The Three Things That Matter in Our Performance Evaluations

I don't know when was the last time I've written about performance evaluations on this blog -- or indeed if I have ever written about performance evaluations on this blog before -- but they've been on my mind this week. With the close of our fiscal year, we're entering performance evaluation season at my organization.

I believe in regular feedback, and I'd like to think that my organization engages in it throughout the year, but we still have a once-a-year, formal sit-down conversation where an evaluation of performance is communicated and documented. And in that evaluation, there are only three things that matter.

1. Performance measured against staff values and associated behaviors. Like many organizations, we have established a set of values that describe our expectations for staff behavior in their interactions with each other and with our members. The degree to which each staff person exhibits behaviors that align with these values is assessed and weighted as the most important factor in our performance evaluation.

2. Performance measured against strategic program objectives. Each year a series of program objectives are identified that align with the strategic goals that have been set by our Board of Directors. Each individual staff member is then given primary responsibility for achieving a specific set of these program objectives, which require them to act as leaders in the organization, coordinating the efforts of other staff members and association members alike to achieve significant outcomes. The ability to weigh appropriate risks, make clear decisions, and exhibit a bias towards action are necessary precursors to this success. The degree to which each staff person achieves their program objectives, as well as the degree of difficulty each entailed, is weighted as the second most important factor in our performance evaluation.

3. Performance measured against professional development objectives. Each year we identify an organization-wide professional development objective, as well as individual professional development objectives for each individual staff person. The degree to which each staff person achieves these objectives is weighted as the third most important factor in our performance evaluation.

That's it. Do you embody our values? Did you achieve your objectives? Did you engage in professional development? When it comes to formally assessing the performance of our staff, those are the only questions we seek to answer.

+ + +

This post first appeared on Eric Lanke's blog, an association executive and author. You can follow him on Twitter @ericlanke or contact him at eric.lanke@gmail.com.

Image Source
https://thefutureorganization.com/three-things-think-about-before-starting-social-media/