People Leaders: Preparing For a Performance Review
As a people leader, one of your most critical tasks in managing the performance process. Expectations of team members need to be managed and egos pacified. Most people will feel as if they have contributed throughout the year and sometimes a performance conversation can indeed be a difficult one. Not all staff can get a gold star!
Performance review time is a great opportunity to motivate your staff. Managing this process well is important contributing factor in staff retention and engagement. A good performance review will make a staff member feel valued and listened to.
High performing firms attached high quality talent. A simple non-bureaucratic performance system works best for HR, people leaders and staff.
Whilst firms may use different performance methodologies and processes they all come back to the same goal. Tracking the performance and contribution of the team and rewarding their efforts fairly and within budget.
Here are our tips for managing the process
Step 1: Evidence from multiple sources
Take the time to keep evidence of performance highlights and areas for improvement throughout the year. This will cut down the time it takes to prepare for each staff member’s review. Be prepared with specific examples to demonstrate the points you are making. Seek multiple sources of feedback including client feedback at End of Matter, 360 degree feedback from colleagues or even self-assessments.
Step 2: Consistency
Best practise performance processes will have regular consistent conversations. Aim for at least quarterly – don’t wait until the end of the year to surprise your staff member with a poor review. An employee should always know how they are tracking.
A performance conversation should be objective and fair. Any personal bias should be removed from the process. It should also be a two way conversation and not a monologue.
Step 3: Clarity
A staff member should always understand exactly what is expected of them and the goals they are working towards. Position descriptions should be accurate and goals or KPI’s should be achievable with effort. It is also important to ensure that your staff member is 100% clear on the outcome of their performance conversation, any applicable rating applied and any steps they need to take to improve in the future.
Step 4: Develop your team
Consider development opportunities and your team member’s career objectives.
- Are there areas of the law that they are interested in training in?
- Is there a partner that an administration staff member is keen to work for?
- Is there a mentoring opportunity that can be arranged?
- Is there an upcoming project to which they could add value?
Investing in your staff’s development helps to keep them engaged.
In a busy firm it can be easy to get bogged down in client work, billable hours and getting through the day. We think high quality performance conversations are an important investment in any people leader’s time. Consider your last review. Could you improve on it? We encourage you to give it a go!
