For a long, long time, traditional year-end performance reviews have been the cornerstone of evaluating employee performance. Typically, these reviews involved a one-sided assessment where managers critique past performance, often leaving employees feeling judged rather than supported. But organizations and leaders are transforming performance reviews into moments of empowerment instead of evaluation and critique.
I have worked in the legal industry for many years. Most of the time, the lawyers I worked for conducted my performance review based on their assessment of my ability to support them and on the quality of my work product. If you know anything about working with lawyers, it can sometimes feel like you are expected to say “yes” to every single request or solve bizarre problems despite your know-how or capacity to take on more work. In one role, the office manager tirelessly chased lawyers down for their comments to present to the legal assistants and paralegals.
Coupled with the fact that one-on-ones happened only when there was a performance concern, the year-end performance review felt like I was being measured on likability and my “can do” attitude. It felt like nobody took the time to get to know me – my values, what motivates me, my challenges, my goals.
I had no idea how to grow in my role or work towards a promotion; I didn’t even know what a promotion could look like for me as a legal assistant; I didn’t know if my performance was aligned with company values and objectives; I didn’t know what value I was bringing to the company. In fact, I didn’t even know what the company objectives were. I just knew that my lawyers had a billable target to meet.
Needless to say, this outdated approach no longer meets the needs of today’s dynamic workplace. And it certainly holds no space in how I manage my team’s performance throughout the entire year.
To unlock the full potential of their teams, organizations must shift from a model of evaluation to one of empowerment. By transforming performance reviews into opportunities for growth and development, companies can improve individual performance and drive organizational success.
1. Prioritize Two-Way Conversations To Make Employees Feel Heard
The Importance of Dialogue: Why Performance Reviews Should Be More Than Just One-Sided Evaluations
A truly empowering performance review is a dialogue, not a monologue. Read that again.
When employees feel heard, it drives engagement, productivity, and profits. Research found that 74% of workers report being more effective at their job, 71% gain confidence to share ideas and feedback, and 74% feel more engaged at work when they feel heard.
Performance reviews should be collaborative discussions where both the manager and the employee share their perspectives.
A great way to do this is by encouraging team members to complete self assessments, discussed more below. While I do my best to be in lockstep with my team members, I am not watching over their shoulders all day. Self assessments help me to:
1. Gauge a team member’s commitment to their development. If I receive a 3-page self assessment and a 3-sentence self assessment – which employee is more engaged in their growth?
2. Get a better big-picture view of my team members’ efforts and contributions that I don’t have eyes on all the time, as well as the feedback they receive from team members.
3. Ensure a productive and meaningful performance discussion. I don’t have to spend the duration of the discussion learning about my team members’ accomplishments because they have already provided it to me beforehand. During the discussion, I can dive deeper and make connections between their contributions and achievements, their goals, and company objectives.
This two-way conversation allows for a more balanced evaluation, fostering mutual understanding and respect.
Active Listening Techniques: How to Create an Environment Where Employees Feel Comfortable Sharing Their Perspectives
Creating a space where employees feel comfortable expressing themselves is crucial. Active listening is key to this process.
Leaders should practice techniques such as maintaining eye contact, paraphrasing properly to confirm understanding, and asking open-ended questions.
If a team member shares that they made it through a challenging situation or task, ask more questions!
– What skills did they use to overcome the challenge?
– What did they learn about themselves along the way?
– What are they most proud about after overcoming the challenge?
– What are their takeaways that they will share with the team or use in future challenges?
These practices demonstrate that the leader values the employee’s input, which can lead to more honest and productive conversations.
Create Open Channels of Communication: Tools and Methods to Ensure Ongoing Feedback Beyond the Annual Review
Performance reviews shouldn’t be the only time employees receive feedback. Nothing in the annual performance review should ever be a surprise to the employee.
To maintain ongoing dialogue, organizations should implement tools and methods that encourage continuous communication. Regular check-ins, 360-degree feedback, and digital platforms that allow for real-time feedback can help keep the lines of communication open throughout the year.
This ongoing dialogue ensures that issues are addressed promptly and that employees have the support they need to succeed.
Have you ever received constructive feedback in your performance review and thought to yourself “why didn’t you tell me about this at the beginning of the year when you first observed this? I would have had the rest of the year to improve!”
People want to do good work. Don’t rob them of opportunities to improve.
2. Encourage Self-Assessment and Personal Goal-Setting
The Role of Self-Assessment in Growth: How Self-Assessment Fosters Accountability and Self-Awareness
Self-assessment is a powerful tool for personal and professional growth. By reflecting on their performance, employees gain greater self-awareness and take ownership of their development. When employees assess their strengths and areas for improvement, they become more accountable for their actions and are better prepared to take constructive feedback on board.
Guiding Employees in Setting Personal Goals: Techniques to Help Employees Set Meaningful, Achievable Goals
Personal goal-setting is a key part of the empowerment process. Managers should guide employees in setting specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) goals. These goals should not only align with the employee’s personal aspirations but also with the broader objectives of the organization. By setting clear goals, employees have a roadmap for their development, which can lead to increased motivation and productivity.
I have noticed that team members often struggle to set goals for themselves. My perception is that team members assume goal-setting is for those who want to move into leadership or into a different role. I challenge my team to think about their performance in the past year. What was some feedback they received they could act on? What was a challenge that the team or organization faced that they could have supported with in their role? When they think about how they want to show up each day, or what they want to be known for by their colleagues – did they show up that way most of the time?
Aligning Personal Goals with Organizational Objectives: Ensuring That Personal Growth Contributes to the Company’s Success
For performance reviews to be truly effective, there must be a clear alignment between personal goals and organizational objectives. When employees understand how their individual growth contributes to the success of the company, they are more likely to be committed and engaged. Managers should work with employees to ensure that their goals are not only personally fulfilling but also strategically aligned with the company’s mission and vision.
3. Offer Constructive Feedback That Fosters a Growth Mindset
The Art of Constructive Feedback: Balancing Positive Reinforcement with Areas for Improvement
Constructive feedback is essential for fostering a growth mindset. It’s important to balance positive reinforcement with suggestions for improvement. Praise should be specific and sincere, while areas for development should be framed as opportunities rather than criticisms.
I like to think of feedback as feedforward. “These are some of the ways I can see you propelling your performance to a higher level…“
I see a big difference between sending a redline of corrections back to someone to make corrections and taking the time to explain why substantive changes were made. In other words, explain the impact that the behaviour had and the adjustment you’d like to see going forward so it resonates with the other person.
This approach helps employees feel valued and motivated to improve.
Fostering a Growth Mindset: Encouraging Employees to View Challenges as Opportunities for Development
A growth mindset is the belief that abilities and intelligence can be developed through dedication and hard work. Encouraging this mindset in employees can lead to a more resilient and adaptable workforce.
In addition to emphasizing that challenges are opportunities for growth and that mistakes are a natural part of the learning process, managers should proactively create a culture of psychological safety and excellence over perfection. According to the Harvard Business Review, “a lot of what goes into creating a psychologically safe environment are good management practices — things like establishing clear norms and expectations so there is a sense of predictability and fairness; encouraging open communication and actively listening to employees; making sure team members feel supported; and showing appreciation and humility when people do speak up.” Other tactics include making clear why employees’ voices matter, admitting fallibility as a leader, actively inviting input from others, and responding productively and staying curious when people raise a new idea or give tough feedback.
By fostering a growth mindset and a culture of psychological safety where employees feel safe to take risks and make mistakes, organizations can create a culture of continuous improvement.
Building a Culture of Continuous Improvement: How Regular, Constructive Feedback Contributes to a Learning-Oriented Culture
When performance reviews focus on empowerment rather than evaluation, they contribute to a culture of continuous improvement.
But how do employees know if they are continuously improving if they’re discussing performance only once per year?
Regular, constructive feedback helps employees develop their skills and grow in their roles. A common misconception I had as a new leader was that giving feedback was a formal process. I envisioned sitting in an office with a team member, giving them a detailed account of something I noticed.
I am so glad I was wrong… kind of.
Yes, sometimes feedback does look like that, especially when there is a performance concern.
However, I incorporate feedback in to most of my interactions with my team members, but especially during each one-one-one meeting.
For instance, if a team member reaches out to me with a challenge they are having, and they ask to run their proposed solutions by me and get some coaching, I make a point to commend their solutions-driven approach as a way to positively reinforce the behaviour that they should continue with.
Alternatively, if a team member reaches out to me with a challenge and it is clear this person has put no effort in to framing the problem or finding solutions, I say to the person “I have some ideas, but first, I’d like for you to go back to the drawing board and figure out what is the real issue for you here, and then come back to me with some ideas and solutions that I can thought partner with you on.” I explain that this is an opportunity for the employee to show off their problem-solving abilities or commitment to excellence.
Again, tie this feedback to organizational objectives, expectations, and the employees’ goals.
Based on feedback, employees might spot opportunities for additional training, such as doing some research on building their problem-solving muscle, or learning more about managing stakeholders.
This learning-oriented culture not only benefits individual employees but also drives the organization forward, making it more competitive and innovative.
Transforming performance reviews from a process of evaluation to one of empowerment has far-reaching benefits for both employees and organizations. By making reviews a two-way conversation, encouraging self-assessment and goal-setting, and offering constructive feedback throughout the year that fosters a growth mindset, leaders can create an environment where employees feel supported and motivated to succeed.
