The Performance Review: Another “Form” of Insanity

September 23rd, 2015
Written by: Dana Papke

Over and over, we talk to organizations that struggle for years with employee performance, then go through several cycles of changing the performance review process or form—or both—only to find that their struggles are continuing or even worsening. Here I’ll invoke the tried and true definition of insanity, which is to repeatedly continue the same approach even though the outcome never changes. 

You see it’s relatively “easy” to decide to change forms or processes—the dimensions on which employees are rated, competencies, rating scales, frequency of reviews, and perspectives (360 degree, self-evaluations, etc.). And it is tempting to “fix” things by investing in a system to automate all the forms and processes.

But none of that matters if you aren’t focused on instilling and measuring the right behaviors—specifically, what TPO has identified through our research as the 6 Performance Essential Behaviors.

These are the six behaviors that are essential to imbuing high performance into an organization’s culture.  While managers are the performance management linchpins—pivotal to strengthening the performance of their people and to building an effective performance culture—managers and employees alike must adopt these behaviors. 

High quality Performance Management depends on managers and employees who:

1. Share the mission, vision, and operating objectives of the company – and discuss how each employee’s job fits in and how they are expected to contribute in the organization.
2. Share performance expectations clearly – understand what is expected and clarify with each other continuously.
3. Share informal and on-going feedback – seek and support real-time performance adjustments to iron out uneven performance.
4. Cultivate open and transparent two-way dialogue – building dual accountability for getting performance right.
5. Share the process of finding solutions to problems – which facilitates productivity and makes everyone’s life easier.
6. Build performance through job experiences – play to strengths, seek new challenges and grow on the job.

Our research and experience show that when the entire organization embodies these performance essentials, the right behaviors become part of everyday life. And that’s when organizations start experiencing extraordinary results…and putting a stop to the cycle of “insanity.”