5 ways to put learning at the center of
performance reviews

Take your time

Often, managers are evaluating a full year of performance, so it's worth encouraging them to put in at least 2 hours to gather 360-degree feedback and thoughtfully craft a review that is positive, unbiased, and helpful.

No one likes surprises

Giving employees a chance to review the feedback a few days ahead of a performance review meeting helps them prepare, too.

Be prepared

Rescheduling performance reviews can send the wrong message. Managers should schedule the meeting a few weeks ahead, show up on time, and be ready for the conversation.

This isn't a negotiation

This is a review, not a negotiation. So, managers shouldn't get pulled into an unproductive discussion. Instead, encourage them to firmly pivot to the path forward.

5 ways to put learning at the center of performance reviews

A guide to transform managers into learning champions and develop high-performing teams

Ask powerful questions

Open-ended probing questions invite people to find clarity, new perspectives, and can trigger employees to generate new ideas and solutions.

Listen actively

When coaching an employee, managers should give them their full attention. By putting their phone on silent and closing their laptops, they are signaling that they are solely focused on their employees' success.

Give specific feedback

Providing feedback in generalities can lead to misunderstandings. Managers should be specific and focus on observable actions and facts so that everyone is on the same page.

Coach compassionately

When in coaching mode, managers should choose their words wisely and deliver them tactfully to ensure that the conversation stays positive, constructive, and growth-oriented.

Create SMART goals

When managers set goals with employees, make sure that they are SMART. It's an acronym for specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound.

Link goals to strategies

Managers should work with their teams to ensure that their goals and priorities ladder up to larger strategic initiatives or relevant to your company's mission and vision.

Everyone loves stretch goals

Stretch goals push team members to achieve more, reach higher, and build new skills. If they are intelligent risks, then make sure that the potential payoff is exponential. 

Hold team accountable

When evaluating performance, did employees achieve their goals? Whether they knocked them out of the park or fell short, a performance review is a great time to discuss future goals.

Define high performance

Whether you factor in hard business metrics, such as revenue, or qualitative metrics like employee engagement, define and measure what high-performance means in your organization.

Be a storyteller

Stories help build a high-performing culture because they are memorable, engaging, and can demonstrate the culture a manager is trying to create.

Recognize positive behavior

Rewards reinforce behaviors that are consistent with the culture you're trying to build and performance you're trying to drive—individually and collectively.

Promote inclusivity and belonging

Diverse teams that celebrate differences and accept them, are well-known to collaborate more effectively and achieve more together.

5 ways to put learning at the center of performance reviews

A guide to transform managers into learning champions and develop high-performing teams

Stretch high-potentials

Most high-performers thrive when their skills are stretched and their job scope increases. Give them new challenges while providing the right level of support and independence.

Coach high-performers to learn

When new challenges are given, high-potentials are terrified of failure. Help them build new skills by integrating learning into their individual performance plan to help them feel confident and succeed.

Talk about poor performance

Performance evaluations can sometimes hinder performance. Instead, managers should have a conversation about it, listen to the context an employee gives, and then work together on a plan to move forward.

Set clear expectations

Make sure that an employee who is struggling understands what managers expect of them moving forward and the gap between current performance and what is acceptable.