Performance reviews on a curve

I’ve seen situations where managers are told to apply a curve to performance reviews for their direct reports. This makes sense, as it keeps them meaningful and people generally know how they stack up against their peers. Unfortunately, I’ve seen the method applied badly and would like to share some thoughts on what I believe to be best practices.

Find opportunities to provide feedback more often than what is scheduled by the corporate headquarters.

Honest and straightforward communication regarding whether or not a direct report is or isn’t meeting expectations should be a near daily occurrence. Generous praise, constructive feedback and reassurance are much more effective when they are given in response to recent events.

Keep the curve consistent

I’ve seen situations where the curve was changed by external factors and the change was not socialized. This caused people to get evaluations that were substantially lower than their last ones without a change in their effectiveness. Whenever a direct report is going to be held to a new standard, make sure they are well aware of it.

Stay consistent with your feedback

If you praise someone for a behavior such as speaking their mind or taking a risk, be sure to remember that when they try it again and it doesn’t go so well. Make an effort to talk through what made the behavior praiseworthy before and less so the second time.

Use the review process as an opportunity

Almost all managers want all their direct reports to be stellar achievers. Almost all employees want to be seen as stellar achievers and are willing to work towards that end. Performance reviews are a great opportunity to get them there. The manager needs to go into reviews hoping to find ways to help their employees advance their careers. The employees need to go in with similar objectives.