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The feedback IT managers provide to their staffs through the appraisal process can be instrumental in improving productivity and morale. But you have to do it right. Here are five common mistakes to avoid.
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The feedback you provide employees through these discussions can be instrumental in improving productivity and morale in your department. A survey by Robert Half Technology found that 77 percent of workers feel the comments they receive from supervisors during performance reviews are valuable. While the feedback you provide is almost always appreciated, the way you manage the entire appraisal process determines just how useful your comments truly are. Here are the five common mistakes to avoid:
1. Holding reviews just once a year
Even if your firm schedules performance evaluations annually, it's best not to save your comments for once-a-year meetings. Instead, you should treat the review process as continuous.
If employees aren't told when they do something well or fall short of expectations, they'll be unable to make substantial contributions to the team. For instance, someone who excels in a particular area may not continue to shine without regular positive reinforcement. And you can't expect a help desk professional to improve his or her customer service skills if this person isn't told right away when performance has missed the mark.
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2. Sticking to the forms
Many companies have standard evaluation forms managers throughout the organization use. While these documents can provide a good foundation for the meeting, using them to dictate the entire discussion can turn it into a one-way talk.
Often, there are issues worth addressing that aren't covered on the forms. Keep employees engaged in the conversation by allowing them to respond to your comments. They may have useful insights that address concerns you have or make you aware of contributions not noted in your assessment.
3. Mishandling criticism.
One of the most challenging aspects of performance appraisals is telling employees their work isn't meeting standards. Many managers dread providing criticism so much that they gloss over negative feedback in a way that makes their comments confusing and valueless.
For instance, if you say to a member of your team, "Your writing skills are poor, but no one in this department is a great writer," the person is left to wonder what you mean. Should he ask a colleague to proofread his memos before sending them out? Should he take a class in business communication? Does he need to do anything at all?
To ensure staff members clearly understand areas you feel they could improve, provide specific examples, rather than generalities. Here's an example: "The e-mail you distributed to employees about the new database system upgrade was full of grammatical and spelling errors, which could cause others to question our department's attention to detail. Several other documents have contained similar problems."
Also be careful that you're criticizing a person's behavior, not personality. For instance, telling someone that he or she is "easily stressed" makes the feedback personal and doesn't pinpoint the issue as well as a comment like, "I've noticed that you tend to make more mistakes and miss deadlines when things are at their busiest. Let's talk about how to address this."
Collaborate with employees on possible solutions to their challenges. Employees should leave the meeting with a game plan for improving future job performance.
Next: Common Mistakes 4 And 5
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