The largest untapped resource organizations have is … drum roll, please … its own people. Seriously. Not fully using (or loosing) talented staff is at best a huge missed opportunity. At worse, disastrous for an organization. Talented, mission-drive individuals can launch organizations to new levels. And if you happen to have a few, making performance reviews worthwhile is a vital component to keeping them engaged and advancing your mission. On the other side of the coin, whether you’re just beginning your career or a familiar face around the water cooler, performance reviews done well can offer you valuable insights on the context of your job as well as a pro-active opportunity to advance your skills and contribute toward solutions to issues. Full guide available at: http://bit.ly/PerformanceReviews Other tips, tricks, and guides can be found at: http://goodhelpings.blogspot.com/

1. Worth-the-Time
Performance Reviews

2. H
I’m a systems and strategic thinker.
Who likes to make things look pretty.
ello, I'm Raechel. And I write tips, tricks, and guides.
The nonprofit sector can sometimes be synonymous with
the phrase “doing more with less.”
This series aims to help
organizations do that
by identifying subtle
untapped resources
that will elevate
their good work.

3. Yes! It’s performance review time.
Said no one. Ever.
But that’s because most
places don’t make them
worth-the-time

4. Talented, mission-drive individuals can launch organizations to new levels.
And if you happen to have a few, making performance reviews worthwhile is a vital
component to keeping them engaged and advancing your mission.
On the other side of the coin, whether you’re just beginning your
career or a familiar face around the water cooler, performance
reviews done well can offer you valuable insights on the context of
your job as well as a pro-active opportunity to advance your skills
and contribute toward solutions to issues.

5. let’s um… do that.
Shall we?
Shall we?

6. 1
Don’t hold onto the past.

7. supervisors…
Performance reviews shouldn’t be the time for a supervisor to provide surface-level
positive reinforcement (you’re so great!) or bottled-up criticism (you know you really
should make sure to be here right on time.)
Give your employee regular feedback on a regular basis.
Then once performance reviews come around,
focus on performance-related feedback, not just the
day-to-day stuff. That should be talked about day-to-day.
good questions
What skills does the employee have that
aren’t fully utilized in their current role?
What additional skills are needed for the
employee to grow/be more successful?

8. employees…
It can be a challenge to patience when performance reviews are sprinkled with surface-level
positive reinforcement (you’re so great!) or bottled-up criticism (you know you really
should make sure to be here right on time.) If your supervisor provides you with a glowing
review, present your ideas as: I appreciate that you like my work so far, but I also have
more skills and ideas I’d like you to consider… If your supervisor provides
a lot of criticism during your review, present your ideas as: I hear
your concerns, and they’re my concerns too. Have some ideas.
good questions
I have these skills … how can I serve
the organization in those ways?
I could would much better if I had X,
how might I help make that happen?

9. 2
Don’t cut corners.

10. supervisors…
Performance reviews aren’t the time for useless ratings on subjective stuff like reliability
or professional appearance. If that stuff’s in question by the time you conduct a
performance review, you should consider if the person is a good fit at all.
A bunch of subjective check boxes also invites laziness. If you’re taking the time to do a
performance review, give yourself enough time to go over your notes from previous
meetings, and review some of their projects.
good questions
Tell me about what’s working and
what’s not in the programs you oversee.
I’ve reviewed your work’s outcomes.
How do you think we can approve them

11. employees…
Performance reviews that are heavy on big lists of subjective checkboxes can be less than
useful for understanding where you stand with your supervisor and the organization.
Come prepared with evidence of how you have contributed toward the organization’s
success. And also a realistic idea of how to improve the work you oversee.
good questions
What expectations does leadership
have of the work I oversee?
What goals should I shoot for
by this time next year?

12. 3
Don’t forget it takes two.

13. supervisors…
Performance reviews are perfect opportunities to work on both sides of the equation.
Executives and supervisors should also be evaluated on their ability to
support and foster the professional development of their employees.
Encourage two-way evaluations. Investigate the best way to
conduct and collect anonymous evaluations of supervisors. Then
take clear and announced action on critical issues that were raised.
employees…
If you have an established report with leadership, suggest two-way evaluations as an
organization-wide policy. Some of the most successful companies today evaluate
supervisors just as much, if not more than employees. Managers play an
unmistakable role in employee satisfaction and agency effectiveness.
If you aren’t in a position to suggest two-way evaluations, consider simply letting your
supervisor know what you need from them to be best at your job during your
performance evaluation.

14. Don’t hold onto the past.
Don’t forget it takes two.
Don’t cut corners.
Bonus: Watch this great video.
http://youtu.be/u6XAPnuFjJc

15. This was just a taste. For the full guide on this topic
as well as other spoonfuls, please visit:
goodhelpings.blogspot.com