Best practice 1 to 1 meetings and appraisals

Transcription

1 Best practice 1 to 1 meetings and appraisals A digital guide 1

2 Contents 3 Introduction 4 1 Setting objectives and deliverables to 1 meetings 6Using assessments in 7Mid-year reviews 8Annual reviews 1 to 1 meetings 2

3 Introduction Regular 1 to 1 meetings are the best way for managers to develop a strong relationship with their employees, review their performance and progress, and ensure that they feel like they re working towards their goals and making a difference in the organisation. This guide will take you through how to hold effective 1 to 1 meetings, what is expected from both parties to get the most out of them, as well as what makes a good mid-year and annual reviews, and how to set objectives for your employees to work towards. 3

4 Setting objectives and deliverables In order to perform to the best of their ability, employees need to know exactly what is expected of them, when it is expected, and how much is expected. Setting objectives does just that they ensure that every employee has focus in their role, understands what they should be working towards and provide an objective framework for reviewing performance. It s important to align individual objectives to the overall business strategy so that each employee can see how their role is making a difference and helping to achieve overriding business goals. Setting objectives should be a collaborative process between the manager and the employee and they should be SMART: Specific: Objectives should be clear and detailed, with a specific outcome Measurable: Objectives should have a measure which dictates whether the objective is achieved and if not, the percentage of completion Achievable: Objectives should be ambitious but must be realistically achievable Relevant: Objectives should be relevant to the role and linked to strategic goals Time bound: Objectives should have realistic deadlines for when they should be completed Deliverables are actions, projects or pieces of work which should be completed and evidenced in order to achieve an objective: There is no limit to the number of deliverables used to evidence an objective There is no defined timescale for a deliverable they can be days, weeks, or months Deliverables should be linked to the objective they support So what does it look like in practice? Here is an example objective and accompanying deliverable for a sales person: Objective Achieve 50,000 of new business sales in 2017 Deliverable Make 10 calls a day to leads and prospects 4

5 1 to 1 meetings We recommend holding 1 to 1 meetings between a manager and employee every 4-6 weeks, to encourage frequent open communication and ensure that both parties have the chance to regularly review performance, achievements and areas for development, as well as progress against objectives. Employees: Participate in a two-way open and honest conversation, providing your manager with as much information as possible Take ownership and be proactive about your own performance and development Talk through your achievements and successes, using examples Talk through your deliverables in detail and evidence your progress against your objectives Talk through any challenges or areas where you may need support and work together to find solutions Managers: Ensure it is a two-way conversation 1 to 1s are not an opportunity for managers to run through and add to an employee s to do list Ensure you address any performance or conduct issues Ask for specific examples when discussing complaints or issues What does that look like?, What could you have done differently? Work together to come up with solutions to challenges Talk through engagement, wellbeing and work load Take action notes Listen and take action notes Agree and document actions and who owns them Agree and document actions and who owns them Give your full attention no phones, s, or clock-watching 5

6 Using assessments in 1 to 1 meetings Assessments support self-awareness and help individual to gain an insight into themselves and into others. This information is incredibly powerful for 1 to 1 meetings, as employees and managers can effectively modify their behaviour with their profiles in mind in order to get the best out of each other. At Thomas, we mainly focus on 3 of our assessments during a 1 to 1 meeting: PPA (behaviour), TEIQue (emotional intelligence) and GIA (aptitude and ability). The PPA helps both parties to understand how they and their manager/employee tend to behave how they like to communicate, what motivates them, what their basic fears are, and more. TEIQue gives a manager an insight into how adept their employee is at managing both their own emotions and the emotions of others we find it powerful to discuss any changes or concerns. Moreover, it s useful for both the manager and employee to understand their emotional intelligence levels for example, if they have low levels of emotion regulation, it may be prudent to be mindful of this when discussing more emotive or challenging issues. GIA looks at a person s speed of learning and can be useful to keep in mind during a 1 to 1 to support managers in delivering information at the appropriate pace. Motivator, Innovator, Networker Word Meaning Perceptual Speed Emotion Expression Optimism Influence Dominance The image above represents our This is Me. At Thomas, each individual has their own this is me which outlines their PPA profile, Team role factors and highest and lowest GIA and TEIQue facets. Every employee has this on their signature and uses it in meetings to help improve communication. Engagement levels It s important to keep your finger on the pulse in terms of engagement levels in your organisation all year round, not just when it s time to roll out an engagement survey. At Thomas, we add an engagement section to our 1 to 1 form, which asks employees to rate each Thomas Engage driver (Challenge, Growth, Recognition, Togetherness, Voice, Freedom and Clarity) on a 1-10 scale, with reasons why, whether they are satisfied with the score, and any ways they feel the scores could be improved. This allows us to be able to measure engagement at any time, make constant improvements, and gives our employees a voice all year round. 6

7 Mid-year reviews Holding a review halfway through the year is important to review progress over a larger period of time, rather than the more immediate reviews during 1 to 1 meetings. Mid-year reviews are held to: Review year to date performance and discuss progression against objectives to ensure completion by their deadline Identify development areas and set plans for training and development Explore potential Discuss career aspirations and explore possible career pathways The same rules and recommendations for 1 to 1 meetings apply to mid-year reviews, but with a broader focus on performance and career aspirations. It is recommended to expand the 1 to 1 meeting form to include more detailed questions around performance, progress and development, as well as additional questions on career aspirations, both short and long term. At Thomas, we also ask our employees to complete a PPA (behavioural assessment) and TEIQue (emotional intelligence assessment) as part of their mid-year review. They then receive feedback from their managers on their assessment results. Along with completing up to date PPA and TEIQue assessments we also roll out Thomas 360 (a 360 degree feedback tool) as part of our mid-year review process. Doing this allows employees to receive feedback from their manager, colleagues, direct reports, and clients, which can be used to inform development plans. 7

8 Annual reviews Annual reviews are held at the end of the year to discuss the completion of objectives and look back on performance across the year. As with mid-year reviews, annual reviews provide an opportunity to explore career aspirations and pathways. During an annual review, it is important to discuss to what extent objectives have been completed. If they haven t been fully completed why? Do they need to roll into next year? What support might be needed in order to complete them? New objectives should be set for the following year during this meeting. We recommend further expanding the mid-year review form to include questions around the completion of objectives and suggested objectives for next year. There should be no surprises for the employee during the annual review performance should have been discussed regularly throughout the year, in 1 to 1 meetings and also at the mid-year review. 8

9 Want to find out more about how we can support you in holding effective 1 to 1 meetings and appraisals? CONTACT US Speak to your consultant or contact us on or Thomas International Copyright Thomas International Ltd Best practice 1 to 1 meetings and appraisals - Digital Guide