A Quick Way to Make Traditional Performance Review Formats More About Employee Development...
August 01, 2012
Quick idea today from the front-lines on performance management. Regardless of how progressive you are, most HR pros are in various stages of implementation with a performance system that has the following horizontal components:
-Goal
-How we're gonig to measure it
-How you did in the rating period in question
-Rating
You've got something like that, right? And it never seems like it's about the employee's development right? To much suck, not enough sunshine.
Let's open the shades a bit on your post-industrial performance system, just by adding one thing to force some dialog related to employee development. In between "how we're going to measure it" and "how you did in the rating period in question", plug in the following:
"What's in it For Me? (What Can I Learn Along The Way I'll Own Forever?)
Boom. You just added something related to employee development that can dramatically enhance performance conversations if handled the right way. The right time to start the conversation related to this is when the goal is set (as the manager lays it out for the employee, the manager asks the question, "what is in for your to chase this goal?".
You don't have to have all the answers. You just need to talk about it and come up with at least one thing. That single add to your performance conversations may be all you do from a development conversation perspective, or it may roll into an IDP (individual development plan).
The point? Don't let your performance format suck. Add something like this and experiment.
Your managers can't handle it? That's another blog post (or 27).
When I grow up...I want to fix performance review formats. Good post KD!
Posted by: Mar10ez | August 01, 2012 at 03:36 PM
Right on Kris - it seems most business (let alone HR Pros) forget the whole purpose of these processes.
It is indeed all about the development - we're only doing all this to get better results right? Combining that with the "WIIFM" for employees is what makes it all work.
Boom indeed.
Posted by: Sean Conrad | August 02, 2012 at 08:05 AM
Just because you are on the payroll you I like your post. But sometimes you're assigned to work that don't allow you to reach the passion, focus or strength that make up your superpower. (Refer to Happy At Work by Karl Staib) Without your superpowers your performance relative to others can be affected by company performance in regard. I think an employer employee relationship review should be a two way street.
Posted by: Jessie | August 02, 2012 at 12:08 PM
"What's in it for me" from the others' perspective is how I try to approach every interaction I have, from coworkers to my son. It is one great method to frame anything to gain buy-in.
Posted by: Steve | August 02, 2012 at 03:44 PM