How to Conduct Meaningful Year-End Performance Reviews
Megan Johnson
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Advice from Mike Linstroth - SHRM-CSP, VP of Business Development
Whether you’re in senior leadership in a police department, fire department, 911 dispatch center, or EMS department, you can’t leave performance reviews to your gut. “The way we’ve always done it” is not going to keep your team performing its best in the constantly-evolving landscape of emergency response.
Before the Meeting: Take These 3 Steps
- Review Their Goals - Starting with the previous review’s goals is a great way to have a well-rounded conversation as part of your year-end review. For each team member, consider:
- What did they do well? Which individual goals did they meet or surpass?
- Did their efforts help the team achieve any department-wide goals?
- Are there any common threads among goals or professional benchmarks they missed?
- Do they need additional training and support to accomplish their professional development goals?
- Compile Action Steps - Based on your review of their goals, coaching, and on-the-job activity, you can compile action steps, follow-up plans, training recommendations, and any other next steps you plan to recommend.
- Document and Share Results - Once you’ve gathered details about their performance, and your recommendations for next steps, compile everything into a report that you can easily review together and store in your team’s communication system. This will give everyone something tangible to work from, and ensures no vital details are misunderstood or miscommunicated.
During the Meeting: Mindset Matters
Effective team leaders head into year-end reviews with a clear head and a partnership mindset. Grounding yourself in your values is important to avoid reactivity so you can focus on doing what’s necessary to complete a fair, objective performance review. For best results, remember to take two important mental steps:
- Start with recognition and appreciation. Begin each year-end conversation focusing on what the teammate has done well. Where have they improved, excelled, or surpassed your expectations? Is there any time they went above and beyond? Do they always act with fairness and integrity? Those strengths shouldn’t “go without saying”, Make a point to include a “highlight reel” of their best work or greatest strengths as part of their performance review.
- Remember, this is a two-way conversation. Make sure to allow time in the structure and flow of the meeting for each person to respond to your feedback and share feedback with you. If there’s not enough time to cover everything they’d like to discuss, plan some additional time to continue the conversation at the start of next year.
- Participate as their partner. You’re both working to help your public safety department succeed in keeping your community safe. In that sense, you’re partners in success. This review conversation should feel like part of that partnership. It should be clear you’re there to help them reach their goals and continue in growth and improvement.
After the Meeting: Track Progress and Follow Up
When the meeting wraps, update your documentation, and make sure you have a follow-up plan in place. Whether it’s monthly, three months, or six months, check in to see how things are going. Keeping communication clear and consistent is one of the best ways to keep everyone moving forward.