Individual performance reviews are difficult enough, but many of today’s managers find themselves evaluating whole teams and departments, too. If you must regularly evaluate teams, determine how to do so fairly while focusing on individual contributions and collaborative achievements. Here are some tips for making the most out of team-based reviews:
- Keep performance logs and review templates for all individuals: Today, the world is all about data use. We use data to define success, identify patterns internally and in the marketplace, and to improve processes. Use the data you have on individuals in a collective manner. Identify patterns in work processes, make notes of individuals collaborating with others, and highlight productivity milestones.
- Make a return on investment (ROI) file for your team: Assign someone on your team to keep an email ROI file. Anytime an individual receives positive feedback internally or from a client, have them email the circumstances or the direct feedback to the keeper of the file. Celebrate the amount of positive feedback group members have achieved collectively periodically.
- Measure collaboration: Every task has value to team projects. Create a scale of importance for tasks, and create a data set using that information over time. Highlight individual achievements for contributing higher importance activities for a project, and recognize collaborative achievements in the same way. For instance, if two employees take ownership for running an event, they both earn a collaborative task or project score. The scoring method gives a team incentive and helps managers recognize high performers and team dynamics over time.
- Recognize support pathways: Some team members may be high producers, while others prefer to support high producers with administrative, research, and other tasks. Both roles are integral to the success of the team. Instead of focusing only on one type of valuable activity, focus on pathways to success that include every contributor. A rainmaker often can’t achieve his or her potential without supporters helping him or her take strategic steps.
- Create a team evaluation process: Just as you focus on individual evaluations, a team-oriented review process can also help you identify strengths and weakness for team or department optimization.
You may use the same template you use for individual performances and create a team analysis. Instead of making a review meeting a formal, uncomfortable process, make it a fun all-hands-on-deck meeting where you recognize team accomplishments and offer advice in areas where the team needs to improve.
Team evaluations help a company see bigger picture results, making them an integral part of the evaluation process. Each team works differently, so choose the assessment methods to help you prioritize achievements and improvement areas that fit into the overall company strategy. For teams located in the same office and those that are geographically distributed, team evaluations allow managers to recognize weaknesses in the team structure and communication as well as what the team does well. Compare team and individual performances to improve overall team management strategies. Make your team and individual performance reviews shine by signing up for the Effective Performance Reviews eBook.
