This is how you foolproof your performance review

[ResidentialBusiness]

Year-end performance reviews can be time-consuming. Yet the end and start of the year is when employees and managers are inundated with a heavy workload. Emotions range from elated to angst-ridden. After all, performance evaluations directly impact professional reputations, salary increases, bonuses, and promotions.

The importance of revisiting objectives  

This reality begs the question of just how effective performance evaluations are and what employees can do to balance the scales. A recent SHRM study indicates that roughly 50% of companies employ traditional annual performance evaluation processes based on whether they achieve the goals that they set at the start of the year. A separate MIT study found that both employees and managers rarely review these same goals and objectives throughout the year. These objectives often lie dormant until they suddenly become the basis for high-stakes performance assessments, contributing to employee anxiety around year-end reviews.

There are many negative implications of not revisiting objectives. Employees are less likely to know what their employers expect, which increases the likelihood of missing opportunities to course correct performance throughout the year. Those who don’t actively seek clarity regularly run the risk of missing opportunities for insights and coaching from either managers or mentors that might help them improve and meet unarticulated performance expectations.

Reviewing objectives frequently also helps keep managers apprised of obstacles that surface over time. A recent SHRM study highlights that employees agree these are missed opportunities. Yet only 28% of companies have moved formal performance processes that adopt more frequent reviews of performance goals.

This became a reality for Jennifer, a CTO at a health tech company. After an optimistic team goal setting offsite in February, unexpected regulatory challenges arose in August, derailing their initial plans. Forced to pivot and manage recurring crises, and with minimal interactions to update her traveling manager, Jennifer is headed into her performance discussion worried that her reviewer won’t take these obstacles and infrequent updates into consideration.

Failing to meet expectations, especially due to uncontrollable circumstances, can feel threatening. However, it’s also an opportunity for reflection, perspective, learning and practicing better conversational hygiene around future performance.

Here are three strategies to foolproof your performance review.

Shift mindset to progress (rather than goal achievement)

Busy leaders often struggle with binary views of progress, dismissing accomplishments that don’t fully meet original standards. The progress principle suggests that reflecting on smaller wins over shorter time frames can significantly enhance one’s sense of achievement and encourage forward movement when we feel stuck.

By asking good questions, we learn a great deal about smaller accomplishments made throughout the year. For example:

• What outcomes were gained from Q1?
• How did those outcomes and learnings compound over time to bring new results later on?

These questions dig deep to surface smaller wins people take for granted. Exploring the learning that came from smaller, progressive wins nearly always reveals something more significant. This exercise can serve to restore a sense of self-efficacy and motivation. If employees share their  learnings intermittently with the managers, it can dissipate anticipatory anxiety before performance discussions.

Initiating intermittent, informal check-ins with your manager doesn’t just provide a mechanism to insights into how performance is progressing. You can use this as an opportunity to discuss and  review sudden priority shifts in work and help create mutual understanding of unanticipated roadblocks.

Focus on reasons rather than excuses

Initiating your own discussions about performance well before a scheduled review can be beneficial even if it feels uncomfortable. When individuals openly acknowledge their missteps without prompt, others are more likely to perceive them as responsible and trustworthy.

External obstacles to goals always provide learning opportunities. It’s important to provide context when you’re discussing missed targets, but avoid explanations that sound like excuses. Instead, frame challenges with self-awareness, ownership and action plans for future improvements. Taking ownership demonstrates responsibility, builds trust and can also offer you a sense of relief before performance discussions.

Use the opportunity to build a better relationship with your manager

A recent study indicates that managers have an outsized impact on their employees’ well-being. Employees reported that the quality of their relationship with their manager accounts for up to 69% of their mental health, which is the same as a spouse or a partner.

This is why I encourage clients to have more personal, genuine conversations with employees and managers. These discussions provide the opportunity for both parties to discuss  mutual needs and discuss any misunderstandings without judgment.  

Recently, I offered to conduct year-end stakeholder feedback for a CEO client worried about the consequences of missing full performance on his goals. I’d gathered feedback just months before, but instincts told me to do so again.

Board member feedback revealed the opposite—they were impressed with the CEO’s growth and progress, despite not fully meeting initial goals. They appreciated his improvements in previous problem areas and understood the market challenges. These insights prevented unnecessary anxiety about the upcoming review.

Empathy also matters as managers as companies often evaluate them based on their team’s performance. This can be unfair when challenges arise beyond their direct control. Understanding this dynamic is important for both parties. Talking through it gets it out on the table.

Knowing that performance outcomes impact so much, makes having sincere, honest conversations worth the effort. When employees and managers openly discuss progress and small wins frequently, it creates more opportunities for mutual support and adjust objectives for relevancy. Better yet, it’s the perfect opportunity to strengthen relationships while bringing the peace of mind for a fresh start to the year.  

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