By: Helene Tracey, M.Ed.

As the holiday season appears in the rearview mirror, realize this article’s title, for many, is an applicable phase for the holiday season. Tweak just it a bit to “the reason for the rating” and the phrase applies to the work nearly every manager whose organization still executes a traditional Performance Management process at years’ end is now likely undertaking.

Non-modernized performance processes have managers do a lot of work with ratings behind the scenes to make sure the ratings makes sense to senior leaders and align to a bell curve. (See more about this (See Laszlo Bock’s Work Rules.) Managers also ensure that the budget for bonuses and salary increases has not been overspent. (Non-modernized performance management processes have not unbundled performance management from compensation. Others factors that make the process non-modern include not acknowledging our inability to accurately rate others; underestimating the widespread bias at play at work; under-appreciating the benefit of employees working autonomously; and misapplying the science behind behavior change.)

If you are stuck with a non-modernized process, going rogue by not doing any of the processes or just going through the motions of it aren’t effective alternatives if you want to create conditions for optimal performance.  You can be more effective in your efforts by making a few “in-bound” tweaks.

First, don’t be selectively smart. You are very likely aware of the best interactions you have with your team regarding interpersonal effectiveness. You are also likely aware of flawed processes that have the same appeal as aptly described by the following phase from the Grinch song written by Theodor “Dr. Seuss” Geisel: “a three-decker sauerkraut and toadstool sandwich with arsenic sauce.” Executing a sauerkraut and toadstool performance management process can cause some managers to explain to their employees, “HR makes me do this.” (Makes one wonder if someone told those managers to jump off a cliff, . . . .) Flawed execution of this process could also include providing feedback on incidents that happened in the distant past or sharing feedback from non-identified sources. In moments of great clarity and wisdom, managers would never consider executing practices they know to be ineffective regarding performance management; that is, they would not be selectively smart.

Second, imagine alternatives. Try any or all of the following actions.

Tell less. Listen More. If employees have done a self-assessment, have a discussion about it as soon as possible by asking a few open-ended questions. If self-assessments are not an official part of your process, ask your employee capture on paper his/her most significant work or outcomes of the year. Review this information or the assessment before discussing it with him or her so you can reflect on it. Don’t call this first conversation a “performance review”! It’s not. It is an opportunity for you to gain your employee’s perspective on his/her work, accomplishments, and interests. Mine the conversation for nuggets aligned to your employee’s strengths. Ask questions about assignments that hold interest and areas of keen curiosity. Your goal is to make a genuine connection with your employee while looking ahead and agreeing on work that aligns to your employee’s strengths. As the performance management process unfolds over time at your company to conduct “performance reviews,” use this conversation as a foundation for the review. It could help the actual review be less de-motivating for your employee.

Ask yourself questions. Benefit from the interesting work Marcus Buckingham is doing work (See Marcus Buckingham’s blog.”. An interpretation of his work regarding managers executing performance management includes them asking themselves questions like, “Would I assign this major project to the person again?” “Would I hire this person again?” “Would I allocate a great portion of the bonus budget to this person?” Note, the manager is reflecting on his/her actions, not the actions (performance) of others thus avoiding rater bias, which leads to unreliability in ratings.)

Describe the business’ results. Talk about the company’s financial performance and other key metrics based on information that has already been shared or made public. Listen for your employee to respond to your explanation of these results to ensure you are both on the same page. The intent is to set realistic expectations for salary increases without talking out of turn.  (After all, many employees have suffered through poor performance reviews for years and have given up on them being helpful so their keenest curiosity could be about money.)

Be clear on the reason.  Research tells us we retain a part of the brain from prehistoric days that causes us to be threatened when others rate us. More importantly, research also tells us we are not effective when rating others even with mind-blowing spreadsheets that can calculate a rating to the nearest one-thousandth. Thinking the complexity of such a spreadsheet can help you objectively rate someone one is like believing a thousand words can help a color blind person fully appreciate the many shades of green found in an Irish landscape. Express the reasons you view his/her performance was on the mark, off the mark, or beyond it. Then, listen. Likely, key information will be shared and conditions for better performance created. If your perspective of the performance is off the mark and this is a surprise, explain your delay. Apologize and commit to being more regularly available in the future to listen to your employee as he/she reports progress/barriers, and/or requests your assistance or guidance.

Lastly, make the best of a less-than-ideal process by having thoughtful conversations with your employees; connecting with them regarding work that aligns to their strengths; and explaining how you see their work based on reasons you both agree to.  Most importantly, volunteer to partner with HR to make 2018 the last year for non-modernized performance management.