Hi Everyone
June / July is a time when many organisations are conducting half yearly reviews, appraisals etc. In my experience managers are skilled at focusing on the task, what has, and what has not been achieved.
But it is the ‘engaging and connecting’ on a personal level with team members in terms of their own career aspirations and development that ‘gets left to the end’ or even postponed as ‘time runs out’.
Yet it is this part of the review, which ultimately gives us the ‘pay back’. Only when people believe we are genuinely interested in them and that they are valued and appreciated do we tap into people’s full potential. If our people aren’t engaged at this level, then typically we only get a ‘job’s worth’ of input from them in achieving task objectives. So at your next review....give these hints and tips a go...
- Start with focusing on the individual, ask them what are they are pleased about, what successes, what personal aspirations, what development?
- Relax and let them talk - put paperwork aside
- Let the conversation go where they want to take it
- Ask questions, show interest, focus all your attention on them
- If they start complaining about something, resist all temptation to defend, offer ideas or fix the problem
- Keep in the present; don’t let your mind wander onto your agenda!
- Show empathy and understanding of what is important for them
- Encourage self assessment – what might you do to achieve this? what might get in the way?
- Ask how would you achieving this help us achieve the business objectives?