As 2025 is drawing to an end and you are looking at sales as well as 2026 projections, where do your employees come into play? While creating sales goals is necessary, many employers avoid one-on-one performance reviews and goal setting.
To be honest, no one wants to sit in the awkward space of receiving or giving a performance review. No one wants to hear how they have failed in an area or how they could have improved. No one wants to bear the burden of delivering that assessment of an employee. So, naturally, the situation is avoided and all feedback is “swept under the rug.”
Assessments are not always about pointing out the negative. At least they shouldn’t be. A performance review allows employees and employers the opportunity to discuss progress within the company. No one is perfect, so everyone has room for improvement.
Other reasons for avoiding performance reviews may be that an employer doesn’t have the time or doesn’t want to take the time. But not taking the time to discuss employee performance can hinder growth both personally and company-wide. Performance reviews provide an opportunity to show your employees that they are worth making time to discuss their performance as well as their growth and goals in the future of the company.
The key to making reviews less awkward is having regular check-ins and feedback throughout the year. If you have consistent communication with individuals on your team about their performance, nothing should come as a surprise. Regular communication lets the employee know you are on the same team, striving for the same goal: success within the company as well as for the company; that you care about personal performance and success, not only what will benefit your business.
When the time comes for scheduled, in-person performance reviews, allow the employee to come prepared by having questions provided in advance. In a Forbes article from 2023 by Mark Nevins, he gives four specific questions to ask him/her to think about prior to the meeting. Encourage him to make some notes for discussion. According to Nevins, “The radically different aspect of this feedback method is that the person receiving the feedback leads the conversion.”
1. What has gone well for you this year?
This allows you the opportunity to give positive feedback for a job well done, then discuss ways to build on those accomplishments. You can also get an idea of what factors contributed to the successes and wins. These may be some things that can be carried through the organization.
2. What didn’t go as well as you wanted this year?
This question opens the door to discuss weaknesses and opportunities for growth. Focus on learning from the difficulties and improvements that could be made. Discuss what could have been done differently and offer opportunities for coaching to gain new skills in weak areas.
3. Looking ahead to next year, what are your most important goals?
Get curious and ask why he chose the goals over others. This is an indication of where he is focusing his energy. If goals are geared toward productivity, what is the path to increase productivity? Create a plan that will measure success in increments. Think of people in the company who are achieving these goals and offer collaboration and support for the employee.
4. What do you need from me to help you achieve those results and continue to grow?
This allows your employee to give you feedback on ways you can better support him. Does he need help with specific challenges? Would it be more beneficial to meet more often to tackle roadblocks and collaborate? If your employee feels comfortable with sharing how you can better support him, it increases comfort and safety in the workplace.
When it comes to discussing serious problems with performance, the best way to handle it is to go straight in. Don’t dance around the issue. Focus on a few specific points to address with clarity and open the discussion on how the performance could improve. Does the employee need more support or assistance? Does he/she have the tools necessary to effectively perform the task? Be specific on how you can work together towards improvement. Focus on ending on a positive note with a plan in place.
Giving your employees the opportunity for feedback and improvement through a performance review increases productivity as you maintain consistent clarity with your team. Goal setting lets them know that you value their personal success as well as wins, no matter how big or small, within the company.
