HOW TO CONDUCT A PERFORMANCE REVIEW AS A MANAGER OR LEADER!

A performance review is a 6-monthly assessment of each team member. It is your opportunity, as a manager or leader, to get to know your team members, their strengths and weaknesses, areas for improvement and training needs, and to also set targets and objectives for them to achieve.

Now, there are 3 MAIN BENEFITS to conducting professional performance reviews as follows…

BENEFIT #1. It allows you to professionally bond with your team members. A performance review will help to show that you care about the future of your employees, and their performance.

BENEFIT #2. A performance review allows you to get to know what motivates your team and also identify what they are good at doing – this, in turn, allows you to delegate tasks correctly.

BENEFIT #3. Performance reviews will make your team members feel important, valued and involved in the future success of the organisation.

STEP 1 – Consider a suitable location for the performance review to take place – make sure it is quiet and a place where you will not be disturbed.

Now, in the past, I have sometimes conducted performance reviews away from the business premise. This option shows the employee you are taking their performance review seriously and they are more likely to be open and honest during the discussion if they are away from their place of work. An example of a good location is a quiet corner in a local coffee shop.

STEP 2 – Book a date for the performance review to take place (I recommend you give the employee two weeks’ notice.) This two week time period will give both you and the staff member the opportunity to prepare fully for the performance review.

STEP 3 – Ask the staff member to complete a SELF-ASSESSMENT REVIEW FORM and give them a date in which they must send it back to you by. Ask the staff member to send the self-assessment review form back to you at least one week before the review is scheduled to take place.

The self-assessment review form is brilliant for performance reviews because it means the staff member writes down exactly how they feel about their work and how they believe they have contributed to the organization.

You can send the staff member the invitation to attend the performance review and the self-assessment review form by email. Here is a template email for you to send…

Dear (INSERT NAME),

RE: Performance review.

I am inviting you to attend a performance review on (INSERT DATE & TIME) at (INSERT LOCATION).

To ensure we get the most from your performance review, I request that you complete the attached self-assessment review form and return it to me no later than (INSERT DATE).

I look forward to seeing you at the performance review on (INSERT DATE).

Kind regards,

INSERT YOUR NAME

OK, now later in the video, I will tell you where you can download my ready-made self-assessment review form in an editable Word document. But, before I do that, let me quickly explain the different sections contained in the self-assessment review form before we move on to step 4 of the performance review process.

The self-assessment review form consists of six sections as follows:

SELF-ASSESSMENT REVIEW FORM SECTION 1. Job and Action Plan Review

(a) Do you have an up-to-date job description?

• Yes
• No

(b) Do you have an up-to-date action plan?

• Yes
• No

(c) Do you understand all the requirements of your job?

• Yes
• No

(d) Do you have regular opportunities to discuss your work and action plans?

• Yes
• No

(e) Have you carried out the improvements agreed upon with your manager during the last performance review meeting?

• Yes
• No

SELF-ASSESSMENT REVIEW FORM SECTION 2. Accomplishments and Innovations

What have you accomplished beyond the minimum requirements of your job description during the review period? Consider both early and recent achievements. Have you made any innovations?

SELF-ASSESSMENT REVIEW FORM SECTION 3. Difficulties and Obstacles

List any difficulties you have faced in carrying out your work. Were there any obstacles beyond your control that prevented you from performing effectively?

SELF-ASSESSMENT REVIEW FORM SECTION 4. Job Performance Analysis

(a) What parts of your job do you do best?

(b) What parts of your job do you do less well?

(c) What parts of your job do you have difficulty with?

(d) What parts of your job do you fail to enjoy?

SELF-ASSESSMENT REVIEW FORM SECTION 5. Untapped Skills and Knowledge

Do you have any skills, aptitudes, or knowledge not fully utilized in your job? If so, what are they, and how could they be utilized?

SELF-ASSESSMENT REVIEW FORM SECTION 6. Training and Development

Can you suggest any training that would help improve your performance or development?

So, as you can see, asking the staff member to complete the self-assessment review form is powerful. It gets them to tell you how they feel about their job, their strengths, and areas for improving.

OK, now that we know what is contained in the self-assessment review form the staff member must complete and send back to you, let’s move on to step 4 of the performance review process.

STEP 4 – Is to make sure you read the self-assessment review form carefully before the performance review takes place so you are fully prepared. Before the performance review, you must also write down a list of objectives you want the staff member to achieve in the next 6 months.

STEP 5 – Is to then conduct the performance review with the staff member at the agreed date, time and location. Make sure you use a standard performance review form like this one. Again, very soon I will tell you where you can download it. On this form there are 8 sections as follows:

SECTION 1 – Employee Information

• Name:
• Job Title:
• Department:
• Manager:
• Date of Meeting:

SECTION 2 – Performance Evaluation

Discuss key job areas and summarize achievements relative to previously agreed objectives.

SECTION 3 – Development Overview

Highlight areas of particularly strong performance and achievements.

Identify where further training or support is necessary.

SECTION 4 – Development and Training Needs

Specify training and development activities needed, including any suitable courses, projects, coaching, or experiences needed to enhance the staff members skills and competencies.

SECTION 5 – Career Aspirations

Document any specific departmental or company areas the employee is interested in pursuing further, including aspirations for promotion.

SECTION 6 – Additional Discussion Points

Note any other relevant topics discussed during the appraisal meeting including relevant points from the self-assessment review form.

SECTION 7 – Performance Assessment

In this section of the form, you will grade the staff members performance as either:

• Outstanding Performance: Objectives exceeded; competencies more than fully demonstrated.
• Standard Performance: Objectives met; competencies fully demonstrated at required levels.
• Needs Improvement: Most objectives met; further development needed to fully meet all objectives.
• Unsatisfactory Performance: Objectives not met; competencies not demonstrated.

SECTION 8 – Objectives for the next 6 months

List the objectives you want the staff member to achieve.

STEP 6 – Once the review is complete, send a copy of the completed performance review form back to the employee by email for them to check over and confirm they are satisfied with the contents before you both sign the form.

You and the staff member will both keep a copy of the form, and a copy should be maintained in the staff members employment record file.

TIP #1. Is to take your time with the performance review – do not rush it.

If the staff member feels the performance review is just a tick box exercise, it will lose its value. Whenever I conducted performance reviews, they would take up to one hour to complete with each staff member.

TIP #2. Keep your communication and notes clear and concise.

If you aren’t direct and transparent with employees during evaluations, you risk causing confusion and misunderstandings about expectations. To ensure clarity, use specifics whenever possible. For example, if an employee scores low in meeting targets or deadlines, provide examples or instances where the company failed to achieve its objectives.

The same principle applies to setting goals. Ensure all goals include a timeframe and measurable criteria. This will help staff members understand how success or failure is determined.

TIP #3. Avoid bias.

Bias in a performance review refers to the presence of prejudiced or skewed judgment that can affect the fairness and accuracy of the evaluation. To reduce bias, use a structured format and obtain 360 degree feedback – the self-assessment review form completed by the staff member will go a long way to reducing pre-judgement and bias!

TIP #4. Consistency.

Be consistent with all staff members during the performance review process. Treat everyone fairly and equally.

TIP #5. Strike a good balance of feedback and praise.

Honest feedback in performance reviews is essential but is also very important to give praise where it is due. You should always try to end the performance review on a positive, perhaps saving your best praise of the staff members performance until last!