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Messy Performance Reviews:What to Do and Say

A Presentation by

Dick Grote

March 25, 2010

Copyright © Grote Consulting Corporation 1990-2010

About Dick GroteA consultant for over 25 years specializing exclusively in performance management.

A regular commentator on NPR’s “MorningEdition” program.

Adjunct Professor of Management at the University of Dallas Graduate School.

Author of:

Discipline Without Punishment The Complete Guide to Performance Appraisal The Performance Appraisal Question and Answer Book Forced Ranking: Making Performance Management Work


Messy Performance Reviews . . .

Performance reviews that we conduct as part of our organization's performance management system.

Performance discussions that we conduct independent of the formal performance appraisal system that are triggered by a concern we have about an employee’s performance.


Why Performance Management So Often Goes Wrong . . .

1. PerformanceAssessment:

Fill out the form

1. PerformanceAssessment:

Fill out the form

2. PerformanceReview:

Tell Charlie how he did

2. PerformanceReview:

Tell Charlie how he did


An Ideal Performance Management System

Phase I:Performance

Planning

Phase I:Performance

Planning

Phase II:Performance

Execution

Phase II:Performance

Execution

Phase III:PerformanceAssessment


Phase IV:Performance

Review


Review


Key Point:

We earn the right to hold people accountable for their performance at the end of the year by making our expectations clear at the start of the year.


Big Question # 1

Why do we do performance appraisal?


Answer: It’s an ethical obligation

Every person in every organization wants the answer to two questions:

1. What do you expect of me?

2. How am I doing at meeting your expectations?


The Myth of

Quantifiability


Measures of Performance


Big Question # 2

What is a performance appraisal?


Answer :

A performance appraisalis a formal record

of a supervisor’s opinion of the quality of an employee’s work.


The operant word . . .


of a supervisor’s opinionof the quality of an employee’s work.


What does “objective” mean?

ob·jec·tive adjective Abbr. obj.

1. Of or having to do with a material object.

2. Having actual existence or reality.

3. a. Uninfluenced by emotions or personal prejudices: an objective

critic. See synonyms at fair1. b. Based on observable

phenomena; presented factually: an objective appraisal.

Excerpted from The American HeritageDictionary of the English Language, Third EditionCopyright © 2002 by Houghton Mifflin Company.


What is “an objective appraiser?”

Has a clear model of excellence.

Is trained and experienced.

Acts with integrity.


What about employee self-appraisal?

The Problem:


What about employee self-appraisal?

The Problem:

The infinite human capacity

for self-delusion.


Self-DelusionAre you one of the top 10% of performers in your company?

Business Week, August 20, 2007Survey of 2,000 Americans in middle management and above, 25 years and older, conducted by Beta Research Corp.

of Syosset, N.Y., for BusinessWeek during June 28 to July 5, 2007, using an online panel. Margin of sampling error is plus or minus 2.2%.


Avoiding problems with employee self-appraisal

1. Avoid asking for a self-rating.

2. Avoid using the appraisal form.

3. Refer to your document as the “official appraisal.”

4. Instead of a self-appraisal, request a “good stuff list.”


Remember!


of a supervisor’s opinionof the quality of an employee’s work.


Keep in mind . . .

A performance appraisal rating represents a summing up of an individual’s performance for one 12-month period.

It is not a lifetime achievement award.




Review


Review


Big Question # 3

What is the objective of the performance

appraisal discussion?


Answer :

The objective of the performance appraisal discussion

is not to gain agreement.

The objective of the discussion is to gain understanding.


Pre - Meeting Checklist

Gather all your information and materials.

Choose a convenient time.

Pick an appropriate place.

Consider facilities and room arrangement.

Determine the agenda.

Arrange for work coverage.

Give the individual a copy of the appraisal to read in advance of the meeting.


How to conduct appraisal discussions



RESULTS



B

EHA

VIO

RS

RESULTS



Gre

at

BEH

AVI

OR

S Po

or

Poor Great

RESULTS



Gre

at

Star

BEH

AVI

OR

S Po

or

Poor Great

RESULTS



Gre

at

Star

Journeyman

BEH

AVI

OR

S Po

or

Poor Great

RESULTS



Gre

at

Star

Journeyman

BEH

AVI

OR

S Po

or

Failure

Poor Great

RESULTS



Gre

at Lovable

Loser Star

Journeyman

BEH

AVI

OR

S Po

or

Failure

Poor Great

RESULTS



Gre

at Lovable

Loser Star

Journeyman

BEH

AVI

OR

S Po

or

Failure Prima Donna

Poor Great

RESULTS



Gre

at Lovable

Loser Star

Journeyman

ATT

ITU

DE

Poor

Failure Prima Donna

Poor Great

RESULTS

Goal:To thank the person for their contri-butions and motivate continued high performance.



Gre

at Lovable

Loser Star

Journeyman

BEH

AVI

OR

S Po

or

Failure Prima Donna

Poor Great

RESULTS



Gre

at Lovable

Loser Star

Journeyman

BEH

AVI

OR

S Po

or

Failure Prima Donna

Poor Great

RESULTS

Goal:• Let the individual

know that he or she must make immediateperformance improvements



Gre

at Lovable

Loser Star

Journeyman

BEH

AVI

OR

S Po

or

Failure Prima Donna

Poor Great

RESULTS


The Myth of

“No surprises . . .”


Reviewing Low Performers

Don’t provide a copy of the appraisal in advance.

Get right to the point.“Come in, George, sit down. I’ve got some bad news for you. I’ve got your performance appraisal here, and quite frankly, it isn't very good.

“I need you to read it, and then we’ll talk about what you need to do.”

Let the individual read and respond.


How to Deal with Messy Issues

What is a “messy issue?”An issue / problem / failing that is of sufficient importance that the individual's overall job performance is compromised.

An issue / problem / failing that is grounded in the manager’s perceptions and may not be provable with quantitative data.

An issue / problem / failing that will result in adverse action being taken if there is not an immediate improvement or correction.


How to Deal with Messy Issues

Key points on confronting messy issues:The manager’s perception is the crucial factor in determining whether the issue is important.

The individual is responsible for managing the manager’s perceptions.

The individual is responsible for finding and implementing a solution. The manager’s role is to be an advisor and a coach, not a problem-solver.


Examples of “Messy Issues”Annoying / offensive behaviors Insubordinate

Careless / frivolous Lazy /Goofing off

Complaining / Whining / Crabby Malicious obedience

Defensiveness / Excuses Negative / Cynical

Disruptive/ Explosive Pouting / Sulking

Egotistical / Credit-grabbing Rude / Surly / Inconsiderate

Inattentive to Work Quarrelsome

Insensitive to others Poor time management

Insufficient technical skills Excessive socializing


Messy Issues – Preparation

1. Write down all of the examples you have seen (or have had reported to you) that confirm that your perception is accurate.

2. Identify the Impact: the good business reasons why this issue creates a problem for you / your organization / your boss / customers / co-workers, etc.

3. Consider the consequences that will logically follow if the person is unable or unwilling to resolve the situation to your satisfaction.

4. Don't attempt to diagnose the cause of the problem or the reasonwhy the person is acting the way he/she is.

5. Consider some suggestions for how the individual might solve theproblem and change your perception – but remember that the responsibility for solving the problem rests with the individual.


Messy Issues – Discussion

1. Bring up your concern using an “I-message.” For example:

“Betty, I have a concern about the way you interact with others that worries me.”

“George, I have a problem relating to the way you handle repair requests that I need to bring to your attention.”

“Harry, I’m concerned that you often don’t share important information with me.”



2. Provide the two or three of the most significant examples that support your concern.

“At our team meetings, you often seem to be distracted when other people are talking. I’ve noticed that you often fold your arms across your chest and shake your head in a negative way when others make suggestions. I’ve noticed that you work on your Blackberry when others are making presentations. And people have told me that you often don’t attend team meetings.”

“You seem to set your priorities by tackling the easy problems first and leaving the more difficult ones for others to pick up. It seems to me that you don't have all the technical capabilities we expect of someone in this position. When technical training opportunities come up, you haven’t signed up for them.”

“My boss made a reference last week to a new development in the Thompkins project that you’re in charge of that I wasn’t aware of. I felt caught off guard and ill-informed. You don’t come to me to share information – if I need to know anything, I have to go to you and ask questions. You seem to be very territorial and overly protective about what you’re doing.”



3. Make a brief statement about the impact of the problem.

“It’s important to me that we all function as a model team and demonstrate real teamwork. But you seem to be avoiding meeting both your team responsibilities as well as your individual responsibilities, and that has a negative effect on everyone.”

“I’ve heard rumblings among the other technicians that you cherry-pick the repairs and leave the tough ones for them. If they feel that way, our service scores are going to go way down and reflect a lot of user discontent with our group.”

“This causes me to look like I don’t know what’s going on in my own department.”



4. Turn the conversational ball over to the person by asking a question.

What I've shared with you is very serious. How would you respond to my observations?

Can you shed any light on why it is that I see the situation in the way that I do?

What would you do if you were me and had these concerns?



5. Listen to make sure that there isn't any information that would cause you to change your mind about the nature or seriousness of the problem.



6. Assign the individual the responsibility of solving the problem and changing your perception.

“What steps do you think you can take to make everyone see you as having the same commitment to the team that they do?”

“Do you think it’s possible for you to handle the same kind of complicated technical problems that the other technicians handle? How will you go about doing that?”

What suggestions do you have about how you can solve this problem and put this concern of mine to rest?”



7. If the problem involves interpersonal relations or inappropriate behavior, tell the individual what behavior is required: courteous, cooperative, and helpful.


How to Deal With Defensiveness

Allow it. It’s normal.

Restate the individual’s position.

Acknowledge their feelings.

Pause to allow your acceptance to sink in.

Ask for more information on their point of view.


Question period (and then . . .The Magic Ingredient!)

Want more info? [email protected]

Dick GroteGrote Consulting Corporation 2591 Dallas Parkway, Suite 300Frisco, TX 75034

972 335 6644

mailto:[email protected]


The Magic Ingredient . . .

Courage!

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