Helping managers handle hairy performance reviews

A few managers dread conducting performance reviews and are daunted by the prospect of how employees will react. Is there anything they can do to prepare for the reviews?

– HR manager in accounting, Melbourne

For managers, conducting performance reviews is one of the most important tasks and, at times, one of the most difficult. While there are many reasons why a performance review can be challenging, it is often because there is something in the review that may elicit a strong emotional response or trigger an identity issue. Anticipating strong emotions can lead one to dread a conversation. A common tendency is to try to edit out the emotional content of a conversation and ‘stick to the facts’, but that is often counterproductive. During a review, an employee who is experiencing a strong emotional response may remain quiet in an attempt to manage their emotions. In other cases, the employee will act out the emotions immediately (become sarcastic, angry or weepy). It is necessary to learn how to manage strong emotions in such conversations, or at the very least, acknowledge the emotional content of the conversation by simply letting the employee know their feelings are important and have been heard. Managers should take a moment to determine whether to continue with the review or to postpone it to a later date. A performance review may also challenge an employee’s sense of identity (sense of self); consequently, there is a risk that it will become a difficult conversation. Such a person will go to great lengths to defend themselves when they experience a conversation as being about whether they are a good worker or not. If a manager anticipates that an employee might react negatively during a performance review, consider first whether there could be identity issues at play. Remember that even constructive feedback may be perceived in a negative way. Emphasise to the employee that it is only part of the picture. It may be significant but it is not the whole picture. It is difficult to know how to manage strong emotions, but not impossible. Acknowledge their emotions and recognise and accept that people will react differently to difficult situations. It is human nature!