Do you want a responsive, happy team that learns fast and works collaboratively? Would you like to be able to measure exact performance levels and profit contributed by each of your team members? Then you need to be doing performance evaluations.
Performance evaluations play an imperative role in any successful team. Done correctly, they can:
- Improve teamwork and clarify expectations between team members and leaders
- Provide a structured method for providing feedback on performance and progress
- Identify areas of improvement and areas of strength within the team
- Ensure that everyone is on the same page with expectations and objectives
- Provide insight into individual strengths and weaknesses
Most of all, regular feedback and support enable teams to become more productive and efficient in working towards shared goals – and can ensure that everyone understands those goals.
What Makes A Performance Evaluation Successful?
Often performance evaluations are done only once a year, but that doesn’t allow you nearly as much opportunity for fine-tuning your team’s work – and studies have shown that 92% of employees want feedback more often than that. If you conduct performance evaluations at least twice a year, it provides a great way to clarify goals and expectations, ensure your team is on track with their individual and collective duties, and keep the productivity ball rolling. Team members can discuss their individual performance and set goals with you, thereby helping to create a sense of accountability. This helps promote a healthy work environment and encourages collaborative problem solving.
Important Dos and Don’ts
While performance evaluations are an important tool, they need to be used correctly. Here are the ideas you should be considering when designing your own performance reviews:
Do:
- Ask your employees for a self-evaluation so you can see how they feel about their job
- Review the self-evaluation with the employee
- Ask other team members for feedback before conducting evaluations
- Be well-prepared. Know how that employee is performing and what you want to address!
- Focus on the positive – give praise for all successes
Do Not:
- Save up problems for performance reviews – always address problems when they arise!
- Focus on the negative – again, problems should be addressed when they occur!
- Handle negative performance topics in a group setting
- Give feedback that you aren’t certain about
Performance evaluations benefit your entire team. For example, if one team member excels in a particular area, the evaluation could be used to help them become an even better contributor, ultimately leading to improved teamwork and performance overall. By providing regular feedback and setting clear goals, teams can work together more effectively to reach shared objectives.
At DC Trainings, we can help you develop performance evaluations that work. Check out my video about them here, and contact us any time for more information on how we can help you grow your practice!