Annual performance reviews – I put myself on a development plan!

We continue our conversations around getting ready for annual performance reviews in our Coaching Café this week.

Importantly, over the past couple of weeks, we’ve looked at key tips and a framework to set those conversations up for success. Furthermore, how to manage the trickier conversations. This week we turn our attention to that box that says ‘state your development plan for the next 12 months’.

Arghh…the dreaded box

Arghh…the dreaded ‘12 month development’ on the performance review. This is the box and task that managers often moan about. But we are not sure why. It could be because the team member has no particular development goals? Alternatively, maybe the goals have been cut and paste from last year?

But we know there is a lot to be gained from coaching people around setting strong development goals. And Natalie has even been known to put herself on a performance development plan!

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Asking the experts

In our Coaching Café this week our Resident HR Specialist, Paula-Jones Hunt and Brigitte Calvert our Learning and Development Manager, share how a coaching approach can work. Particularly when setting up the development plan as part of the annual performance review. And this is a topic that is featured in our Certificate IV in Workplace and Business Coaching (10834NAT).

Performance plans are not all bad

Unfortunately, the idea of a performance plan has negative connotations in the workplace. Particularly when performance plans are used to manage under performance. And are often associated with a lengthy and painful HR process. Take a look at this article from Gallup to find out more.

However, Paula says that performance plans should be used for GOOD not EVIL. Meaning, the use of plan to focus on performance has many benefits. Furthermore, it is something that we need to do to enable high performance in the workplace. For example, putting together a simple performance plan that states the goals and key milestones or tasks to achieve those goals.

But we all have those plans don’t we?

Maybe we just call them something different?

Perhaps a project plan?

Or we use other terms?

There are a lot of benefits

Performance plans have a lot of benefits including:

Setting clear goals and targets
Gives clarity, focus
Provides measurements
Laid out in black and white
Enables communication
Provides accountability
Motivational
Enables recalibration
And doing a plan can make it more obvious if there is ‘too much on your plate’

Lots of research to support the ideas

The good news is that there is a lot of research to support putting in place a performance development plan. For example, the best organizations Gallup has ever studied make development the cornerstone of their culture.

Particularly a plan that is focussed on growth and development. Importantly, one that is developed as a collaborative effort between the team member and boss. And a plan that is focused on leveraging the strengths of the individual.

And there are many coaching questions that we can ask including:

What do you want to learn?
Where do you want to go?
Furthermore, what do you want to do differently?
In addition, what can you focus on for continuous improvement?
And…our favourite: in 12 months time, if you were to look back on your year, what would you like to say you have achieved? Or say that you are proud of?

Where to start?

Maybe you are involved in developing annual performance systems or coaching managers? Perhaps you are a manager embarking on the annual performance review season? Alternatively getting yourself ready for your own performance review?

Thinking about your own development. And putting together a plan for your development and performance, is time well spent.

In addition, listening to this webinar as a starting point to get more ideas from the experts is also time well spent . Furthermore, we provide a simple template if you need one.

Enjoy your coaching.

And enjoy putting yourself on a performance development plan

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