The performance review is usually a formal, pre-scheduled one-to-one conversation that takes place at quarterly / half-yearly intervals.

 

The main purpose is to review your rep’s results. A secondary purpose is to provide some developmental coaching.

 

The key thing to keep in mind is that you are there to review the rep’s performance not the rep her/himself.

 

I have seen many times well-meaning managers appraise the results of someone on their team, but they do in such a way that the rep feels they are being reviewed rather than their work.

 

The consequence? Defensiveness, resistance and sometimes outright hostility.

 

The first problem is that the performance review is often perceived to be corrective by design. When that is the impression, your rep may clam up and what was meant to be a coaching dialogue becomes an appraisal monologue.

 

Let’s use today’s episode to look at how you can coach the performance review right!