Top Tips for ConductingSuccessful Performance Evaluations
Proven strategies and best practices for making the most of evaluations.
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4Arrange the discussion by getting organized and communicating.
Get organized.
• Findatimeandplacethatworksforbothofyou.• Makesurethelocationisprivate.• Scheduleenoughtimesoyoudon’thavetorushandareabletobothspeakandlisten.
Communicate in advance.
• Letyourstaffknowwhentheprocessisstarting.• Conveyyourenthusiasmfortheprocess–boththeopportunitytorecognizeandacknowledgegreatworkaswellastheopportunitytoidentifymutuallyagreeduponsolutionstochallenges.
• Askstaffmemberstoprepare(seetip#5).
Prepare for the meeting.• Reviewthestaffmember’sactivitiesfromtheentireyearbylookingovertheirfile,kudosreceived,one-on-onemeetingnotes,progressongoals,andworkshopsorothertrainingattended.
• Makenotesaboutaccomplishmentsyouwanttorecog-nizeandcoachingyouwanttoprovide.
• ConnectemployeeperformancetothemissionandgoalsoftheunitandVanderbilt,andbepreparedtodescribehowitfurthersthemission.
• Createanagendaforthesessionthatincludestheitemsaboveandbuildsintimeforyoutolistentofeedback.
Help your staff members prepare.Themostrewardingperformanceevaluationsforbothmanagersandstaffaretwo-wayconversations.Providingguidancetoyourstaffmemberabouthowtopreparefortheevaluationwillincreasethelikelihoodthatyouwillhaveameaningfulandproductivediscussion.Whenyouarrangethemeetings,suggestemployeescomepreparedtodiscuss:• Accomplishmentsduringtheyear-whataretheyproudof?• Thelessonstheylearnedduringtheyear–whatcouldthey
havedonebetter,whatwouldtheydoinafuturesitua-tion,andwhatsupportdotheyneedtobesuccessful?
• Coachingandsupportneeded–whathelpdotheyneedfromyouinordertobesuccessful?
• Progressongoals–goalsmetandunmet.Iftheydidn’tmeettheirgoals,whatweretheobstacles?Dotheyhaveanysuggestionsforovercomingtheobstaclesandcanyouproblem-solvetogetherforfuturesuccess?
• Professionaldevelopment–wouldtheyliketraining,men-toringorotherlearningopportunities?
• Careerdevelopment–whataretheircareerplansandistheresomethingyoucandotohelpthem?
Take an interest in your employees’ professional and career development–itshowsthatyouarecommittedtotheirsuccessandenhancestheiroverallengagementandsatisfaction.Thisdoesnotmeanthatyouneedtohavealltheanswersforthemorpromisethemthatapromotionisforthcoming.Astheirleader,yourroleissimplytoguide,coach,andwherepossible,provideopportunitiestogrowanddevelop.HelpingyouremployeecreateanIndividual Development Plan (IDP)isagoodfirststep.
Use optional self-evaluations thoughtfully, butkeepinmindthatwhilecomparingyourevaluationwiththestaffmember’sself-evaluationcangeneratehealthydiscussionandinsights,usingtheself-evaluationasthefinalevaluationwillnotservetheevaluationgoalatall.Ifyouwouldliketohaveyouremployeescompleteaself-evaluationusingtheonlinetool(VPES),seedirectionsforuniversity employeesandformedical center employees.
Create a dialogue.• Plantobeanactivelistener.• Allowampleopportunitiesforyourstaffmembertorespondtoyourcomments.
• Remembertoaskyourstaffmemberwhatheorsheneedsfromyou.
• Workonproblem-solvingtogetherratherthanblaming.• Trynottoresponddefensively.Ifthestaffmemberhasanangryoremotionalresponse,rememberto:• Listen.Pause.Breathe.• Thinkabouttheemotionsyouarebothexperiencingandwheretheymaybecomingfrom.
• Respondbyreflectingbackwhatyouthinkthestaffmemberisfeeling.Becurious,askquestions.Kindlyrestateyourpoint.
Do’s and don’ts.Do:• Problem-solve.• Focusontheentireyear.• Bespecific.• IntegratewiththemissionandgoalsoftheteamandVanderbilt.
• Askfortheiropinions,sug-gestions,accomplishments,goalsandneeds.
Don’t:• Blame.• Selectonlyrecentactivities.• Generalize.• Focusonactions,goalsandobjectivesthatdon’tcon-necttoteamandorganiza-tionalgoals.
• Doallthetalking.
Top Tips for Conducting Successful Performance Evaluations
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8Use the ratings effectively.• Reviewandmakekeynotesabouttheemployee’spreviousevaluation,bothscoresandcomments.Didtheemployeetakespecificactionstoimproveperformanceoverthelastyear?
• Accesswhetherthekeyfunctionsforwhichyouusetoevaluateperformanceremainvalidmeasurementsoftheemployee’sjobresponsibilities.Ifnot,pleasemakenotestochangethekeyfunctionsforthenextevalua-tionseason?
• Brieflyoverviewthegenericscoringtemplatetore-famil-iarizeyourselfwiththelevelsofperformancemeasures.
• Ifyouaskyouremployeestocompleteself-evaluations,taketimetoevaluatetheirperformanceseparatelyfromtheemployee’sself-evaluation.Compareyourratingswiththeemployee’sself-ratings.Makenotesofalignmentanddifferencesthendeterminefinalratings.Thecommentsintheevaluationshouldreflectthesupervisor’sassessmentseparatelyfromanyemployeecommentsthataremadeandagreeduponbythesupervisor.
Set goals -- together.
Look at last year’s goals.
• Howdiditgo?Lettheemployeetellyouwhatheorshethinks.
• Giveyourfeedback.• Celebrateaccomplishedgoals!• Forunmetgoals,talkaboutwhynot:
• Wasitapersonalobstacleorsomethingwithincontrol?Ifso,howcanyouencourageandsupportsuccess?
• Wasitanexternalobstacleorsomethingoutsideofcontrol?Ifso,istheresomethingyoudototakecareoftheobstacle?Canyourefocusonwhatisattainable?
Set goals for next year.
• Encourageyourstaffmembertoidentifygoalsthatheorshewantstoworkon,especiallythosethatalignwiththeteamgoals.
• Askthestaffmembertowriteadraftcopytogooverwithyou.
• MakegoalsSMART(Specific,Measurable,Aspirational,Realistic,Timebound).
Coach to improve performance.
Providingconstructivefeedbacktoyouremployeesshowsthatyoucareaboutthemandwanttohelpthemsucceed.Effectivemanagersaddressmajorperformanceissuesatthetimetheyoccur,sothereshouldn’tbesurprisesattheevaluation.Ontheotherhand,youmayhavesugges-tionsforimprovementstoenhanceanemployee’soverallperformance,helphimorhermovefromgoodtogreat,ormoreeffectivelyalignactivitiestotheteam’smissionandgoals.Givingconstructivefeedbackwillprovidedirectionforthecomingyearandclarifyexpectations.
How to provide constructive feedback:• Beforetheevaluationmeeting,identifythebehaviororbehaviorsthatneedimprovement.Describehowtheim-provementswillhaveapositiveimpactontheteam’sororganization’smissionortheemployee’sgoals,profes-sionalgrowthorjobfunctions.
• Providepositivefeedbackfirst.• Describethebehaviorthatneedsimprovement.• Asktheemployeeforrecommendationstocorrectthebehavior.Ifheorshesuggestsaworkablesolution,giveyourapprovalandyourexpectationforimprovedper-formance.Iftheemployeeisunabletoofferasolution,problem-solvetogether.
• Clarifytheagreementanddeterminenextsteps.Setatimetofollowup.
• Reiteratepositivekeypointsfromyourearlierdiscussion.• Thanktheemployeeandmakeitclearthatyourgoalistoseehimorhersucceed.
Ifyouanticipatethatthiswillbeaverydifficultconversa-tion,pleaserememberthatthereistrainingavailablefor medical center and university leaders.