Writing Performance Reviews

What? How Much? How?

 THE PROBLEM WITH REVIEWS
According to Supervisors. .
 Take too long to write.
 People only want good news.
 It’s about “Show me the
money!”
 Don’t improve performance.
Employees say. . .
 Never get one or it’s
late.
 All checkmarks and no
examples.
 No guidance about
what to do differently.
 No link between
performance and pay.
REINFORCE EXPECTATIONS
Why Write Performance Reviews?
• Opportunity for formal written feedback and dialogue about
development.
• Emphasize a “performance” culture.
• Reinforce expectations & recognize achievement of them.
• Generate documentation and a record (+ and -).
• Justification for employment decisions.
Performance reviews should clarify:
 What is expected of me?
 Why is it important?
 How am I doing?
 Performance Management vs
Performance Review
Set Goals
March

Review Meeting Cascade Goals

February Ongoing Upward
Feedback

Self Assess Mid Year

Manager Assess Review
January September

Performance Management Performance Review

 Continuous interaction  Singular meeting (2x’s/yr)
 Part of the ongoing “routine”  “Dedicated” time
 Ongoing development  Development “plan”
 Observations with feedback for  Summarizes results against
small incremental changes expectations
 “Real-time” here-and-now  Documentation of past
orientation events

COACHING EVALUATION
Rater Biases: How to Limit the Effect

 Contrast/Comparison
 Central Tendency
 Familiarity/Similarity
 Halo/Horns Effect
 Recency
 Length of Service
 Prior Reviews
m e nt at ion!!!
yo u r o wn docu
Collect
 Documentation Guidelines

 Keep a record of examples & samples.

 Note successes and lessons learned.
 Document as events occur.
 Note dates, times, objective measures.
 Include important items, not every routine action.
 “Deliberative” notes & samples.
 Copy & paste: emails, portions of electronic
documents, sample work.
You have the
opportunity to
influence your review
by what you choose
to write and how you
write it!
 General Writing Tips
 Provide specific examples or quantitative, measurable
information to demonstrate progress compared to a target.
 Give more examples of important information as evidence
for a very high (Top) rating or for a very low (Requires
Improvement) rating.
 Use different examples for each goal/
expectation/competency.
 Keep your comments descriptive and succinct. (Focus on
facts & measures. No generalities, labeling or personality
traits.)
 Use correct grammar, punctuation, spelling. OR, a bulleted
list of accomplishments if there are several instead of a
narrative paragraph.
Writing Tips – Form Specific
 Goals/Expectations
 Objective quality-quantity-date information that directly
supports the level of attainment.
 Description of specific related activities; references to a work
sample, project, incident.
 Behavioral Competencies
 Specific examples that show obvious connection to each
competency.
 Incorporate phrases from Appraisal Wizard along with a
specific incident involving you.
 Overall Comments
 General summary regarding the level of performance.
 Reiteration of key positive highlights/ progress achieved.
SAY WHAT?!?!?
 “This young lady has
delusions of adequacy.”
 “Works well when under
constant supervision and
cornered like a rat in a trap.”
 “He brings a lot of joy
whenever he leaves the
room.”
 “Got a full six-pack but lacks
the plastic thing to hold it all
together.”
 WRITING TIPS
Opinion or Vague
-Self-
 I am organized and efficient
in performing my daily tasks
in a timely manner.
 Improved quality &
satisfaction of learning
programs in 2010.
Supervisor Comment
 Disorganized and does not
multi-task well.
“Just the Facts”
Fact (Specific)
-Self-
 Utilize a “5 Top Priorities” list to plan
my daily tasks and accomplished all
assignments on or before requested
deadlines. Reorganized electronic
folders in June 2010 by project areas
to enable faster retrieval.
 Increased 2009 program fill-rate to
95% vs. avg of 67% in 2008. Overall
rating average of 9.7 vs. 8.3 during
same time.
Supervisor Specific Comment
 Filing items by project name and on
department drive will enable faster
retrieval/updates by Pat & others despite
phone/people interruptions.
 WRITING TIPS “Straight Talk”
Negative Tone Instructive Tone
-Supervisor- -Supervisor-
 Fails to follow  Needs to read all information
customer request on request form & obtain
instructions which customer confirmation of plan
causes customer before executing event
problems. details.

Specific Examples
-Self-
Rater Bias
-Self-  Consistently increased patron
satisfaction ratings from
 “Received excellent Winter (7.2) to Spring (7.9) to
patron feedback on Fall (9.1) by implementing
Fall performance patron suggestions noted on
series. (Recency) evaluations.
 PERFORMANCE LEVELS
 TOP
 Exceeds expectations in most aspects of the job frequently.
 Goes above and beyond what is asked.
 Thinks ahead. Is proactive. Seeks improvement.
 Solves problems independently.
 VALUED
 Meets expectations in all major aspects of the position and
exceeds some.
 Sometimes goes beyond what is asked.
 Takes initiative to solve problems.
 Seeks learning and improvement.
 DEVELOPING
 New to the position or some duties are new.
 More training/learning is needed to be fully performing all
aspects of the job at the desired level.
 Performance does not meet expectations for fully experienced
person.
 DEVELOPING
 New to the position or some duties are new.
 Strengths, Development Areas,
Action Steps & Overall Comments

REMEMBER THIS!
 People rarely remember what they are told.
 What they remember usually wrong.

WRITTEN COMMENT Sections

Strengths: Describe TWO things they do well.
Development Areas: Name ONE area they need to improve
and ONE item they need to learn or develop further.
Action Steps: Describe ONE to THREE specific actions they
need to take to achieve the next level of performance.
Overall Comments: Describe their value to the organization