HR Solutions Weblog

Today I thought we would talk about the Conversation of Performance Reviews!  They come around every year and if you have a plan for the discussion, it should be a positive interaction.  Here are some key points:

• Make this conversation useful – it is an opportunity for your employee to grow
• Be honest, but kind – remember, if you are not being honest with the employee you are not helping anyone. Remind them that the honesty is to help them grow.
• Be specific!
  • Example:  Don’t say “you are not meeting production goals”, instead say “our production goals are 130 units per day, you are doing 98 – What do you think you could do to improve that number?”
  • Make sure you discuss how you will help the employee improve and specifically how often you will meet to discuss progress.
• Be sure to have the above specific conversations about the whole year, not just what they need to improve from the past few weeks or months.
• Focus on behavior and results.
• Give the employee time to absorb your comments and then to comment.
• Don’t allow the employee to bring other employee’s into the conversation, remind them you are there to discuss their specific performance.
• Be sure to end the conversation with positive re-enforcement on the things they are doing well.
• Set up a specific time and date within 30 days to review the progress.

Things to avoid:

• Hostile Questions “Why did you do that?” Ask behavioral type questions.
• Doing all the talking.  Allow the employee time to talk about specific points.
• Don’t interrupt the employee

Over the next couple of weeks I want to focus on the “Employee Performance or Termination Conversations” for which every manager seems to struggle.

This week we start with the basics… Solid Employee Communcations!

Unless you are laying employees off, there is a way to put a positive spin on almost every employee conversation.  This is a critical aspect of these meetings.

No matter if you are discussing performance, attendance, attitude, lateness complaints etc.,

• Always bring the employee away from the work area to have the discussion privately. 
• Be sure your emotions are not running high!  If so, come back to this later in the day or the next morning.
• Speak calmly and with thought.  Do not rant.  Do not under any circumstances raise  your voice.  Remember, the minute you start yelling you have lost control of the meeting.
• State the issue and give your employee the chance to speak.

…….more to follow!