performance reviews Archives - Dennis E. Gilbert

08
Jan 18
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your performance review appreciative strategies

Finding The Truth About Your Performance Review

Tags : goals mismanagement peers performance reviews value

The performance review process is interesting to say the least. Despite the moans and groans that go along with it, many organizations adopt a process of an annual or semi-annual review. Is your performance review honest, effective, and well managed?

Mismanaged Reviews

I can provide dozens and dozens of stories and examples of how the process is mismanaged which ultimately leads to the belief that performance reviews are a waste of time and effort. I have to admit that if they are not well managed, they probably are not very valuable. In extreme mismanagement, they could even be detrimental.

Unfortunately, often the process is done at the last minute, or supervisors give employees who they favor accolades while blasting someone who did something wrong yesterday as if it represents an entire year of wrong doing. All of this is of course, wrong.

Do you want to know the truth about your performance review? Do you want to understand how to improve?

Your Performance Review

Consider doing the review yourself. Yes, this can be done, and if you manage it properly it can be very beneficial. You could also ask a few peers to provide some honest feedback.

your performance review

To get started the best way is ask yourself some tough questions, here are a few to consider:

What have I pushed myself to learn recently?
What am I doing better at?
Is my communication clear?
Am I listening well?
Have my sales skills improved (Hint: We all sell.)?
What mistakes have I made recently and what did I learn from them?
Are my goals appropriate (do I have goals?)?
Have I met or exceeded goals?
Who have I helped and who will I help next?
What value am I bringing to my job role and how can I bring more?

One of the best parts about your performance review is that you can do it often, check back regularly, and provide yourself with honest feedback.

Certainly, you may have some blind spots and it may be hard to recognize the expectations of others but if you consistently review yourself you’ll likely bring more value to the organization.

– DEG

Originally posted on January 8, 2018. Last updated on May 11, 2018.

Dennis E. Gilbert is a business consultant, speaker (CSP^TM), and corporate trainer that specializes in helping businesses and individuals accelerate their leadership, their team, and their success. He is a five-time author and some of his work includes, #CustServ The Customer Service Culture, and Forgotten Respect, Navigating A Multigenerational Workforce. Reach him through his website at Dennis-Gilbert.com or by calling +1 646.546.5553.

Dennis Gilbert on Google+

27
Dec 16
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Do You Need A Raise?

Tags : budget leadership merit performance reviews raise

Job raises are serious business. It isn’t something that most people or organizations take lightly. What about you, do you need a raise?

It’s certainly not a secret that most people desire compensation for the work that they perform. Sometimes in motivation seminars I urge participants to think about what else is important for them about their job. Not just the money, not the paycheck or the bonus, but what is really important to them about coming to work every day and putting in an honest effort.

Responses vary and typically around 10% will insist that the only reason for working is for money. I’m hopeful that 10% is not you, but whether it is, or isn’t, how do you know if you deserve a raise?

I had an interesting question the other day, someone asked in a sort of sarcastic tone, “How do you determine if someone should get a raise?”

It caught me off guard and I started to think about the concepts of merit increases, cost of living increases, and market adjustment increases but before I could answer another stream of sarcasm came my way by this person stating, “You look in the parking lot to see what the employees are driving.”

Believe it or not

While it seems surprising to me, I guess that I should not be so surprised. This discussion led to additional discussion about a conversation that occurred between several top executives and some select members of the Human Resources department.

In at least one case, an executive who carried significant weight in determining pay increases was suggesting increases for some of the team, but not for others. The justification for the increases (or not) had to do with his perception of need.

His contributions to the conversation presented nothing about performance, nothing about market rate, and nothing about the cost of living. He reminded everyone that they as an organization were operating on a very tight budget and that he personally knew several team members who really needed a raise, and others who did not.

From my understanding, as the conversation continued it included discussion points about the type of car that the employees drive, where they live, how many children they have, and other personal factors that were not relevant or connected to their job performance.

I believe it, because I’ve witnessed similar behaviors, first hand. I know as I write this that some may openly agree that we should help the less fortunate, and I’m not disagreeing with that concept, but unless your organization is a charity designed to do such things you might want to think twice.

Performance matters

Many organizations have different ways of determining pay increases and that is certainly their prerogative, some systems work well for certain people or organizational cultures and others may find something different as an attractive method for hiring and retaining the best workforce.

Labor union negotiations and other factors are sometimes a big part of compensation package decisions and there are so many different ideologies you could fill the pages of an entire book with what works, what doesn’t, and why.

The purpose of this article is not to aggravate an already tricky situation, it isn’t to anger any persons or cause organizational turmoil in any way.

The purpose is to suggest that if you are determining pay raises for employees based on your perception of the employees needs based on the type of car that they drive, the home that they choose, or the vacation that they take, then you better be prepared to deal with the type of organizational culture that will expect rewards not for achievement, but for merely existing.

What about you, do you need a raise?

– DEG

Dennis E. Gilbert is a business consultant, speaker (CSP^TM), and corporate trainer that specializes in helping businesses and individuals accelerate their leadership, their team, and their success. He is a four-time author and some of his work includes, Forgotten Respect, Navigating A Multigenerational Workforce and Pivot and Accelerate, The Next Move Is Yours! Reach him through his website at Dennis-Gilbert.com or by calling +1 646.546.5553.

Dennis Gilbert on Google+

19
Dec 16
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Performance Reviews for Millennials

Tags : Gen z millennials performance reviews PIP

Performance reviews are often one of the most important yet misunderstood development tools used in organizations today. Recently I’ve been asked some questions about the performance review process for the millennial generation.

Should the performance review process be different for a millennial?

I believe the answer is both yes and no.

No, the general characteristics or the process should not be different. The foundation for the tools or process should remain as a standard for any employee review.

Yes, the type of interaction and perhaps the style or flow of the conversation might be more productive if it is managed a little differently.

Performance Reviews

Performance reviews should be recognized as one of the most powerful and useful tools for continuing to develop employees and the organizational culture. Unfortunately it is often misunderstood, taken for granted, and inappropriately used.

Performance Review woes

Here are several areas that show up near the top of the misunderstood and misused list:

an opportunity to scold or negatively blast employees
highlight one specific error or wrong doing
used to justify other issues, such as no pay raise

The performance review process should consider all efforts and should in some way be appropriately connected to a job description. It should be used as an opportunity to focus on future performance, help to establish future development goals, and to reinforce the performance that is most desirable.

If you have an employee that is struggling to achieve or maintain successful levels of contribution and organizational performance then you probably should consider a performance improvement plan (PIP) instead of using an annual or semi-annual performance review process. Certainly, there can be some overlap with the uses of these tools, but the general approaches should be different.

Millennial Considerations

As I’ve already mentioned the foundation of the process should not be different for a millennial employee but taking into consideration a few common characteristics might be helpful. Generational differences are not so much about age as they are about values and beliefs and many millennials struggle with a traditional or boomer boss in a number of areas.

Here are a few common areas of struggle that the millennial employee may feel.

Unheard or not listened to. Perhaps this happens when millennials share an idea but then fail to see any implementation or what they perceive as consideration for their idea.
Not well respected. There is a difference between not respected and disrespected. Often the millennial employee interacting with a boomer boss feels that the boss lacks appropriate respect for the millennial.
Different about solving problems. Traditionals and boomers typically view problem solving as requiring effort and a plan. While millennials almost always seek to improve the situation through a technology solution.

Frequency

Different values and beliefs brought about in-part because of societal changes could mean that many millennials are seeking more frequent feedback on performance.

millennial performance review

A formal review process is typically annual or semi-annual and any employee on a specific PIP would receive feedback more frequently. Informally, more frequent feedback exchanges are often welcomed by millennial or gen Z (Gen 9/11, iGen) employees.

The stereotype is that traditionals and baby boomers are willing to view a day on the job as, no news is good news, whereas the youngest representation in our workforce today needs feedback for encouragement, motivation, and to help keep anxiety levels low.

Millennial Reviews

Should performance reviews be different for millennials?

Every performance review approach, style, and delivery should have some variances.

Some common mistakes made by supervisors are that they themselves don’t take the feedback process serious enough.

Supervisors often feel unprepared or challenged by any conflict that might arise. They then deliver based on how they themselves would feel most comfortable and achieve the most benefit. When in fact, the best performance review should be delivered with considerations for how the recipient would benefit the most.

– DEG

Originally posted on December 18, 2016. Last updated on May 11, 2018.

Dennis Gilbert on Google+

Tag Archives: performance reviews

Jan 18

-

Finding The Truth About Your Performance Review

Mismanaged Reviews

Your Performance Review

Dec 16

-

Do You Need A Raise?

Dec 16

-

Performance Reviews for Millennials

Performance Reviews

Millennial Considerations

Frequency

Millennial Reviews

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