tips in this program. Remember, people tend to do what is measured.

• Listen.

 

 

Set the Stage


• Choose a day and a time to deliver the appraisal when energy will be high. Monday morning and Friday afternoon may not be the optimum time, depending on the work environment.

• Choose an environment that allows for privacy and discussion. An office is often more conducive to conversation than a meeting or board room. Eliminate distractions such as walk ins, phone calls, and emails. Sit with the employee rather than across the desk from the employee.

• Give the employee advance notice of the appraisal meeting so he/she can be prepared. Again, eliminate the element of surprise.

• Allow for adequate time to deliver the appraisal, to set expectations, and to answer questions.

 

Complete the Appraisal Document

• Employees appreciate receiving descriptive comments. Take the time to develop comments that have meaning, provide examples, and give direction.

• Descriptive comments provide historical data for future supervisors who need to understand the context in which behaviors occurred.The significance of good documentation builds over time!

• Use the tools in the Employee Appraiser software to help you customize the document (e.g., the descriptive comments) to the employee

 

Deliver the Appraisal


• The appraisal document is an opportunity for a dialogue between supervisor and employee. Simply handing the appraisal document to an employee and asking him/her to read and sign it, is not effective.

• Whenever possible, plan to have the employee read the full draft appraisal prior to the discussion period with the supervisor.

• Remember, the appraisal shouldn’t contain surprises! Significant events or behaviors in the document should have been discussed with the employee during the review period.

• Work to gain and maintain rapport throughout the appraisal meeting. Good rapport enhances clear communication.

• Employee participation is the key to successful communication during the performance management process.

Writing Performance Statements

 


What About the
Difficult to Deliver Appraisal?

The Geographically Distant Employee


The Employee With More Technical Expertise Than the Supervisor


The Passive/Aggressive Employee


The Employee in Denial


The Employee in Non-Agreement

 

Motivating
for Success

In today's turbulent, often chaotic work environments, success depends on employees making full use of their own strengths and talents. Managers play a key role in providing a motivational climate for employees to use their strengths. However, they often view motivation as a mystery because it is extremely complex and personally driven. The complexity of motivation is influenced by both external and internal factors (communication, interpersonal relationships - especially with the supervisor, culture, etc.) and the fact that individuals are motivated by different things in different ways.

Definition


Twyla Dell writes of motivation, "The heart of motivation is to give people what they really want most from work. The more you are able to provide what they want, the more you should expect what you really want, namely: productivity, quality, and service." (An Honest Day's Work, 1988)

Advantages


A positive motivation philosophy and practice by managers will improve productivity, quality, and service. A motivational environment helps people:

• achieve goals

• gain a positive perspective
  

• create the power to change
  

• build self-esteem and capability
  

• manage their own development and help others with theirs

 

Action Checklist for Managers

The following checklist is designed to help managers who have responsibilities for managing, motivating, and developing staff during organizational change:


1. Read the gurus (Herzberg's hygiene theory, McGregor's X and Y theories, and Maslow's hierarchy of needs)
2. Know what motivates you
3. Know what motivates your staff
4. Walk the job
5. Remove demotivators
6. Demonstrate support and provide recognition
7. Be wary of cash incentives
8. Decide on an action (positive, focused on the future)
9. Manage change
10. Understand learning styles & preferences
11. Provide feedback
12. Create opportunities for achievement and accomplishment
13. Provide opportunities forlearning and growth
14. Increase the amount of challenge
15. Help answer the question: How does this individual's job relate to the agency's mission?


Other important ideas for motivating employees include minimizing rules and policies and ensuring employee involvement whenever possible in decisions which affect their work parameters and their work environment. In other words, engage employees in setting realistic goals and expectations, and then set them free to achieve incredible results!

Through consistent application of the eight steps in the performance amangement system and with these insights regarding motivation, our jobs continually become easier - people look for new challenges to motivate themselves!

 

Motivation and Communication

"More of/Less of " Motivation List - A simple way of identifying what employees want more of in their jobs (and what they want less of) is to ask each employee what job and environmental factors they wish to have increased and decreased. Done quarterly, this process gives managers a chance to understand what employees want. Surveying employees and new hires about what motivates them helps managers better understand how to keep them excited. Topics should include: what frustrates you? What challenges you? What are your learning goals?

Morale, Motivation, Job Satisfaction

 

Moving Toward a More Motivating Workplace

As you consider the motivation level in your workplace among the employees you supervise, it may be helpful to know that capable, high performing employees can start questioning their decision to join a company, start thinking of leaving, eventually disengage, and, finally, leave because:

The job or workplace was not as expected.

A mismatch between job and person.

Too little coaching and feedback.

Too few growth and advancement opportunities.

Feeling devalued and unrecognized.

Stress from overwork and work-life imbalance.

Loss of trust and confidence in senior leaders.

 

So, ask yourself these questions:

How do employees become 'disconnected' in your workplace?

How does acknowledgement look or feel in your workplace?

What are your employees' top motivators?

Why do you stay in the job you are in?

What can you do to get and keep your emplyees connected and motivated?




Putting it All Together

 

Ideas to Grow & Develop People

Managing performance more and more often means encouraging an environment that enables individuals to manage their own performance through learning and career options. Consider using one of the following tools:


Performance Development Plan
This type of development plan is used for near-term improvement in one to three performance areas.

Career Development Plan
This type of development plan is used to focus an individual's work experience and training on long-term organizational needs and personal interests.


Development Plans Assist With:

• Solving performance problems and turning difficult performance discussions into positive action.

• Retaining high-potential individuals by identifying new challenges and ongoing opportunities.

• Preparing employees for promotions and other major new responsibilities. Also helps employees adapt to organizational change.

• Motivating employees to reach personal as well as professional goals.

• Improving employee morale by focusing attention on the value of individual contributions.

• Can be used to enhance and support succession planning within an organization.
  


Activities to Consider When Developing Performance Plans:

Examples of activities employees could be involved in which could be considered appropriate for employee skill development:

• On-the-job training, cross-training, job shadowing

• College course work or certificate programs

• Attending or participating in professional organizations

• Coaching or consulting

• Individual career counseling

• New employee orientation

• Working with or as a mentor

• Management development programs

• Attending teleconferences

• Internships

• Self-study or reading assignments

• Online learning projects

• Attend meetings for you or with you

• Participation in special projects

• Training classes

 

Good Performance Management Means . . . Establishing an environment conducive to excellence and the creation of employee success Managing for performance Taking all opportunities to support individual and organizational achievement and growth



You have completed the State of Idaho's Division of Professional-Technical Education Performance Management Online Program. If you would like a Certificate of Completion for this program, print, complete, and mail this form. (Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader.)