🧟‍♀️Are Your Performance Reviews SCARY? Discover a better way!

Leslie Speas
Oct 14
3 min read

Updated: 6 days ago

Are your performance reviews scary?

Are you HAUNTED by the ghost of past performance reviews?

Performance reviews are one of the most dreaded activities in any organization. For many people, the annual performance review ranks right up there with going to the dentist — uncomfortable, stressful, and something you put off as long as possible. Apologies to all the dentists out there!

It's about time to embark on 'performance review season' in many organizations. Can I get a collective groan? But you have time to make a change!

Why Traditional Performance Reviews Usually Suck

The “once-a-year review” is usually a painful experience for everyone involved.

Here’s why:

Over 75% of employees and managers say the results are ineffective or inaccurate.
Ratings are often demotivating and don’t correlate to performance.
They’re not done often enough to make a real impact.
They focus too much on the past instead of the future.
And most managers haven’t been trained to do them well.

So, what’s the alternative?

There is a better way!

First of all, I’m not a fan of the terms “performance review” or “performance appraisal.” Review makes it sound like we’re just looking backward at what someone has already done, when part of the conversation should be about what’s next. And appraisal? That word feels a little… judgy, like we’re assessing the value of a used car.

I prefer to call them Performance Conversations because that’s what they should be: an ongoing dialogue focused on growth, alignment, and support. Keep it simple — and make performance conversations a regular part of your culture.

I recommend scheduling quarterly check-ins to keep the dialogue going, reinforce expectations, and ensure employees are aligned and motivated. Think of these as expanded one-on-ones that focus on growth, goals, and support.

Below are some suggested steps to implement Performance Conversations in your organization:

Step 1: Define Key Results Areas (KRAs)

Start by identifying 4–6 key areas of responsibility or focus for each role, the things that truly move the needle. Then define how success will be measured.

Example – Customer Service Representative: Provide excellent customer service by meeting service level agreements for email response, phone response time, and customer satisfaction. I don't love ratings (because they are usually mostly about the rater), but here's a way to incorporate them if you want/need to.

Rating	Description
Needs Improvement	Response times are often below expected SLAs. Customer feedback is below average.
Meets Expectations	Consistently meets SLAs. Customer feedback consistently meets expectations.
Exceeds Expectations	Frequently exceeds SLAs. Customer feedback is above average.

Step 2: Reinforce Core Values

Your performance process is a great opportunity to bring your Core Values to life. You can discuss them through open-ended questions or include them in your evaluation categories.

Step 3: Ask Great Questions

Open-ended questions make the conversation more meaningful and less like an interrogation. Here are a few of my favorites:

What accomplishments are you most proud of this quarter?
What challenges did you face, and what did you learn?
How are you living out our Core Values?
What would you like to learn or improve next?
How can I better support you as your manager?

Step 4: Set and Review Goals

Incorporate both performance and development goals into your process. Make them SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and timely), and review progress regularly.

Step 5: Add a Self-Assessment

I’m a big fan of including a self-assessment as it makes the process more collaborative and balanced. Send employees a few questions to complete in advance. You’ll often get helpful context or examples you may have forgotten, and it makes the conversation feel more two-way.

How to Design Your Process

Customize the approach to fit your organization.
Get leadership buy-in early — their support is key.
Train managers on how to conduct conversations, give feedback effectively, listen with empathy, and coach for growth.
Communicate with employees — explain the new approach and the “why” behind it.
Launch and monitor — tweak as you go based on feedback.