Let's now look at the moment many managers dread: annual review meetings.
Your goal is to evaluate past accomplishments and take stock of the present to prepare your co-worker's development and future performance.
Prepare for an Annual Review Meeting
The annual review meeting is a time for you and your co-worker to spend together. It involves:
A formal overview of performance against objectives, including resources used, difficulties encountered, and areas where the co-worker can improve.
Listening to what they are satisfied and dissatisfied with.
Assessing the gap between the expected attitudes/behaviors and those applied.
Raising a desire to change roles or for career advancement.
Your Role
Re-read your notes over the previous year.
Identify the major events and determine what is positive and what needs improvement.
Enhance your analysis with appraisals from others who have worked with your co-worker during the year.
Assess your co-worker's contribution.
Prepare the messages you want to convey.
Include action they can take to deal with any shortfalls.
Carefully read what your co-worker has prepared in advance (it may or may not be available depending on the company).
Successful Preparation
Appraise your co-worker's performance.
Prepare a relevant explanation for any shortcomings.
Consider areas for improvement or personal development and suggested actions.
Good Managerial Habits
Schedule a meeting at least two weeks beforehand and include a reminder about the purpose of the review meeting. Plan a sufficient amount of time to allow for a quality discussion - at least 90 minutes. Finally, book a quiet meeting room. This meeting should be confidential!
Follow the Various Stages
The annual review meeting is a managerial responsibility - and a sign of trust. It will directly impact your co-worker's motivation and performance. It is also an opportunity for your co-worker to talk about what they have done and what they would like to do.
For you, this meeting is also a chance to get to know your co-worker better, share your view of their contribution, and establish some paths to future growth.
During the Review Meeting
Start by confirming the length and goal of the meeting.
Address the goals and themes listed on the assessment sheet and let your co-worker speak. You want to get their perspective of the past year.
Ask them open questions to understand their view and go deeper.
Put their feedback in perspective by contrasting it with last year's appraisal and what you have prepared.
Begin your assessment with positive aspects, give your opinion, and suggest how to improve (if applicable).
Share your appraisal of their performance using concrete examples.
Talk about your co-worker's expectations and wishes.
Discuss their ambitions and the development plan in the context of what the business needs.
When wrapping up, identify and summarize the agreed-upon actions.
A Successful Meeting Will Allow You to
Reach an agreement on the previous year’s performance and set out clear pathways for action.
Build an appropriate development plan.
Show the co-worker opportunities for advancement within the company.
Steer Your Team Member’s Career Development
Your role is to support your team’s growth by:
Assessing their development needs (skills, attitude, knowledge).
Helping them identify support actions, training, etc.
Defining an individual development plan.
This plan also helps the human resources department plan for those seeking to change roles and co-workers' development needs.
Good Managerial Habits Following the Interview
Ensure the co-worker follows up and performs the decided upon actions:
Give feedback and hold an interim review at least once during the year.
Continue to be attentive to your co-worker by supporting them.
Adjust the action plan if necessary.
Note and recognize the progress made and draw attention to areas to watch.
Pitfalls to Avoid During the Meeting
The success of the annual review meeting will depend on your ability to appraise the performance of your co-workers individually.
Pitfall 1: Insufficient preparation
Take the time to gather as much information as possible for your discussion. The credibility of your assessment and your recommendations will depend on good preparation.
An under-prepared assessment will leave your co-worker feeling unimportant or that you don't value their work.
Pitfall 2: Insufficient notice of the meeting time/date
Just as you have to prepare your notes for the meeting, you must also allow your co-worker time to prepare. Remember, it’s a two-way conversation!
Pitfall 3: An unstructured, open discussion
This meeting must have a formal structure. Set out the framework, duration, and key points to discuss at the start. This formal approach means that you can address all of the essential points. In addition, it makes it easier to have a discussion based on what you’ve each prepared.
Pitfall 4: Beginning the meeting with the negatives
A negative start will put your co-worker on the defensive and defeat the positive intention of the meeting. Your goal is to ensure your co-worker produces their best work and achieves their goals.
Pitfall 5: Neglecting follow-up
It's your managerial responsibility and fault if you do not follow up on your co-worker's development plan between annual reviews. If you decide to have your employee take a specific training program, you must implement the necessary actions and ensure that the training is set up quickly.
Let's Recap!
Set up your 90-minute annual review meeting at least two weeks in advance and book a quiet space.
Hold a structured, professional, and precise dialogue and ensure it culminates in an action plan.
Assess your co-worker's advancement and development needs.
Avoid falling into one of the main pitfalls of the annual review meeting:
Not preparing enough
Setting the date and time of the meeting at the last minute.
Having an unstructured and open discussion.
Beginning with the negative points.
Neglecting to follow-up.
You are ready to launch and hold your annual review meetings; that's great!
But don't be too quick to assume that this is the only time you will have to check in with your co-worker. You will have to take every chance to give them feedback and praise or nudge them back on course throughout the year.
