Performance Management from the Employee’s Perspective

Even though most employees, HR business partners and managers rightfully dread the performance management process, the ideas to make performance reviews and everything related to them better are usually discussed from the company’s or manager’s perspective.

Don’t get us wrong, the performance review cycle needs to get better for those that administer it. But we think it is time to focus on the true customer of the process – the employee. As an employee it is your responsibility to get the most out of your job, your manager and work situation.

Performance management training deals with how to give feedback in a constructive way from the manager’s perspective. But, as an employee, it helps to have a clear strategy on how to effectively receive and use feedback to increase your performance and career advancement opportunities.

If you are sincere in your desire to improve, you need to:

• Understand the specific skills, attitudes and behaviors required for you to excel
  
• Know where you stand in terms of performance compared to your peers and company standards
  
• Identify core strengths and weaknesses and a plan to address them
  

Some managers are good at performance feedback; others may need to be questioned for more helpful details. The review process is your golden opportunity to make your value visible and to learn what it will take to succeed in your specific job and corporate culture. Does your own self-assessment agree? If not, this is an area to pursue. Where are the gaps? What specifically should you work on? Is coaching available? Would a follow-up meeting help? What resources are accessible to help?

Don’t accept generalizations. Push for specific guidelines and examples on where and how you can improve. You deserve specifics so you can make the effort to improve in the direction that will matter most.

To learn more about performance management, download 5 Key Succession Planning Trends and Lessons from the Field