Its review time here at New LifeStyles.  In many companies, reviews throw fear into the hearts of employees and fill management stress and writer’s block (note, having a few drinks before writing reviews is not the way to go).  Don’t let that happen.  Embrace the review and make it an opportunity to share ideas and plan out the next year.  We all have forms we use for reviews and methods we like to use for them.  Here are some of my tips and thoughts on reviews:

-          There should not be surprises during reviews.  You should be communicating with employees constantly, giving them feedback and coaching them through issues.

-          Don’t let reviews get too personal.  Focus on specific aspects of performance, citing facts and numbers more than opinion.

-          Don’t be afraid to rate somebody average.  Everyone can’t be a superstar and if they are, then compared to each other, they are average.  Only use outstanding ratings when they are deserved.  Put value in the higher ratings, don’t just give them because the person is a good person.  Make sure to use “needs improvement” and not just tell the employee.  Seeing it in writing drives home the point.

-          Make sure employees get a copy of the review and try to get written feedback.

-          Come out of the review with written, defined goals and plans for achieving these goals or improving performance.

-          Get feedback from the employee and make sure they understand all of the key points.  Give them an opportunity to tell you what they need or would like to see changed.

Reviews are an important part of the employee/company relationship and company development.  Make sure they cover the entire time period and not just the last couple months that you can remember.  But, it is just part of the process, make sure you are keeping communication open year-round, providing coaching for your team and an open forum for them.

Would love to hear your views and advice on reviews, as long as you don’t review my post, I’m very sensitive.