Review season is typically not anyone's favorite time of year. Senior attorneys must write tons of reviews, associates may be anxious about their performance, and the meetings can feel endless for those delivering the reviews. But if you're tasked with being the "messenger" for review meetings, it's important to appreciate the importance of the moment for each associate and commit to giving them clear, accurate, and actionable feedback.
A good review meeting is a prime opportunity for growth, reflection, and recalibration. However, if not conducted effectively, it can also be a source of demotivation and confusion. To ensure that review meetings are productive and encouraging, even when tough messages must be delivered, here are a few essential dos and don'ts.
Do:
1. Read the Self-Evaluation: Always take the time to read the associate's self-evaluation. This document is a vital tool that provides insight into how they view their own performance and contributions. Acknowledge the effort they put into their self-evaluation and incorporate it into your review discussion. This not only shows respect for their input but also provides important context for the discussion.
2. State Your Intent Up Front: Clarity is key in performance reviews. If the review is positive, start on that note to set a reassuring tone. For mixed reviews, be upfront about the varied feedback. In cases of a negative review, clearly outline the seriousness of the situation and the need for significant improvements. By stating this at the beginning of the meeting, you're providing clarity that will help the associate frame their expectations and better absorb the details of the discussion.
3. Give Associates Something to Work Toward: Associates who are performing well, or even average, often get reviews with limited constructive feedback. But these associates also strive for continued improvement. When looking at your review message, make sure each associate has concrete and actionable goals they can work toward during the next review period.
4. Provide Concrete Resources: When offering constructive feedback or helping associates set objectives/goals, provide them with specific resources to help them improve. This could include training modules, books/articles, workshops, or even mentorship opportunities. By doing so, you're helping them take actionable steps toward their goals.
Don't:
1. Give Generic Encouragement: Telling an associate to "keep doing what you're doing" without specifics can be unhelpful and vague. It's crucial to highlight particular behaviors or outcomes that are desirable and should be continued or enhanced.
2. Use the "Feedback Sandwich": The feedback sandwich—couching negative feedback between two positives—was once believed to be the most effective way to deliver criticism. However, we've learned that this method can be confusing and may dilute the impact of the crucial feedback. Be direct and clear about what needs to change without hiding it between commendations.
3. Be Vague: Vague feedback is not only unhelpful but can also be frustrating. Instead of just pointing out what wasn't done right, provide concrete examples of where they fell short and be specific about what should have been done differently. This specific guidance helps in making the feedback actionable.
4. Sugarcoat: While it's important to be empathetic, sugarcoating negative feedback does a disservice to the associate's potential for growth. Be honest and direct about areas of improvement to ensure the associate understands their performance issues. This is especially important if the performance defects are having a negative impact on the associate's career or reputation or could lead to eventual termination. What may seem obvious to the reviewer may not be so clear to the associate. Be absolutely certain that the associate understands the seriousness of the situation.
By adhering to these dos and don'ts, you can ensure that performance reviews are fair, constructive, and geared toward fostering growth and improvement.
By: Kandice Thorn, Founder, WorkBetter for Lawyers
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