Reflecting on the Year Behind Us: How Managers Can Prepare for End-of-Year Performance Reviews

Leadership

Nov 10

The winter months bring us longer nights, colder weather, and more time spent indoors, which gives us plenty of space to reflect on the year behind us and dream of our goals for the new year ahead. In a professional setting, this time can often be accompanied by end-of-year performance reviews.

As a manager, it’s important to conduct these meetings in a way that honors the reflection that naturally comes with this time of year and while keeping the conversation centered on a Growth Mindset, the belief that talent and intelligence can be nurtured through dedication and constructive feedback.

Here are some tips for conducting year-end reviews in a way that encourages your team to put their best foot forward in the new year.

Be Direct, And Kind

Most managers understand that being kind and emotionally centered while delivering feedback is essential to their job, however, we live in a complicated world where zoom interactions remove certain physical cues and body language, where miscommunications are common over Slack and email, and where many of us are used to delivering our thoughts in 280 character tweets. This kind of detachment can unfortunately lead to a “gotcha” mentality when presenting a problem; we sometimes structure our thoughts as a “clapback” rather than a mature conversation, simply because it feels satisfying to have the last word. Be extremely careful not to fall into this habit; it’s easy to get defensive and feel the need to go overboard in justifying every criticism, but a little patience in your delivery will go a long way.

On the other hand, it is also important to be direct with feedback, particularly if it’s difficult. Going the other direction and dressing up your critiques with flowery language and conversation filler can be just as counter-productive. Trust that your team member is an adult who will take a direct comment, absorb it, and work with you to act on a solution. Sometimes being direct can be a little uncomfortable, but that’s OK. Uncomfortable conversations are a normal part of most work environments, and it’s always best to accept discomfort for what it is and push through it in order to find solutions.

Stick To a Specific Structure - and Avoid the “Compliment Sandwich”

Most companies find it helpful to have an organized breakdown of skills to review such as creative problem solving, effective time management, and demonstration of core values, both for the sake of measurable KPIs (key performance indicators) and for ease of breaking up the conversation into more digestible pieces.

Be careful of folding a “compliment sandwich” into this kind of a structure. The compliment sandwich refers to the tactic of hiding anything critical in between two compliments. Some areas will inevitably be more positive than others, and it may be tempting to hop around and say “X is going very well, Y is not, but Z is satisfactory” in order to avoid hurt feelings over Y. However, we’re all familiar with the compliment sandwich, and it doesn’t really work; you both need to talk about Y, and you both know you need to talk about Y. Give Y the time it deserves and move on to better things when appropriate.

Listen to What They Have to Say

If a team member is not hitting their goals professionally, there will be a reason why. It’s easy to assume they are just dropping the ball, and in some cases, that may be true; however, roadblocks preventing them from accomplishing their duties may very well be systemic and avoidable. For example, a common barrier to progress is the amount of time spent in meetings. If members of your team are sitting in a conference room or on zoom for seven hours a day, it’s unlikely they will have the time or energy to devote to a specific goal. An effective question, particularly if you feel that someone has neglected a part of their job, is “what has your attention right now?” You may learn a lot about what is or is not working in their schedule.

It’s also important to allow them a few seconds to absorb the feedback you give them. As tempting as it may be to move through the conversation quickly and efficiently, especially if you’re eager to move on to more positive things, it’s essential to allow for some processing time in between topics. If your team member has a moment to consider the criticism, they will have the space to ask for what they need in terms of support. Remember not to get defensive; it’s all about responding to a need rather than reacting to a feeling.

Focus on the Future

The end of the calendar year may or may not align with the end of a company’s fiscal year, however, the turn of the page from December 31 to January 1 can be a powerful mental reset button. Maybe this year didn’t pan out the way either of you were hoping, and that’s OK! Next year is a fresh start. Structure the conversation around topics that will keep the focus on the year ahead, such as:

Goal setting: Outlining goals with each member of your team is going to be critical for the future success of the department and the company as a whole. Don’t be afraid to ask them to re-focus their energy on something important, especially if it didn’t go well this year.
Skill building: Make an effort to encourage your team to try something different. Adaptation is one of the most important parts of sustaining a business, and employees learning to diversify their skillsets is the best way to ensure a company can stay afloat during the many turbulent times in our ever-changing economy.
Room for growth: It’s important to loosen the reins and allow each team member to grow in the way that works best for them. Find the balance between regular check-ins, ensuring they are on a productive path and have what they need to succeed, and micromanaging to the point that they have no room to grow on their own.

Using a Growth Mindset as you focus on the future ahead will give you the space to keep the conversation positive, even if the review hasn’t been the best it could be. Remember that every challenge can be looked at as a chance to grow in the coming year. The past year was not a disappointment, it was a learning opportunity.

About the Author
Jackie Miller launched Bespoken in 2015 to channel years of professional performance experience into techniques that improve public speaking, presenting, and professional communication skills. She holds a B.F.A. and M.A. both from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts.