It's So Hard

I am in the midst of the annual ritual - performance reviews. Actually, I am not in the midst of them, I have not yet started mine. Employees often wonder why supervisors just can’t seem to get these done. Well, I know why – they are hard.

I have an awesome staff. They work hard. They keep the day to day operations moving, provide excellent service and step up to the plate when something needs to get done. I am fortunate to have the pleasure of working with them each and every day. Each person contributes something unique to the department. I have to get this right for each of them; they deserve it.

Everyone has room to grow and opportunities to learn. There are things each person could do differently to increase their effectiveness and, in some cases, things that they should flat out stop doing and practices they need to begin. In order for them to be able to choose to change, they need to be made aware.

Why is it so hard? I have to wonder if my expectations are reasonable, if more recent isues are overshadowing the entire performance year, if I avoided having the tough conversations that sometimes need to be had, or if this is just the way it is supposed to be. Maybe it is supposed to be hard. If it were too easy, that would not be right.

Comments

[Amy]

Hi Lisa! First of all, this is great! When you called and asked me to help you blog, I was going to put you in touch with one of our students - I didn't know either! But now, I'm inspired...like you said, reading a friend's thoughts is like looking into your own thoughts. Makes me think that this kind of "conversation" women used to have over tea - now online!

Okay, second, I wanted to respond to your "It's so hard" posting, because I know (at least partly) why a performance review is so difficult for you. It's because you care. You care about the bigger picture of the organization, you care about your staff - and not just their performance, but their personal and professional growth. It probably seems strange that I'm pointing this out, but I want you to know that you're unique in that way - not all managers care about doing the right thing. And that's the "it's so hard" part - you want to do the right thing, and you put a lot of thought into what the right thing is. However, it is also what makes you so good at what you do - not just as a leader and manager, but as a mom, wife and friend! The reason I know this? Well, you've been my boss, and in many ways, my very first Mentor. And now you're my friend.

Looking forward to coming back and checking out more!