We often receive feedback from managers that the gaps in performance are often caused by factors they hadn't anticipated. While it's important to understand and interpret the analysis, it's best not to approach the conversation with preconceived notions. Instead, start by asking the employee for their perspective, which promotes accountability and reduces the chances of making incorrect assumptions.
A helpful approach is to begin the conversation by asking, "Do you see yourself reflected in this analysis?". If the employee agrees with the results, you can proceed to provide an overview, which can be reassuring. However, if the employee doesn't recognize themselves in the analysis, follow up by asking, "What do you believe the analysis should have shown?".
It is important to approach the conversation with a genuine desire for the other person's well-being and a sense of curiosity.
Open-ended questions
The key is to genuinely listen to the employee and ask open-ended questions that encourage discussion. Embrace moments of silence and allow the employee to break it.
Some examples of questions you can ask include:
- "What do you think is the reason for the performance gap?"
- "What suggestions do you have for addressing this issue?"
If you feel that you haven't reached the core of the problem through the employee's responses, you can ask more in-depth questions based on your own hypotheses. For instance, you might ask, "Could the performance gap be related to a lack of sufficient time to complete your tasks?".
Ways to initiate a question:
- What can I do…?
- What can we do together…?
- How do you suggest we solve this ..?
- What measures do you imagine could work well ..?
- How do you experience the challenge… ..?
- What solutions have you thought of?
- What other possibilities…?
- What does it take..?
- When can you….?
- How will it be different when… ..?
- How did you experience that it went wrong… ..?
Try not to get too hung up on the "why". It is good to get an overview, but once you have mapped out the cause, you should move on to asking questions that start with "what", "how" and "which".
Remember to avoid cross-examination and judgmental attitudes or questions, as this can put the other person on the defensive.
Areas to discuss
- Little room for improvement - ask the employee if the assessment accurately reflects their situation and inquire why they believe certain aspects are working well. This helps maintain a positive atmosphere. Take a look at the top line of the analysis to identify if there is something specific that motivates the person even more. It's possible that they may benefit from a greater level of challenge in their role.
- Significant room for improvement - If there is significant room for improvement, ask the employee about the factors contributing to it and discuss potential measures to address the issue. It's important to be clear and realistic about what can or cannot be resolved to avoid creating unrealistic expectations.
- Does the employee's least and most important motivational factors align with their role? Share your opinion if there are certain factors that may not be compatible with the employee's role and discuss the reasons behind it. Additionally, explore possible actions to address any incompatibilities
- Review individual questions in the report for Additional Questions where the score is lower than 7 and hasn't been addressed yet, as they may require further discussion.
Examples of introductions:
“I have reviewed your answer, and I would like us to start with competence development. There is no gap, but I am curious why the area is emphasized so little in relation to the other factors?
"I have looked through your answer, and I see that there are several big gaps we need to talk about. The biggest thing is in the feedback. What is it related to? …. Do you have specific examples of feedback that you would find motivating?
“Based on the result of your answer, it seems that you are generally satisfied with your work situation, but you would like responsibility. Have you thought about what kind of responsibility could be motivating for you? ”
"I have reviewed your answer. As I interpret it, it is important for you to develop skills and that it leads to more responsibility. Is that right?"
Do not dwell on what works well
Overall, it's important to avoid dwelling solely on what's working well. Research has shown that continually focusing on this can lead to annoyance and dissatisfaction. If the assessment indicates a good fit for the role with minimal gaps and the employee confirms their satisfaction, it would be beneficial to shift the conversation to other developmental topics.