I've just been through a round of appraisals with my team, using MT's techiniques for the first time.
[As an aside, I recommend you at least listen to the podcats on apparaisals - some great ideas in there].
One of the processes of the appraisal system is of course to review your targets and how you performed against them. Some of these targets were 'SMART' and some were 'bigger pciture, braod based ideas. At least two of my staff said, in preparation for the appraisals, 'can you send me my targets I cant find them'. Now I know that probably makes you gasp with horror - it did for me too. It also dawned on me that I was totally guilty of setting targets and then not following them up until they came out again at appraisal time. Shame on me..... :-(
To put this is in a little perspective, our last round of appraisals was before I started using O3s.
So, to ensure that this doesn't happen again, I have amended the standard O3s sheet. Now, for each direct, I have a personalised 03 sheet with their appraisal targets typed in at the top of the sheet (between the 'personal notes' and 'team member update' section.). So each week, when I print off their sheet, to make my notes, they are there, in front of me.
My aim is not to use them as an indepth check list every week ("tell me exactly what have you done on this target") but just as a nudge to remind me and them what the big picture is.
Thoughts? Comments?
I have just recently decided
I have just recently decided to start bringing them up weekly - though have not started yet - and bring them up in a similar way as you mention - its not like they have to do something each week but its important to make progress over time.
I think that's a great idea!
I recently imported the Outlook calendar reminders from M-T, which includes a weekly review of progress toward goals. I just assumed it was to review my own progress and didn't think to extend the thought to my directs.
Your idea seems to be a natural extension of that, and will make it much easier to gently remind my directs of what they should consider important as we discuss the thing they're working on.
Thanks for sharing!
Steve I
DiSC 7114
Send Quarterly Reminders
In our company, we used to have mandatory quarterly performance reviews. Ratings were only issued at mid-year and annually. Now, there are no quarterly reviews nor mid-year ratings. One thing I used to do is send my team a reminder about a month and then 2 weeks before quarterly performance reviews were due to HR for people to document their achievements against there agreen upon targets. I also offered to review their write ups for them before they officially submitted it to me for feedback on how to write them better. Many times, when I reviewed them, I pointed out accomplishments they forgot to include because I was tracking them in a folder of my own. Remember, your team's accomplishments roll up to yours. Please don't take that in a self-serving way but that's the reality of corporate review processes. So, it's in my best interest to help my people get the most out of their performance evals because that directly impacts my own performance eval.
Recurring agenda item
I had the same issue, and handled it similarly.
I keep O3 agendas in OneNote, which makes it easy to move, tag, etc. agenda items. Annual performance goals are standing items, with a note to myself to review progress on the appropriate date the next quarter out. It helps regardless of outcome - either because the goals are attained, or because the direct has insight into an unfavorable performance rating.
Works for me....
I think this is a good way to keep us from wandering too far afield. Most managers set annual goals and never recur to them. I'd much rather talk someone down from the ledge of too often (every week, in some cases but not all) than keep beating the drum for "more than once a year please."
Mark