Performance Reviews During COVID-19? YES, but not "Business As Usual"

Last week, I joined a panel on human resources issues facing nonprofits during the pandemic. It was a fantastic experience to join this powerhouse group of leaders and consultants, put on my “performance management expert” hat and answer the questions, “Should we do performance reviews right now? And if so, how?”

To the first question- HECK YES, performance reviews should happen for your team, even (and maybe especially!) during COVID-19. Why? Through performance reviews, you can do three important things: 1) provide clarity for your team member on the expectations for their role and how they’re doing, 2) open up a space for acknowledgement, celebration and recognition of your team member, their strengths, and their contributions, and 3) co-create a vision for where your team member wants to go next, where they want to grow, and how you can help them get there. Especially right now, we could all use as much clarity, positive reinforcement, and hope as we can get.

And just how should you conduct performance reviews? Probably not the way you’ve always done them. Charging ahead with a business as usual evaluative process while our lives and work and world are topsy-turvy would probably not feel great to you or your team members. Your organization could narrow your review to only a few top-line goals per person, and/or skip numeric ratings or competency rubrics this round since they might feel unfair and too evaluative for this moment in time. You could also embrace the opportunity to do something different and more developmental like a 360-degree feedback review. Every one of my current Shine360 or Leadership Circle Profile clients is finding that it’s a weirdly perfect time to reflect deeply on their leadership strengths and values, examine how they’re showing up for their teams, and what the next phase of work and the world will require.

Click here for the recording of the full webinar and other free resources: https://www.futureofhrwebinar.com/resources