Stress and Performance Reviews

Do you panic when annual performance review time approaches? Do you get writer’s block when you have to comment about performance issues? You are not alone…

Many managers panic when it is review time. It can be a very stressful part of being a leader. They ask me for advice on how to tell an employee that they are not meeting their expectations. They stress and fret over the wording and how the employee will react to the criticism.

When I coach managers on this or lead training sessions on performance management, I point out that performance coaching is an ongoing process. If employees are caught off-guard at review time by "out-of-the-blue" comments on their performance review, then they have not been effectively coached the rest of the year. The performance review should ideally be the final documentation of a series of coaching conversations. The continuous dialogue between leaders and their subordinates should produce some conclusions about areas that need work. There should not be any surprises at the annual review time.

If a manager is stressed out due to review time, I explain that it is time to work on their ongoing coaching skills so that next year will be better. I use a parenting analogy, "If you didn't let your toddler know that biting is not socially acceptable when it happened, and waited until an annual behavior modifying conversation - how many bite marks (or other behavioral issues) would you be talking about?".

Once they understand that coaching is an ongoing process, we strategize some damage control for the current reviews. The best strategy is simply to be honest and admit to subordinates that coaching has not happened as the manager would have liked and that things will be changing. Explain to team members that this review is a starting point for a dialogue on their professional development. Suggest weekly meetings if necessary to get in the habit of regular coaching conversations. I also suggest that they begin recording any incident as they happen - good or bad. This ongoing documentation of performance strengths or weaknesses and the results from informal coaching sessions provides content for the annual review and takes away the surprise element.

Copyright © 2006, Joni Rose and Suite 101. All rights reserved. Any unauthorized use will constitute an infringement of copyright.