If you’re still relying on annual reviews, you could be missing out on meaningful discussions throughout the year. Real-time coaching, recognition and feedback often matter more in the moment than months later. And most employees don’t want to wait that long anyway. In fact, 65% say they want feedback more often than they’re currently getting.
Betterworks’ Michelle Gouldsberry says it’s no longer enough to lean on backward-looking reviews and infrequent check-ins. Instead, she recommends that leaders move toward performance discussions in the present. In this issue of PromoPro Daily, we share her guidance on how to build a continuous performance management culture.
Step 1: Understand what’s already happening. Sometimes, continuous performance habits emerge on their own through things like informal goal setting and 1:1s. That’s why Gouldsberry recommends assessing where performance conversations are already taking place. Once you know where those conversations are happening, you can build on them naturally.
Step 2: Involve employees and managers in the redesign. Performance management only works when the people using it find it valuable, Gouldsberry says. Ask team members how check-ins can be more meaningful. When you involve them, you can foster buy-in and ensure alignment across levels.
Step 3: Provide structure and training. For performance management conversations to work, leaders need proper training in providing feedback. Gouldsberry suggests skipping the scripts and instead using templates for check-ins and tools for capturing performance conversations. Not everyone is a natural coach, she says, but everyone can improve with support.
Step 4: Invest in technology that drives visibility and action. Technology plays an important role in enabling continuous improvement performance management. Explore tools that allow for real-time feedback and transparent performance tracking. Gouldsberry says when managers and employees have shared visibility into goals and progress, conversations become more productive.
Step 5: Reinforce accountability with culture, not compliance. A successful ongoing performance management system relies on shared accountability, Gouldsberry says. That comes from leaders modeling the behaviors they expect and teams understanding how performance connects to broader business goals. Embed regular check-ins, real-time feedback and goal tracking into your rhythm of business.
Consider moving from one check-in a year to a continuous performance management approach. It’s a way to improve clarity and make performance part of the daily conversation. When your team members receive regular, thoughtful feedback, they get a better understanding of how their work contributes to bigger goals.
Compiled by Audrey Seller
Source: Michelle Gouldsberry is the senior content marketing manager at Betterworks.
