Use Performance Reviews to Develop as a Leadership Coach

Tina-Schuricht • April 23, 2024

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Use performance reviews to develop as a leadership coach by creating an intentional dialogue that encourages change and growth.

The Value of Performance Reviews

Performance reviews provide a structured approach to understanding an individual’s strengths, areas for improvement, and growth potential. In the context of leadership coaching, performance reviews serve as a mirror, reflecting the leader’s current abilities and areas that require attention.

In my opinion, performance reviews are one of the most overlooked and underrated opportunities to act as a leadership coach.  By definition, performance reviews create an intentional dialogue that assesses the current state and encourages change and growth.  It has continued to surprise me that some leaders never conduct performance reviews and even more don’t put the time and effort in to make them effective coaching engagements.

What holds us back from acting as a Leadership Coach?

So why don’t some leaders take the time to act as a leadership coach and execute performance reviews? Because it’s hard.  It takes time and thought.  It takes the discipline of being clear about the goals and the flexibility to adjust with changes in scope and context.  And it takes the courage to be honest about how team members are doing both in writing and verbally.  In short, it takes emotional intelligence, a growth mindset, and energy…all of which seem to be in short supply these days.

Improve your skills as a Leadership Coach

As a leadership coach, how can you make the performance review process easier and more fulfilling for both you and the team member?  Here are a few ideas:

Ensure team members have clear goals

Heck, ask your team members to take the lead on setting their goals!  What an amazing sense of accountability and ownership they could have for their performance.

Don’t wait to document or talk about performance until the annual performance review

U se goals in your 1:1s, or at a minimum conduct a mid-year check-in.  It is hard to remember all of the amazing things that have happened for a whole year. Stay on top of achievements and course corrections and you’re bound to have a more accurate assessment of performance at the end of the year.

Gather input from your team members in the form of a self-review

Have your team members assess themselves against their goals.  Which goals went well and what could have gone better?  What did you learn?  How are you using that learning? I think you’ll find this to be a time saver as most of what team members document should be usable in their review (if they are relatively self-aware).  It can also give you an indication of how far apart you are on performance assessments to help you prepare for the conversation.

Collect feedback from peers, other leaders, and team members and take it seriously

If you take the time to collect feedback, use it to share real examples of where the team members crushed it and where they didn’t.  And share the feedback (anonymously, if promised) with your team members.

Set aside time to document performance

Document each goal, how the team member assessed themselves against the goal, and how you as their leadership coach assessed them so that you can see where you have alignment and where you don’t.  Document where both the achievements and gaps are based on all of the inputs.  Send the document to the team member in advance of the meeting (at least 24 hours).

Get in the mindset of a Leadership Coach during the conversation

Use the document as a backdrop for the conversation.  Ask the team member to take the lead.  What are you most proud of this period?  What surprised you?  Where would you like to focus? Where would you like to go next? Ask lots of questions.  Give the team member a sense of ownership for their performance and their future.  This approach can build trust, increase transparency, and promote a culture of continuous learning.

Conclusion

Performance reviews are a critical component of leadership coaching. They provide a structured approach to assessing performance, fostering open communication, and informing the future direction. Ensure you have clear goals, make it a habit to assess performance all year (not just once a year), gather input from the team member and their stakeholders and use it in your assessment, take the time to prepare, and be in the mindset of a leadership coach during the conversation. By integrating performance reviews into leadership coaching, organizations can develop effective leaders who are equipped to meet their objectives and lead their teams to success.

Do you want to learn more about leadership coaching and how to use the performance review process to improve as a leadership coach?  Reach out !  I’d love to connect.

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