Practicing Back of the Napkin Performance Management
If only performance management were that easy. Over dinner my HR pals were lamenting existing performance management systems. They are either too data driven, too vague, or just long. Employees hate them, managers hate them, and, apparently, most HR people hate them too! One colleague’s company has stopped doing performance appraisals all together.
So why do we bother with appraisals? To recap performance highs and lows, to set actionable and meaningful goals for the coming year, and to identify any disconnects between employee and manager views of performance. As managers, sometimes we help, and sometimes we hinder, our staff member’s ability to be successful. We need to be open to hearing that feedback in a two-way dialogue during conversations and appraisals.
I am currently working with a client to develop an appraisal system. While we will have a formal appraisal format, process, and development planning, we also need a common framework for people to feel comfortable providing constructive and balanced feedback. I remembered a simple system my good friend Jim (who is neither common nor simple) used with staff members. Yes, it is the Stop. Start. Continue. Method.
We hope this month’s article will help you and your team members quickly, tactfully and comfortably give regular feedback to others in your organization.
If only performance management were that easy. Over dinner my HR pals were lamenting existing performance management systems. They are either too data driven, too vague, or just long. Employees hate them, managers hate them, and, apparently, most HR people hate them too! One colleague’s company has stopped doing performance appraisals all together.
So why do we bother with appraisals? To recap performance highs and lows, to set actionable and meaningful goals for the coming year, and to identify any disconnects between employee and manager views of performance. As managers, sometimes we help, and sometimes we hinder, our staff member’s ability to be successful. We need to be open to hearing that feedback in a two-way dialogue during conversations and appraisals.
I am currently working with a client to develop an appraisal system. While we will have a formal appraisal format, process, and development planning, we also need a common framework for people to feel comfortable providing constructive and balanced feedback. I remembered a simple system my good friend Jim (who is neither common nor simple) used with staff members. Yes, it is the Stop. Start. Continue. Method.
We hope this month’s article will help you and your team members quickly, tactfully and comfortably give regular feedback to others in your organization.
How does it work?
These simple categories can be used for periodic pulse checks between employees and managers, coworkers, or for department operations. Create a forum for people to share feedback that is balanced – some 360 assessments tend to run to the negative. This system forces a person to step back and identify positives, negatives, and opportunities. How might this play out?
Manager to Employee
Stop: Stop bringing problems to me without at least 1 potential solution. Even if it isn’t the optimal solution, it will stretch your thinking and increase your value to the team.
Start: Start working on your APICS certification. It will increase your ability to grow in the organization.
Continue: Continue the great work streamlining the monthly reports. The data is much more user friendly and informative.
Employee to Manager
Stop: Stop opening my closed office door while I am meeting with others.
Start: Start letting me know whether my reports I give you are too detailed or have too many graphs.
Continue: Continue encouraging me to work on cross-functional projects.
Peer to Peer
Stop: Stop leaving the coffee pot empty.
Start: Start sharing some of the information you are learning at your Excel class.
Continue: Teaching me the more complex and advanced procedures.
People can remember and work on 3 things. They are not likely to remember whether they were a 3 or a 3.5 on productivity and attendance measures.
Try it. Take two minutes to write down a Start. Stop. Continue. for one of your coworkers. I bet you can do it in less than two minutes, and feel comfortable both giving and receiving feedback.
Good luck!
These simple categories can be used for periodic pulse checks between employees and managers, coworkers, or for department operations. Create a forum for people to share feedback that is balanced – some 360 assessments tend to run to the negative. This system forces a person to step back and identify positives, negatives, and opportunities. How might this play out?
Manager to Employee
Stop: Stop bringing problems to me without at least 1 potential solution. Even if it isn’t the optimal solution, it will stretch your thinking and increase your value to the team.
Start: Start working on your APICS certification. It will increase your ability to grow in the organization.
Continue: Continue the great work streamlining the monthly reports. The data is much more user friendly and informative.
Employee to Manager
Stop: Stop opening my closed office door while I am meeting with others.
Start: Start letting me know whether my reports I give you are too detailed or have too many graphs.
Continue: Continue encouraging me to work on cross-functional projects.
Peer to Peer
Stop: Stop leaving the coffee pot empty.
Start: Start sharing some of the information you are learning at your Excel class.
Continue: Teaching me the more complex and advanced procedures.
People can remember and work on 3 things. They are not likely to remember whether they were a 3 or a 3.5 on productivity and attendance measures.
Try it. Take two minutes to write down a Start. Stop. Continue. for one of your coworkers. I bet you can do it in less than two minutes, and feel comfortable both giving and receiving feedback.
Good luck!
