Depending on your company’s program, you may meet every three or four months with each of your employees to discuss work performance. These interim reviews check that the milestones for standards are being achieved. The goal is to clarify any expectations that remain unclear, set plans for the next quarter to ensure continuation of current progress or get the employee back on track, and leave both you and the employee in agreement about the employee’s performance for the year to date.
These sessions also let you remind your employees about the department’s goals or broader, corporate values.
I don’t think I need to remind you that you have to level with your employees. If there are problems in their performance, you have to tell them. Failure to be up front with them about their work will only get you into trouble over the longer term—when you find you have no choice but to tell an employee that there’s a problem and he points out—rightly—that this is the first time he’s heard about it. Don’t wait until the end of the year, or until the employee is turned down for a promotion and you have to justify your decision.
If shortcomings are found, these meetings can evolve into problem-solving sessions to determine the reason behind the gap. If the employee has made significant accomplishments during the past quarter, you should congratulate her. On the other hand, if the session involved some change in goals or development of an action plan to address some performance weaknesses, you can wind it up by assuring the employee that you think she is capable of accomplishing the new or renewed goals.
Always aim to begin every one of your interim meetings (as well as the endof-year assessment) with a strong motivational statement and an easy question to help the employee relax. As you review the employee’s performance, provide the chance for comment first, with questions such as, “How do you think your performance went in this area?”
You will have your documentation in front of you. However, by allowing the employee to speak first, you encourage the process of self-assessment. In identifying where you have different perceptions, you can explore why.
Of course, give your employees time to prepare for these meetings. They will be better able to discuss their performance if they have had time to think objectively about their work.
If there are problems in an employee’s performance, encourage the employee to come up with a plan to deal with them. Offer your own ideas only if necessary. If you have identified serious or expansive problems in the employee’s performance, you may want to undertake counseling to give the employee the opportunity to turn around the situation before termination becomes necessary (see Coaching and Counseling Employees).
Of course, before you can correct a problem, the employee must acknowledge that one exists. It is important that the employee realizes the adverse impact of behavior on the unit’s workload; otherwise, the employee won’t truly commit to solving the problem. Explain how the performance has affected your unit or the organization as a whole. Ask questions to check that the employee has now accepted that there is a problem. Make sure that he or she fully understands what is wrong and the impact of allowing the situation to continue. If an employee questions the review, be prepared to show the documentation or notes you have maintained about the employee. Generally, well-reported incidents will convince your employee that your assessment is accurate.
Write up your conclusions at the end of the meeting, including agreed-on action plans.