The dreaded performance review conversation: Part 2
The art & science of giving feedback
In Part 1 of 'The dreaded performance review conversation', we got a ringside view of the barriers and biases that inhibit an open, honest conversation with a Manager and a Team member of Performance, recognising what is going well / not so well and what needs to be done about it
When it comes to getting a few things right in a Performance review conversation, one would be wise to start with a commitment to empathy and creating an environment of dialogue. Recognising the personal trials and tribulations of the other person and being able to establish an open context where fear and distrust do not tinge the conversation are pre-requisites. And doing so is a function of both verbal and non-verbal cues, the setting, the power distance, the warmth in the tone etc
With this essential hygiene being taken care of, a decent performance review conversation is a dialogue that can be broken into 2 key sections:
Feedback & Recognition
What's next & expectation setting
Part 2 of this series covers the 'Art & Science of giving Feedback', Part 3 will cover 'What's next & expectation setting'
Photo by Amy Hirschi on Unsplash
Feedback & Recognition
In my years of being at the receiving end of performance reviews, one of the aspects that I have always looked forward to is Feedback. I consider feedback to be amongst the most valuable gifts that you can receive from others. You may not always like what you hear and at times may not find it useful or actionable, but if you are open to receiving feedback from those with whom you work closely (or people in your personal life), you will more often than not find nuggets that can shine a light on things that you are unaware of or are consciously blind too - and when even one of these is a career-limiting part of your personality or behaviour, then the feedback is more than worth its weight in gold
Feedback is not a casual observation or a judgement, good feedback will reinforce positive attributes/behaviour and shine a light on areas of improvement or aspects that are limiting performance. Providing good feedback is a cultivated practise and it is possible to get better at it with time
In the context of Performance reviews, the following aspects are important to note
Feedback must be continuous:
The best performance review conversations are those in which there are no surprises between the Manager and the Team Member. If a manager takes on the onus of being open and candid throughout the year and is always creating opportunities to discuss performance and share feedback on what is going well or what should be better, then the Team member has so many more opportunities to work on it and get better. The point to remember is that feedback need not be only about what should be done better but also to recognise what has gone well and appreciate it. Many a time, we don't lend importance to positive feedback and recognition
Feedback must be timely:
A necessary corollary to continuous feedback is that it is best shared when the context is relevant and will be easily understood. For example, if a Team member turned out a less than thought through plan and did not consider most of the possibilities and risks, then that would be an opportune moment to share feedback on what could have been done better. Similarly, if a key project was delivered successfully, overcoming obstacles and managing ambiguity, that too is a great moment to share feedback on what went well and why. This way, the team member can receive the feedback in the immediate context, relate to it and hopefully internalise it for future reference or action
Feedback must be specific:
The most common lament with feedback, especially developmental feedback is that it is generic and hence difficult to ascertain actionable out of. We saw some examples of this in Part 1 of Having good Performance review conversations. The onus here is on the Manager to observe, record and come prepared with the specifics. A useful structure to make feedback specific is:
"I observed that you did X, this had the impact/effect Y on Z. It would have been better if you did A, because of B & C reason(s)"
The beauty of this structure is that it refers to a recent action or event, summarises the impact it had on someone else (person or team or organisation or customer or partner etc) and also captures how it could have been done differently. With this, the Team member can relate to the feedback, understand the implication and also learn how to do it differently in the future
Feedback must be holistic:
Good & useful feedback is not always the perspective of the Manager. There is a lot of value in capturing & summarising feedback from peers, subordinates or other extended team members that one works closely with. Ultimately everyone views you from their perspective and this view is not always objective. We live in this world where we are being judged by others at various points in time and hence the manager can play his important role of being the messenger/synthesiser by seeking feedback from others who care enough to have a perspective on the employee. This makes more sense when you consider the fact that the team member is spending more time with her subordinates or peers than the manager and hence they have much more data points on which to base their views on
Feedback must be actionable:
All the great feedback in the world is worth nothing much if it is abstract and theoretical. Unless the team member can discern one or two things she or he should do differently as a result of this feedback, it is of no use. For example, telling someone they need to do better at dealing with ambiguity, is at best ambiguous in itself and hence only makes the team member more uncertain on what to do next. The challenge for the manager is to get specific about the implications of the feedback and what the team member should start, stop or continue to get better and grow
To close with a confession, giving Feedback is tough. It has been so more in my early years and it is with consistent practise and discipline of being continuous, timely, specific, holistic and actionable with my feedback that I have grown more comfortable with the process and hopefully have also managed to make my team members over the years, more comfortable to receiving direct, unvarnished and useful feedback from me
Giving good feedback is not just a requirement, it is an essential pre-condition to being a good manager. If you haven't already, the time to start is now!