Is it Management or Organizational Development? – Part II
Development Conversations versus Performance Reviews
A typical performance review looks back and gives an opportunity for an employer and an employee to reflect and discuss what has happened. The employee hopes for positive feedback and a raise. The employer hopes she will be able to create a better employee in the future. Even with these idealistic intentions, it is more often the case that both the employer and the employee leave the review simply feeling relieved to be done. It never feels very pleasant but it’s a chore that “has to be done.”
A development conversation is a bit different. This can be a yearly opportunity for the employer and employee to sit down together – maybe over lunch –and reflect. A development conversation is an opportunity to look for ways to maximize performance within the company from the point of view of the employee and employer in collaboration. This opportunity enables the employer to strategize on how to meet the needs of the employee in terms of growth and professional development. It is forward thinking and solution oriented. It is the employer’s job to try to “grow” the employee and to meet the needs the employee requires to for that growth.
It is the employer’s job to hold a vision of the big picture for the employee and find opportunities to provide time/resources to train employees towards a more senior position. In turn, the employee may see an opportunity to share with the employer about untapped skills or resources that may be valuable to the organization.
The development conversation is based on a mutual perspective of good intent. This means the organization assumes it will benefit from positive employee development and will aid the employee to find solutions for development goals. In turn, the employee assumes the organization wants her to develop as a person because there are benefits to an organization with employees who love their work.
Questions for a development conversation with one of your employees:
Where do you see your future 5 years from now?
What skills do you need to acquire to get there?
What do you see within your area that impacts the company most positively?
What do you see within your area that impacts the company most negatively?
What could we do to help overcome those obstacles?
What skills do you have that we aren’t currently utilizing?
Take some time to look in your organization to see where you might be able to utilize development conversations…
