YieldStreet Chief People Officer Nicole Keller said managers should approach performance reviews with their conclusions in mind.
“Start with thinking about what the outcome of the discussion should be,” said Keller.
Keller, who has worked at the investment platform for nearly a year, said outcomes should be centered around determining next steps for an employee: how they can continue their success, create future wins and advance toward their professional goals.
Using Kim Scott’s best-selling management book Radical Candor as a reference point, Keller said feedback during reviews should be open and contextualized, giving the team member clear examples of wins and areas for improvement. Keller also emphasized the importance of completing performance reviews by giving direct reports goals and action items.
How do you prepare for a performance review to ensure it’s a meaningful and productive conversation?
I always encourage managers to prepare by taking a step back and thinking about the big picture. Think about the most important messages you want to get across. What are the person’s top two or three accomplishments? What are a few areas, that if they improved on, would result in a meaningful difference in their results or overall impact?
Share the written review before the meeting so that they can digest the feedback and themes.”
How do you format these meetings and why?
I usually like to share the written review before the meeting so that they can digest the feedback and themes. This way the conversation is focused on the areas of highest impact, clarification and discussion. This also usually allows some time at the end of the conversation for me to ask how I can better support the person and to talk about forward-looking inspiration for what’s ahead.
We end each written performance review by moving onto development. We start a conversation around how to better leverage the individual’s strengths and discuss areas they’d like to invest in developing.
Radical Candor by Kim Scott
What advice do you have for delivering constructive feedback in a performance review?
Kim Scott says it best in her book Radical Candor: “Care personally, challenge directly.”
Start with thinking about what the outcome of the discussion should be. Usually, you’re sharing constructive feedback to help the person achieve better results and be successful in their role. Give that context and share the feedback directly. But then focus on what causes it and how you can support their improvement efforts and development.
