Why Performance Dialogues Instead of Reviews?
A recent Gallup study shows that 70% of team engagement is attributable to the manager. 52% of employees report experiencing negative emotions during a lot of the previous day’s work. Yet, few managers are equipped to be a great manager. We believe this is in great part because they have not been properly mentored on the key practices required to inspire and engage their teams. Such practices require managers to act beyond themselves by consistently setting clear expectations, giving regular feedback and offer constructive mentoring about the learning required to get ahead.
The BLOOM Performance Optimization System is a feedback and development system. The system is designed to provide managers and their teams immediate ability to track feedback notes and development activities. People grow when managers consistently take the time to provide daily and weekly feedback and encourage learning activities that are relevant to their growth and success.
BLOOM incorporates peer recognition, manager performance journal, goal and activity notes and team member self tracking notes about goals and development activities into activity logs and performance dialogue forms.
To further support these activities, we believe that formal performance reviews should be a thing of the past. If ongoing feedback and development is occurring, then monthly, quarterly and six-month dialogues, not reviews, should be focused on discussing experienced performance trends from the past and mostly be focused on planning improvement goals and career path moves for the future.
Thus, the BLOOM system shifts this mindset by using the term "Dialogues" to replace "Reviews". We encourage that first the BLOOM feedback and development tools be used weekly by managers and team members in our mobile site that is easy to use from any phone or tablet device. Weekly, some combination of performance journal notes, kudos and feedback, goal notes and activity tracking should be taking place in BLOOM.
Then, depending on the type of dialogue focus -- such as goal check-ins, strategic plan reviews, coaching or performance discussions -- consistent completion of BLOOM Dialogue forms or scripts be complete to document discussion about future performance and development expectations.
In summary, team members crave for regular attention, encouragement, guidance and dialogue with their managers. Shift your organization's mindset about ineffective and formal performance reviews to frequent and engaging performance dialogues that require daily and weekly management communication skills and activities to setup the perfect dialogue about team members' engagement and success toward the future.
When employees strongly agree that the leadership of their organization communicates effectively with the rest of the organization, they are 73% less likely to feel burned out at work. Read more from Gallup about the importance of conversation with team members.