At Coleman Search Group, we enjoy sharing our perspectives on the future of talent, leadership, and change in our industry. This article, originally posted on LinkedIn by Matthew Nickens, explores what can happen when a manager mishandles an annual review and how leaders can respond with ongoing communication, accountability, and a better approach to employee development.
In my recent article, Annual Review Gone Wrong, I wrote about what happens when an employee torpedoes their own review and what strategies can be used to get the employee back on track. But a botched review is not always the employee’s fault. I didn’t touch on the scenario when the manager is the issue.
Sometimes it’s the manager’s failures that doom the review in the days, weeks, and even months leading up to the meeting. You don’t think this is a widespread problem? I know it is because I hear the same frustration-laden story on repeat from fed-up professionals who reach out to me looking for a new company, as a result of their manager and work environment.
While this scenario isn’t necessarily bad news for a recruiter in the short term, it’s ultimately not what I want to see in the long term. It’s harmful for our industry, which already has a talent retention problem. I see the job boards at multiple companies flush with postings. Retaining current employees is just as critical as attracting prospective talent. Companies can’t afford to lose talented individuals to other industries because of inefficient and outdated management practices that are preventable. The scale of the problem is important to understand.
For example, if the meeting for a direct report goes sideways and they’re caught off guard, you missed the mark. To compound the problem, if you’ve made this mistake with one employee, you’ve likely repeated it with others. If it continues, the entire team will be going off the rails – upset, frustrated, and thinking of their own exit strategies.
Thankfully, the problem and the solution both start with the manager.
The best way for a manager to fix the problem is by establishing and executing a plan of continual, thoughtful communication with each of their team members. From my vantage point, proactive, healthy organizations ensure their managers have regular conversations with each of their employees – whether those conversations occur on a monthly, quarterly, or semi-annual basis. These continual conversations are intended to be check-ins to gauge employee development, monitor progress on long-term goals, and constructively address minor issues before they become major problems.
If this is followed correctly, there should be zero surprises for the employee or the manager at their annual review. Instead, the review should be a continuation of their ongoing dialogue and a year-end opportunity to build on what is working and continue addressing areas that may need improvement.
At the end of the day, managers make mistakes too, and – just like their employees – they should also be given the opportunity to grow and develop as leaders. If establishing continual dialogue is the most important takeaway here, the second is understanding that this is not a one-time fix. This is an evolving practice that must continue year after year. At the end of the day, I’d prefer that my next phone call be from a candidate desiring to run to a new challenge and opportunity rather than away from a dysfunctional environment created by a manager that is missing the mark.
By Matt Nickens, Partner, Coleman Search Group
