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Performance Reviews are coming up - and so are our heart rates.

Published almost 2 years ago • 1 min read

Oh hello!

Performance Reviews are awful. I hate them so much.

Just me?

And now it’s that moment in the year when performance reviews suddenly emerge from the abyss like the loch ness monster.

Whether you’re a manager of a team of 12 (oh goodness) or handling 10 peer reviews, this time of year is exhausting.

Maybe you’re the lucky few that only have to do annual reviews.

But that means come November you’re going to be rushing out the door for the holidays while scrambling to finish up the reviews that are already late, and suddenly someone just found budget for a final project and can you also finish that?

It’s incredibly difficult to enjoy performance reviews. And there’s so many reasons why.

Here are just a handful of stats to ensure you know you’re not alone in hating performance reviews:

  • It takes an average of 210 hours for a manager to work on performance management activities - that’s FIVE WEEKS of work. FIVE WEEKS. (SHRM)
  • 9/10 managers aren’t a fan of their company’s review process - you’re not alone! (SHRM)
  • Half of employees are surprised by the rating they receive - and of those surprises…87% are a bad surprise - no wonder stomachs will cramp leading up to them! (Inside HR)

Mmm, I love when data supports my feelings.

This might make you want to throw in the towel, and say screw it - we’re going to skip this. However, there’s major benefit to have an opportunity to collect feedback on performance, share it, and recognize people - as well as make plans to recognize them more!

The trick is to change the way you think about collecting and delivering feedback.

So here are six way to improve performance reviews.

  1. Review people more often
  2. Make the reviews lightweight
  3. Include the right people in the process
  4. Try continuous feedback (instead, in addition? your call!)
  5. Connect the reviews to the rest of the picture
  6. Focus on strengths

Want to deep dive into these six ideas? Check out the blog post!

And... if you want to borrow (read: take) my performance review template... you can do that here.

Getting anxious about leading or attending your upcoming performance reviews?

Feel like you aren’t clear on how you want to advocate for your team or yourself?

Reach out.

Until next time.

xR

Learn Something New(sletter)

by Rikki Goldenberg

Subscribe to the Learn Something New(sletter) and you'll receive actionable, practical tips right in your inbox to try on a new personal or professional development concept. It's going to be fun. A former design researcher/strategist/consultant turned executive leadership and career coach, now I partner with badass folks to reorient their relationship with work and hang out on the edge of growth while they sort out what they want, and what they need.

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