Performance review is common process in most companies. However, not every review can contribute positively to productivity. Practically, in most cases, employees feel insecure and aware when it comes to these performance reviews.

The deepest cause of problems in performance management in general, and evaluation specifically is that annoying feeling arising every time the manager brings “bad news”, especially during sensitive times such as end of the business periods, or end of the business year.
To avoid misleading assumptions and unnecessary feelings, these below solutions should be considered:

1. 1. Avoid using negative messages. Providing less harsh news is not bad. Shifting into a more loosen mindset, regardless of the delivering content, can revitalize the conversation positively.
2. 2. Do not share performance feedback of anyone to others, unless it might create positive backlash from the public. The feedback recipients should be respected with personal feelings and privacy.
3. 3. Don’t waste time digging deeper if it’s time to move onto the new topics. Paces and rhythm play vital role in a successful review meeting.
4. 4. Don’t over-focus on employee’s mistakes during the meeting. The negative feedback should be delivered concisely, carefully, and if possible, privately.
5. 5. Don’t try to dodge difficult messages by playing round, or using academic phrases, vocabulary. If you are in charge to deliver those “tough” messages, be straightforward. Otherwise your content will not be fully expressed, and lose its original purpose.
6. 6. Avoid monologues. A two-way conversation with high interaction will definitely produce highest outcome. If you are the only one to speak, stop and reevaluate.
7. 7. Avoid arguments at all cost. Usually, managers will argue with employees’ feedback, and then unintentionally distract the meeting away from its core purpose. The essential activity is to discuss about various aspects and calmly reduce disengagement.
8. 8. Never lose your cool. This can be difficult if the other party is reacting rather aggressively. However, if the manager does not control his or her feelings appropriately, the opportunity for a constructive evaluation is lost.
9. 9. Don’t forget about minor details of the conversation and fail to return to them later. The feedback should be monitored at all time, in order to ensure the integrity of the process. The review meeting should not be the one and only conversation about how the employee is doing their job. The discussion should be an ongoing process on a regular basis and relates to past feedback, so that the employee learns necessary actions to take to be successful.

If we shift our mindset about feedback and performing reviews, managers will be teachers, staffs will be students, and the whole organization will be a winning team.