Performance Management
At
Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwa
Community College
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Not an isolated event, but an on-going process
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Based on Setting Clear Expectations
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Series of conversations held throughout the year
Clear Job Description
Reasonable and Consistent
Ask what support the employee needs from their manager
Supported by Feedback on Performance Expectations
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Recognition: Make time to recognize a job well done.
Development: Have discussions with employees about their
career interests/goals and find help identify growth opportunities
Notice of Valid Concerns and Opportunity for Improvement
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Depending on the role, monthly 1:1 meetings are suggested
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More frequently for new employees
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Address accomplishments and concerns as timely as
possible
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If not meeting expectations, clarify and explain consequences
of lack of improvement , and include time frame when
appropriate
Follow up with employees in regular 1:1 meetings during the
improvement period
 Be Respectful
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 Keep it confidential
 Practice active listening
 People hear messages in different ways
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The Performer
 Take time to recognize good performance, such as sending a
complimentary email
 Keep a drop file of peer or customer compliments
 Document plans for the individual’s growth and development
 Write and deliver an annual performance evaluation
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The Under-Performer (Partner with Human Resources)
 Give notice of concerns and provide opportunity for improvement
 Document events accurately and write documentation in a timely
manner (do not re-create it later when a problem is identified)
 Follow up conversations with a re-cap email to give the message more
than one voice
 Includes performance messages and formal disciplinary action
 Write and deliver an annual performance evaluation
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Job Description and Annual Goals
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The job description must be current and reviewed in total with the
employee to ensure they have an understanding of the role and
expectations of such
If you do not have a current job description a job template analysis is
available through HR to assist in updating of the job description
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Supervisor’s Direct Experience and Observations
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Supervisor’s “Drop File”
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Meeting notes/summaries, compliments and concerns from
customers, annual reviews, other performance documents
Employee Self-Evaluation
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Philosophy
Assess against the job’s expectations
 Be honest when indicating your rating; inflated ratings will
hurt the whole team
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Importance of delineating different performance
levels
Clear understanding of the meaning of each rating level
 Delivering the right message for a rating of “Meets
Expectations”
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Consistent use of 4-point rating scale across campus
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Exceptional (Work with HR)
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Exceeds Expectations
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Performance has a major impact on the department or the function;
extraordinary in many but not all
Meets Expectations
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Reserved for consistently extraordinary performance in all areas of
the job
An employee with good consistent performance in all areas of the
job. The employee is successfully meeting all requirements of the
position.
Improvement Needed
(Work with HR)
Performance failed to meet expectations in one or more of the
essential areas of responsibility
 One or more of the most critical goals are not met
 A signal that performance improvements are needed in some areas
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 Development of a Performance Improvement Plan
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Supporting Evidence should be provided for ratings
to illustrate the reasons for the rating.
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Examples of accomplishments
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Customer accolades or complaints
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Efficiency metrics or improvements
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Documented performance coaching or disciplinary action
Employee:
Daffy Duck
Job Description:
Daffy Duck is responsible for the development of policies and procedures for
the business office at the College. He is responsible for identifying where
policies and procedures are needed including implementation of the
business office policies.
Accomplishments:
1)
Developed and implemented 16 policies in the rating period.
A.
B.
Through development identified inconsistencies in process which brought about review of
business office accounts for streamlining and cost savings
Reduced overall costs associated with identified accounts by 15%
Strengths:
Daffy takes pride in his role. He regularly stays informed on new best
practices for the department and implements when he notes it would be of
benefit to the College. He has a friendly and approachable demeanor and is
excellent in training employees on the new processes. He receives many
compliments from employees.
Employee:
Mickey Mouse
Job Description:
Mickey Mouse is the mascot for our athletic teams. He is responsible for
accompanying teams to all events, increasing crowd enthusiasm, and
posing for photo opportunities.
Areas for Development:
1) Mickey must improve his attendance at games and continue to work on
timeliness. He received a written warning after being found sleeping during
two events in March. He also arrived late to 6 events in January and was put
on a Performance Improvement Plan earlier in the year. He failed to reach
any of his appearance goals this year.
2) Mickey needs to work on being more approachable for photo
opportunities. Photo ops were down by over 20% this rating period.
Community members have reported that Mickey has been too aggressive
with smaller children, causing them to cry or hide from him.
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May - June: Manager and Employee review current
job description for accuracy
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Update job description if needed
Establish goals for the upcoming evaluation period
Identify professional development needs
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Monthly: Immediate supervisor and employee touch
base regularly (1:1’s) to discuss progress toward goals
and adjust as needed
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April - June: Evaluation is completed
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Signatures are obtained and form is submitted to HR
The process begins over with the establishment of goals for
the upcoming evaluation period
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Review job description for accuracy and make updates as needed
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HR Job Analysis Template available (for Staff positions)
 Intended as a guideline
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HR will help review and edit the content of your performance
evaluations at your request, please allow for 2 week turnaround
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Any “Improvement Needed” evaluation must be reviewed by HR and
next level manager prior to delivery to employee being evaluated
All evaluations must be reviewed by the next level manager before
delivery
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Halos and Horns: too much focus on one aspect of
performance (either good or bad)
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Hero or Villain: rating everyone above average to avoid conflict
or rating everyone low because no one can meet your high
standards
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Lack of Evidence: rate the entire year, not isolated events, and
provide clear examples to support ratings above or below a
“Meets Expectations”
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Hollow Criticism: sandwiching negative comments between
positive ones without constructive advice on how to improve
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Gut Feeling: making subjective comments without
any supporting evidence or trends – seek data and
multiple opinions
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Length of Service Trap: research suggests that
longer-tenured employees actually perform worse
than eager new ones, but we often rate on
‘dedication’
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Legal Issues: avoid rating lower for protected
absences or complaints, and do not include
discussion of those issues in the commentary
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See HR for coaching
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Schedule in advance, meet in private, and be on time
Set a positive tone, build rapport with a friendly welcome
Allow ample time for the discussion
Outline the agenda for the meeting
Use active listening, hear what the employee has to say
or what their questions are
During a difficult message, stick to “Just the Facts:
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Follow the order of the evaluation document
Don’t get emotional
Allow direct reports to make a case, and if they have ample
evidence, consider adjusting the review
If the employee is highly agitated, stop the meeting and
resume the next day
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Don’t blame others for the message and don’t deliver it
unless you have bought into it.
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“I only rated you this way because my manager told me to.”
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Treat the employee with respect and professionalism.
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No Surprises!
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Major performance concerns should have been addressed prior
to delivery of the annual performance evaluation.
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Come prepared with examples
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Engage in Active Listening
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Newly hired staff are subject to a 90 day probationary
period.
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Supervisors should review job description and set
expectations upon start date. If concerns arise, Supervisors
should engage with the employee to provide notice of
concern and opportunity for improvement. (Document it!)
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A performance review should be completed at the end of
the probationary period to assess progress. A copy of the
review should be sent to HR for the employee’s personnel
file.
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Consult with HR if there is a concern that the employee will
not pass the probationary period.
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Being a supervisor is a challenging role, but it is
critical to make time for providing recognition and
discussing concerns.
HR is here as a partner to advise and assist you,
so please reach out!
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Meeting to discuss issues and plan of action
Creating or editing specialized content for evaluations or
other written performance documents
Coaching on how to deliver the appropriate message
Sitting in on your meetings with employees as needed to
ensure smooth communication between parties
Providing exempt/non-exempt testing for positions