You finished your annual reviews, you took our advice and approached it like a career vision board, and you're thinking, "now what?"
If you're not sure what we're referring to, head to our last blog post, where we expand on the importance of an annual review, the importance of approaching it as a Career Vision Board, and how to make a review a good experience for your team members.
But let's say you finished your reviews and you're not sure how to proceed, that's OK. Keep reading for tips to move forward with your Career Vision Board Annual Review and how to refer back to them throughout the year.
Pause
Look back at your previous experience.
For example, if you're a first-time manager, how were reviews handled afterward? If you're a more seasoned manager - How have you dealt with moving forward after an annual review?
Traditionally, both the employee and manager sign some paperwork acknowledging the review, and they move on. But then, they never think about it or talk about it until the following review, where you review the previous conversation and discuss how it has changed in the last 365 days.
Play
What if, instead of completing a review and leaving it in the past, we revisited the conversation frequently? With our Career Vision Board-style annual reviews, the discussions are a lot more employee-focused - it's about goals and motivations, how team members envision growing within the company. If you're only visiting that conversation once a year, you're neglecting 52 weeks of growth and an opportunity to advocate for and build your team.
Exercise #1: Revisit those conversations in your weekly or bi-weekly one-on-one meetings with your team members. Add those goals to your team member's CARE documents - if you need a reminder of what a care document is, refer to our blog on checking in with your team.
Exercise #2: Keep a list of your team member's goals and interests. Reference back to that list as new projects arise.
By assigning work that your team members have actively shown interest in, you're showing your team that you're listening and acting on those conversations. In addition, you're setting a precedent that when your team is transparent with you about their needs, you advocate for them.
Perform
Moving forward, continue to revisit and discuss your team member's goals or any changes. Also, allow your team to learn about other roles within the company.
Of course, while you continue to work with your team and actively listen to their wants and goals, ask for feedback.
Needs, wants, and goals can change. So it's possible that what you're doing isn't fulfilling for your team, which is OK!
We recommend always asking for feedback. As long as you work to build trust and listen actively, you're creating an environment where your team feels comfortable not only talking to you about their goals but also providing feedback to help you manage them better.
As a manager, it's your responsibility to help grow and advocate for your team; however, it's challenging to change how companies are traditionally run. So if you're looking for help to support your team, build team collaboration, and strengthen your management skills, head to our website and schedule a complimentary call to discuss your team and your needs.
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