This week I had my first “end-of-year panic call”! It was even earlier this year than last, but the sentiment is the same … it’s part way through quarter 4, there are unfulfilled objectives on the plan and the measurement of achievement will soon start its formal cycle A.K.A the End-of-Year Performance Review.
This concern (and sometime sense of impending doom) can come from both camps:
1) The individual who hasn’t completed their objectives and has a dawning realisation that they will need to “justify” it
2) The manager who has realised that an individual hasn’t achieved objectives (maybe hasn’t mentioned it before) and now sees the “difficult conversation” looming … maybe they even want to withhold a bonus payment
But how did we get here?
We’re busy…
In this modern high-tech world, with 3(or even 4)G and WiFi, 24/7 email and mobile telephony, it’s easy to feel like we’re always “on” and expectations seem to have risen around what we will do and the pace we’ll do it at.
Anyone who has spent an evening “at leisure” with a smartphone in their hand, checking and sending emails, or reviewing various internet sites or apps will know how easy it is to get drawn into the trap of never truly switching off. There isn’t even the need anymore to take the conscious step of getting the laptop out – we don’t even notice we’re working but before we know it, the whole evening has passed and we never really stopped. Now let’s be clear, I’m not “pointing the finger” here … this could be me I’m describing! But I know from conversations with those I know and work with that this is an all-to-familiar scenario.
So we’re all busy, but shouldn’t we really ask ourselves “What are we busy at?”
This is where the performance review so often hits a disconnect … the individual who has worked tirelessly and endlessly all year … and the manager who looks at a list of objectives that haven’t been completed. Clearly the individual thinks they have given their all and deserves a great review but in all too many cases, when their manager reviews their objectives, there are key deliverables outstanding and the manager may have little choice but to downgrade their performance.
There are many reasons why this may have happened:
a) The organisation’s objectives or strategy may have shifted
b) The individual may have had other things hit their desk and had to shift focus
c) The individual may have lost focus of what the real priorities were
d) There may just be too much work to be done
e) Manager and individual may never have been truly “on-the-same-page” about what the objectives and/or priorities were ……
….. the list goes on!
So keep checking in…
For this, if no other reason, it’s crucial that both individual and manager sit down at various points during the year and review progress against objectives (the more regular, the better). It’s a step so often overlooked, or seen as pointless bureaucracy, yet it’s fundamental to the successful working of an organisation or team. Most importantly, if everyone is incrementally working towards a shared or known goal, it avoids the need for the difficult conversation at the end of the year … and anything we can do to avoid that has got to make life more comfortable for everyone!
As individuals, surely we would rather know if we’re ploughing our efforts into something we will never be rewarded for? So as individuals, or managers, or both, it makes sense to be open and upfront about what we’re striving for, how successful we currently are on that journey and what we can do to get where we need to be in the time we have available. Life is complicated enough, but at the heart of it, it’s really that simple!
As for the panic call I received, the good news is they now have a plan in place to avoid their end-of-year pain and we’re working on the changes they need to make, to get them ahead of the game for 2014. Compared to many they’re in pretty good shape (and to their credit, they panicked early enough to be able to take action!).
So, here are our top tips to avoid the End-of-year Panic:
1. Act now!
Don’t delay, as every day is crucial – think how quickly you reached this point in the year … it’s not going to get any slower from here
2. Have a pre-review Review
In essence, this is your chance to be able to pull something back before the end of the year and avoid unpleasant surprises or difficult conversations. Make sure you’re still on the same page about what’s to be achieved or ask to sit down and scope what the priorities are from now through to year end. Avoiding doing this now, will only make things more uncomfortable later
3. Be prepared to re-scope
It might be a case of shifting priorities, or it could be that if things really need to be done by the end of the year, you need to bump less important actions or projects, or maybe bring in some extra resource now before it’s too late (but think what works for you … this could be external resource or it may be moving resource from one project to another)
4. Don’t panic
Panic can lead to paralysis. Stop, take a deep breath, step back and review what really needs to be done, what is achievable and what actions you can take
Remember, it’s still October and there’s still time, but don’t be a busy fool – get focussed and take the steps you need to get the success you need.
www.melaniejonesassociates.com
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