Oh, the Joys of Performance Reviews!
Oh, the Joys of Performance Reviews!
What a two-months-overdue review is quietly telling your best people.
We all look forward to performance reviews and complete them right on time. Correct?
Well… maybe not.
Performance reviews have an interesting way of slipping down the priority list. There are customers to take care of, problems to solve, meetings to attend, vendors needing answers, and another dozen things demanding our attention. A review that was due next week suddenly becomes one that was due three weeks ago.
And then comes the friendly reminder from HR.
1The Question Worth Asking First
Rather than talking about why leaders procrastinate, there is a more important question to sit with:
“What does a late performance review feel like to the employee waiting for it?”
Put yourself in their shoes for a moment. You completed your portion of the review on time. You believe you’re doing a good job — perhaps even exceeding expectations. Your company talks about Integrity, Communication, Accountability, or Respect as core values.
And your performance review is now two months overdue.
Crickets.
What message does that send?
2What Silence Actually Communicates
We may tell ourselves, they know we’re busy. And they probably do. But employees also know what gets prioritized — and what doesn’t.
That’s where an overdue performance review becomes about much more than paperwork.
- Does it begin to erode trust?
- Does it create unnecessary worry?
- Does it make someone question how their contribution is valued?
- Does it create a disconnect between the culture we say we have and the culture employees actually experience?
Those are uncomfortable questions, but leaders should be willing to ask them.
3A Different Appointment on the Calendar
Maybe we need to rethink performance reviews altogether — not the process, but our mindset toward them.
Instead of seeing a review as another HR deadline, what if we viewed it as dedicated time with someone who helps make our business successful?
That’s a very different appointment on the calendar.
And ideally, the formal review shouldn’t contain many surprises. If we’re communicating regularly, recognizing good work, addressing concerns when they occur, and asking employees how they’re doing, the annual review becomes a continuation of an ongoing conversation — not a once-a-year revelation.
If the review does contain surprises, perhaps that’s another opportunity for introspection.
4Leadership Is Communicated in Ways We Underestimate
What we say matters. What we do matters. And what we repeatedly fail to do matters too.
The tone of an organization’s culture starts with its leaders, whether we intend it to or not.
So maybe the next time that performance review reminder lands in our inbox, instead of thinking, I need to get HR off my back, we might ask ourselves a different question:
“What message do I want my employee to receive from me?”
Sometimes moving a culture forward begins with something as simple as keeping a commitment.
As a business coach who works with small business owners, leaders, and executives on culture, communication, and accountability, Lori Moen of Catalyst Group ECR has helped countless teams turn performance reviews from a dreaded deadline into a genuine leadership habit.
If your review process — or your culture — could use a second look, reaching out to Lori is a great place to start.
Connect with Lori Moen →
