Quick Start: Leading Feedback and Performance Reviews
Providing feedback is challenging but essential if you want your team to grow. And it shouldn't be reserved for annual reviews. Instead, your goal should be to create a learning environment in which constructive criticism is not just accepted, but welcomed. As your create your own feedback and performance policies, keep the following in mind:
- How does the team currently provide feedback? Calibrate how you give feedback based on the existing culture. Some companies, for instance, already have a confrontational culture—adopting a policy like "radical candor" may just encourage people to act like jerks.
- What's the right frequency for feedback and reviews? Being critical can be uncomfortable at first, so it's easy for one-on-ones and reviews to get pushed back indefinitely. Dedicate regular, specific times for feedback, and stick to your schedule.
- What's the right format? You don't have to adopt a 1-5 rating scale or use the "compliment-critique-compliment" structure—explore different ways to give people the feedback they need to grow.
- How can we make sure feedback is a two-way street? Employees should be encouraged to give feedback to higher-level employees and identify ways the organization as a whole can improve. Consider using anonymous survey tools or open sessions to get a complete picture.
- How is progress measured? It doesn't matter how insightful your feedback is if it's never acted on. Develop a system to track next steps and measure improvement between sessions.
Guides
- How We Conduct 1:1s: Go on, crib NOBL's structure for feedback sessions.
- How to Level Up One on Ones with Your Team: Improve your one-on-ones with four simple rules.
- How to Conduct an Employee Performance Review: Develop a review process for your own team based on AltSchool's experience.
- Use Frequent, Open-Ended Surveys to Measure Employee Engagement: Solicit feedback on the company's performance as well.
Case Studies
- How ustwo Creates a Culture of Continuous Learning: A case study which discusses the context for delivering feedback and a format for making suggestions.
- How Facebook Conducts Performance Reviews: A process that shows why tools and data support (rather than replace) meaningful conversations about development.
- How Google Ventures Uses Anxiety Parties to Solicit Peer Feedback: A format for small, flat teams who want to address nagging concerns.
- How Upstart Developed Performance Reviews for the C-Suite: An illustration of why grading your executive team calls for a different type of performance review.
- Pixar's Braintrust Provides Constructive Criticism to Creatives: A panel of experts can ask the right questions to move a team forward.
