🎧 Listen (5.5 min)
I often find that many leaders are never truly taught to conduct performance reviews or give/solicit feedback effectively. As a result, these conversations can feel daunting, intimidating, or even uncomfortable. As an Executive Coach, my goal is to help leaders feel not only comfortable and confident, but also to transform these reviews into empowering conversations — ones that go beyond transactional feedback and lead to real growth and connection. Here are some tips to help you conduct performance reviews so that you foster deeper engagement and development.
Ideally, you should have a system in place to track your direct reports’ achievements, contributions, strengths, and development opportunities. But it’s not just up to you — encourage your direct reports to keep track of their own accomplishments as well and share them with you regularly.
Many people don’t naturally think in terms of soft skills so this exercise is a great opportunity for them to reflect on what skills they demonstrated in each win. Was it effective communication? Influence? Change management? Soft skills can feel abstract, and many aren’t sure what success looks like, so helping them identify these skills regularly is key.
Additionally, ask them to consider the impact of their accomplishments — what was the impact for them personally, for the team, and for the organization as a whole? This turns their tracking into a comprehensive, collaborative effort and opens up opportunities for development discussions throughout the year.
One of the biggest pitfalls in performance reviews is the influence of biases, especially recency bias — where we overvalue recent events instead of the full picture. It’s also important to watch out for confirmation bias, where we look for evidence that aligns with pre-existing beliefs.
Rather than making performance reviews a one-and-done event, consider splitting them into two conversations. Communicate this two-conversation approach to your direct reports in advance. In the first meeting, your focus should be on sharing feedback and their only role is to listen — no responding or defending anything. This takes the pressure to react off since they know there will be a second conversation they can prepare for.
Schedule a follow-up conversation at the same time as the first conversation and this is where they will come back with their thoughts, questions, and reflections. This approach encourages reflection and fosters active listening so you can have more meaningful discussions. It does take more time and effort, but the payoff in terms of growth, understanding, and stronger working relationships is well worth it.
Utilizing a 360 means you will be getting anonymous input from colleagues, other managers, and stakeholders in the review process. This provides a more well-rounded view of performance and avoids the review being based solely on your mostly subjective perspective. Not only is the 360 a more objective approach, but it can also be used to reveal blind spots. (View a sample Hogan 360 here.)
I’m a big fan of forward-looking, solution-oriented approaches. Rather than dwelling on the past, I encourage focusing on what can be done differently in the future. This promotes learning, growth, and development; it also fosters a sense of ownership and self-reliance, empowering people to take responsibility for their own progress and success.
My philosophy on feedback aligns with that of Kim Scott, author of Radical Candor. I believe that everyone, especially leaders, should be soliciting feedback more than giving it. This practice creates a culture of trust and open communication, where people become accustomed to engaging in meaningful discussions.
It’s all about mindset — I don’t want you to dread performance reviews. I want you to feel comfortable and confident engaging in these development discussions. And hey, here’s a bonus: during your own performance review, talk about how well you develop others and the strategies you use; it not only highlights your leadership skills but also shows the impact you’re making on your team and the organization as a whole.
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