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Performance reviews ranks right up there with budgeting as one of the most dreaded experiences in organizational life. I've never met anyone who looks forward to performance reviews.

What a shame. This is one of the few times when managers and employees sit down and have a heart-to-heart talk about performance. Most employees want more feedback from their boss, not less.

Too often, the review experience leaves a bad taste in our mouth. Here are three approaches that give performance reviews a bad rap:

Sandwich technique:
The manager feels obligated to balance positive and negative feedback. "There are some things you do doing well" (Employee waits for the shoe to drop.) "and there are some things you need to improve upon." (Sure enough, the shoe drops.)

Dodge Ball approach:
The manager shifts responsibility for the review to the employee. "Well -- how do YOU think you did this year?" But the employee wants to know the manager's opinion and hopes for more guidance.

Drop Kick strategy:
Frustrated manager uses this opportunity to share pent up frustrations. "Here are all the things I've wanted to tell you all year - but didn't." The employee goes into shock and resentment.

Managers and employees alike drag their feet when it comes time to set up the review. Sometimes years go by without any mention of this activity. Human resource personnel spend countless hours trying to gather forms in a timely manner. The truth is, no one wants to do it!

When it doesn't work, we blame the forms or the formulas. Every year thousands of organizations throw out their forms and design new ones. But forms and rating scales are not the problem. The problem is we're focusing on the wrong thing.

There is only one reason to have a performance review. And it's not to communicate whether the person is a 2, 4, or 6 on a scale of 7.

The purpose is to encourage each other to contribute our best. Period. It's that simple. And what's required is a meaningful conversation where both parties talk openly and share their hopes, ideas and concerns.

Instead of rating, ranking, and rationing out feedback, we need to sit on the same side of the table and discover ways to bring out the best in each other and the organization. With this goal in mind, here are some questions we can ask:

1. What have you really enjoyed working on this year?
2. What opportunities do you think our team could tackle?
3. What projects have your name written all over them?
4. What's on your mind that you'd like to talk about?
5. How can I be supportive and helpful to you?

Imagine this for a minute. Your employees can't wait for their reviews. And you leave these meetings feeling energized and recharged.

Challenge yourself. The next time performance review time rolls around. Think about how you can make this experience more meaningful, inspiring and helpful to everyone involved.

Topics

• Developing Employees