Turn the Painful Mid-Year Review to a Tool That Leads Your Team to Out-Performance

Mid-year review should be the time for employees and managers to reflect on what has been accomplished so far and what needs to be done. But often, it is either a painful exercise or a tick-in-the-box. Combining elements of both goal-setting and feedback, we suggest these principles and processes for mid-year reviews, which will help you do justice to these conversations in future

Principle of DOORS:
Development Focus
Ensure the review centers on professional growth and skill enhancement, rather than just evaluating past performance.
Ownership of Goals
Emphasise the importance of taking responsibility for personal and team goals, fostering a sense of accountability.
Outperformance Intent
Encourage aiming beyond mere targets to achieve exceptional performance and drive the team forward.
Reflective Conversation
Promote open discussions that allow for introspection and constructive dialogue on past experiences and future directions.
Simplicity of Process
Keep the process straightforward to ensure clarity and effectiveness in setting and tracking goals.

Process to Follow – Plan, Prepare, Participate, Progress:
To ensure an effective mid-year review, follow a structured process that emphasises thoughtful preparation, active participation, and ongoing progress. Here’s a detailed look at each step in this process.

PLAN
• Take one to two weeks’ notice to schedule.
• Ask to think about successes, roadblocks and support required.
• Revisit goals that were agreed upon.

PREPARE
• Review performance goals, comparing them with results.
• Identify critical incidents that stood out as outstanding or inadequate.
• Seek inputs from stakeholders for a holistic perspective.

PARTICIPATE
• Ask for verbal self-assessment. Share your insights with data.
• Reinforce successes and discuss causes and solutions to issues.
• Agree on changes required to goals or resources.
• Summarise success, issues, solutions and commitments.

PROGRESS
• Reflect on what else you could do to support your team member.
• Follow up on agreements on support and committed resources.
• Schedule follow-up calls or discussions to stay on track.

By incorporating these principles and following a structured process, mid-year reviews can be transformed into valuable opportunities for growth and improved performance.