Performance Review 2.0: The basics of One-on-One

"Performance review" - the[nbsp]expression alone is cumbersome. The concept of a one-on-one itself is often perceived as a burden. That's why we just want to get it over with quickly. However, it is a core element of successful leadership - as long as the relationship and the content, not the formalities, take center stage.

To better understand what we mean, imagine letting a stew simmer in a slow cooker. The flavors blend over time, creating something rich and satisfying. Now compare that to reheating your dinner in the microwave. Quick, yes. But does it taste as good and how long will it keep you full?

This is the perfect metaphor for the difference between good and bad performance reviews. Rushed conversations are like reheated meals: convenient, but ultimately unsatisfying. Real growth, like a slowly cooked stew, takes time to unfold.

Why this is often not the case, what exactly the hindrances are, and how to do it differently, is described in this blog article.

3 Pain Points of Performance Reviews

Why do performance reviews often automatically trigger an internal defense reaction? And how much time is lost simply because one lacks interest in or even fears this one-on-one? Take a moment to consider what bothers you about your process.

Typical pain points of performance reviews are as follows:

A Huge Time Requirement

Not only the actual conversation, but also the preparation and follow-up can take up a lot of time. A meaningful and value-adding one-on-one doesn't just happen on the fly. Both parties need to question themselves, their tasks, and the collaboration beforehand. And afterwards, agreements need to be documented and followed up.

A Pure Documentation Madness

As employee discussions are often linked to other HR processes, such as career decisions, training investments, and compensation, adherence to specific formalities and documentation requirements often takes precedence over the actual content. It's less about the conversation itself, but more about ensuring that everything is accurately documented and checked off on paper. This brings us to our next point.

An Outdated Paper-and-Pencil Principle

Many organizations still adhere to the practice of having each person fill out their evaluation form and bring it printed to the discussion. The papers are placed side by side, manually compared, discussed, and signed.

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The three pain points described above must now be multiplied by the number of direct reports a leader has. Depending on the size of the team or department one leads, one must prepare for, conduct, and document the conversation not just once, but multiple by x... Oh, if only there were a tool to increase efficiency.

What Stands in the Way of a Quality One-on-One?

In addition to the material and immaterial resources involved, there are three other reasons that severely limit the quality of the outcomes of performance reviews.

Time Intervals too Long

Traditional one-on-ones take place once or twice a year. That's a long time to reflect on oneself, one's work, and collaboration, or even have a chance to address conflicts and issues. How often do we think, "Oh, I'll discuss that in the next performance review," only to forget about it by then.

A Special Event

A point directly following on from the above is that due to the long intervals, the performance review is assigned a special role. This increases the pressure on the conversation to cover everything. Furthermore, it is thus detached from everyday leadership or collaboration. Of course, genuine exchange requires time, but transparent communication on development and work performance should be a given in the relationship between leaders and employees. However, this is often not factored into the "normal" leadership work hours.

Fixed Roles

In many companies, there is a clear hierarchy and thus a clear distribution of roles in employee conversations: the supervisor provides feedback, the employee receives it. This often creates an uneven dynamic, turning the conversation into a mere control and evaluation event. However, it is extremely important to understand that the conversation belongs to the employee. It is about their development. Therefore, it would make much more sense if the employee is in charge.

When you put it all together, it's no wonder that a core goal of performance reviews is often missed: genuine development.

4 Cornerstones for Genuine Development in One-on-Ones

Genuine development means being open to change, critically questioning oneself and others, setting development goals, and sticking to them. This should be a core element of performance reviews. Here are some tips on how to promote real development:

Collect and Prioritize Insights

To initiate development, one must first determine their status-quo. While this can be defined individually, there's a risk of having a blind spot in self-perception. This is where feedback comes into play. Observations and assessments from others help broaden my self-image. Insights can be gained through one-on-ones, with preceding surveys providing a valuable complement. These surveys structure the acquisition of knowledge and provide quantitative data that should be broken down, supplemented, and prioritized during the conversation. This enables the derivation of holistic development areas.

Make Data-based Decisions Together

Based on the self and external insights gained during one-on-ones, data-based decisions can be made about what the specific next development steps are. This provides transparency in decision-making for both parties, enables the development to be measurable, and progress to be tracked. This way, development paths are no longer based on a gut feeling.

Derive Concrete Development Goals and Measures

To make development measurable, concrete development goals and corresponding measures must be jointly defined and agreed upon based on the derived development steps in the one-on-one setting. Quality takes precedence over quantity. This means assessing which goals and measures best cover the development areas. Goals and measures are not an end in themselves but must contribute to the development areas. This way, development can be measured, and the success of measures and goals can be tracked.

Embed a Continuous Process and Live Sustainability

So we've gathered insights, prioritized, defined areas and steps for development, and derived actions. Done? No, a crucial element is the implementation and monitoring of development. Otherwise, development ends up on the scrap heap. True development is a continuous process, its success not measured by how many actions I can tick off, but rather by how well I can perceive development as part of my role. Regular check-ins and discussions help keep the topics current, obtain resources and support, and adjust goals and actions if circumstances have changed since the last performance review.

Conclusion

Let's revisit our initial metaphorical comparison of a slow cooker to a microwave. Genuine development in performance reviews is not a instant microwave product. You can't just set it, forget it, and when it "dings," it's done. To foster successful employee development through one-on-ones, you need to check back regularly, stir things up, perhaps add a pinch of salt here and there. Even if the checkmark for the HR department is placed on the performance review, communication with your employees and thus their development does not end. Continuous reviews and adjustments allow employee development to not just remain an annual ritual but become an integral part of everyday work life.