It's that time of year where everyone is scrambling to do their performance reviews... Sadly, this is a process avoided and dreaded by many. I think there's a way to make it enjoyable, beneficial and of true service. Regardless of what end of the process you're sitting at, the coach approach can help. Enjoy!

1. A coach approach
to performance
management
Having feedback conversations that
don't suck...

2. 58%of businesses think that performance
management processes are not an
effective use of their time (Deloitte).

3. Performance evaluation is
not punishment
Approach it with the right mindset and attitude. You
will always act accordingly to what you believe
about the process. You choose what to believe.

4. Be curious and
interested
Going into difficult topics with curiosity
and problem solving attitude sets the
right tone. Focus on getting to the bottom
of things and figuring out how come you
got 'X' instead of 'Y'.

5. Separate person
from problem
Tackle specific issues pertaining to behaviors and
actions, not personality and character traits. People
are who they are and that's OK. Performance
evaluation is about what you're doing, not who you are.

6. Ask more, tell less
Utilize open ended questions (How, What, Where, etc.)
Listen with intent to understand, not to respond. Don't
be quick to judge. With each person, there is always a
story that you know nothing about.

7. Learn from the past,
focus on the future
Learn from previous experiences, but focus on what
you can influence and change. That's typically in the
future. Feed forward, don't feed back.

8. “Criticism, like rain, should
be gentle enough to nourish
a man’s growth without
destroying his roots.”
– Frank A. Clark

9. Empathize
Encourage
Empower
You can never have too much of these 😉

10. Celebrate the
good
Recognize the wins. Be thankful for them
and work to expand and grow them
further.

11. Do this more often
than 1 in 365 days
Conversations around performance and feedback should
be a regular occurrence. Some do it spontaneously.
Establish what works for you best and make it a part of
'how things are done around here'.

12. Thank You!