Continuous Performance Management

In the initial meeting, new team members discuss frustrations, role clarity, success metrics, decision-making, team culture, and desired frequency of future touchpoints. Feedback preferences, workload, management style, and career goals are also reviewed.

Issues (~10 minutes)

• When have you felt frustrated in your first two weeks here?
• What feels unclear? (e.g., Do you feel you have enough context about the university?)
• How clear is “success” for you for the next three months, next six months, and next year?
• Are there any decisions you’re hung up on?
• Observations about the team and/or organizational culture?
• When and how frequently would you like us to have Touchpoints?

Feedback (~10 minutes)

• Would you like more or less feedback on your work?
• Would you like more or less direction from me?
• How is the workload?
• What aspect of your job you would like more help or coaching?
• What about my management style can I improve?

Career direction (~5 minutes)

• If you could be proud of one accomplishment between now and next year, what would it be?
• What’s one thing we could do today to help you with your long-term goals?

Next steps / takeaways (~5 minutes)

A concise, 35-minute session focusing on feedback preferences, workload, management style improvements, and job support needs. Concludes with actionable takeaways and next steps.

Feedback + observations (~30 minutes)

• Would you like more or less feedback on your work?
• Would you like more or less direction from me?
• How is the workload?
• What aspect of your job you would like more help or coaching?
• What about my management style can I improve?
• What aspect of my job do you think I can do a better job?
• Any observations about work style preferences?
• Any feedback you've been hearing from the team?
• Thoughts on feedback amount, frequency, delivery, etc.

Takeaways / next steps (~5 minutes)

Dive into a 30-minute one-on-one to uncover frustrations, time wasters, decision hurdles, and cultural insights. Share advice and direction for the team, concluding with actionable takeaways and next steps.

Observations (~15 minutes)

• When have you felt frustrated in the past few weeks?
• What are your biggest time wasters?
• Are there any decisions you are hung up on?
• Any observations about the team and/or organizational culture?
• Any decision or direction that wasn't clear that you might want context about?

Input (~15 minutes)

• I would love to get your advice on how to handle ______.
• Do you think we are headed in the right direction as a team?

Takeaways / next steps (~10 minutes)

A focused 30-minute session to review and set goals, tackle obstacles, explore growth opportunities, and conclude with actionable decisions for both parties to advance career and personal development.

Goals (~15 minutes)

• What short and long-term goals have we agreed to?
• How have things gone since we last spoke?
• What future goals do we need to discuss?

Obstacles (~15 minutes)

• What is standing in the way of success?
• What have you noticed getting in your way?
• What can I do to help you overcome these obstacles? What can you do?

Opportunities (~15 minutes)

• What recent project or accomplishment are you proud of that people don’t know about?
• Do you feel you’re growing toward where you want to be?
• What could we do to make this your dream job?

Decisions (~15 minutes)

• What actions will you take before our next meeting?
• What actions will I take before our next meeting?
• What other big decisions do we need to make today?

Discuss tools, communication preferences, work challenges, feedback on management style, and share outlooks on the team's future to enhance remote work success and team dynamics.

Issues/Concerns (~10 min.)

• Do you have the tools and resources to do your job well remotely?
• How does the frequency and channels of communication feel to you? Do you feel overwhelmed with too much information, or in the dark about certain things? Is there anything you wish you had more communication about?
• What if any part of the work do you feel stuck?
• Do you feel you are being set up to fail in any way? Are my expectations realistic? What am I asking for that we should adjust so it is more reasonable?

Feedback (~ 10 min.)

• What have you noticed that has been positively or negatively affecting our dynamic in being able to get work done? Any meeting, process or task we should reconsider or get rid of as a result?
• Has anything about my management style irked you or rubbed you the wrong way? Do I follow-up too frequently with you, not giving you space to breathe?

Team Outlook (~10 min.)

• Would you say you are feeling optimistic, pessimistic, or somewhere in the middle about the team’s future?
• What can we communicate more often and more transparently about to help reduce any anxiety around the team’s future?

Reflect on achievements, challenges, and growth over the past year. Set goals, collaborate on upcoming projects, provide feedback, and discuss ways to improve communication and support for the year ahead.

Reflections on the past year (~30 minutes):

• When you consider this past year in full, how do you feel about your personal progress? How about the progress the team made?
• How did the pace of work and the pace of progress feel across the year?
• When did you feel most proud to be a part of the team this past year?
• When did you feel most discouraged last year?
• Who’s help or support on the team have you been most appreciative of?
• What do you think has been the most significant area of growth for you? A time where you thought, “I really learned something!”
• In what ways has our work relationship changed over time? In what ways have we made positive progress?

Looking ahead (~25 minutes):

• What can I do better in the upcoming year to be the best manager possible?
• In what ways do you want to stretch and grow in the upcoming year?
• What do I need to pay closer attention to as a leader?
• How can we better challenge and support each other in the upcoming year?

Takeaways and next steps (~5 minutes):

• What are we both taking away from this conversation?
• Are there any next steps each of us needs to take for the upcoming year?

This template is a structured tool designed to facilitate reflective discussions among team members after completing tasks. It aims to identify successes, areas for improvement, and actionable steps to enhance future performance, fostering a culture of continuous learning and development.

Objectives

• Reflect on the assignment process and outcomes.
• Identify successes and areas for improvement.
• Share individual and collective insights.
• Develop action items for future assignments.

Agenda

Introduction

• Brief recap of the assignment.
• Purpose of the debriefing session.

Review of Objectives and Results

• Were the initial objectives met?
• Summary of the results achieved.

Process Evaluation

• What strategies and processes worked well?
• Where did we encounter challenges?
• How effective was the communication and collaboration?

Performance Analysis

• Individual contributions and performance.
• Team dynamics and support structures.
• Resource adequacy and management.

Lessons Learned

• Key takeaways from the assignment.
• Unexpected outcomes and their implications.

Action Items

• Specific steps to improve future performance.
• Assignment of responsibilities for action items.
• Timeline for implementation.

Closing Remarks

• Acknowledgment of team effort and contributions.
• Encouragement for continuous improvement.

Notes Section

(Add any additional notes or observations made during the session.)

Feedback

(Encourage participants to provide feedback on the debriefing session itself.)

A reflective 30-minute off-boarding session to ensure smooth knowledge transfer, gather insights on job satisfaction, improvement areas, role success factors, and recognize team contributions for a seamless transition and continuous growth.

Offboarding questions (~30 minutes):

• Has all of the knowledge transfer been completed?
• Is there anything we should be aware of as we take over your responsibilities?
• If we could improve in any way, how would we do it?
• Did the job live up to your expectations?
• What was the most enjoyable part of your job?
• What qualities and skills should someone have to be successful in your role?
• Who do you feel is doing an outstanding job on the team? 

This journal template is designed to foster a reflective and productive dialogue between employees and their managers. It guides users through documenting key interactions, feedback, and professional development opportunities. By focusing on communication and support, this tool aims to strengthen the employee-manager relationship, encouraging a collaborative and growth-oriented work environment.

[Your Name]

[Meeting Date]

Collaboration with Manager

[Summary of the discussion with your manager and any action points agreed upon]

Challenges and Solutions (Optional)

[Description of a challenge faced]

[Description of a solution implemented to overcome the challenge]

Feedback Received

[Summary of the feedback received from your manager and your thoughts on it]

Support and Guidance

[Instances in the conversation where your manager provided support or guidance and its impact on your work]

Professional Development

[Opportunities for growth discussed with your manager and plans for development]

Reflections

[Personal reflections on the relationship with your manager and areas for improvement]

Additional Notes

[Any other relevant information or observations]

Touchpoint conversations are recurring meetings between supervisors and their team members. In this course, learn more about Touchpoints and how to approach these conversations in order to be involved, and how this positively impacts your work.

This course is available during the performance planning time frame. Go to the Learning Library and search "best practices" to find the current training available.

Guides are available for managers and employees.  

Planning and executing an effective one-on-one Touchpoints meeting is key to strengthening working relationships and helping improve productivity and engagement. Touchpoints can be casual, on-the-fly meetings, but they can also be during one-on-ones between a supervisor and employee. Touchpoints do not always have to be about performance either. Learn the different types of Touchpoint meetings and how best to plan, effectively facilitate, and successfully follow through on these conversations.

By the end of the course, you will know how to:

• Learn to use proven meeting planning and preparation techniques.
• Develop effective meeting facilitation and participation techniques.
• Understand the importance of accurate documentation and follow-up.

This course is available during the performance planning time frame. Go to the Learning Library and search "best practices" to find the current active trainings that are available.

Continuing the conversation about Touchpoints, this course is designed for the employee. In this course, learn how to be involved in your performance process beyond striving toward your goals. Understand the benefits of self-reflection, how to advocate for yourself, and how to ask for further feedback.

This course is available during the performance planning time frame. Go to the Learning Library and search "best practices" to find the current active trainings that are available.

A work journal is an incredible tool for both looking at the past, recording wins, and also noting where you should go next. It is a great way to keep your goals aligned, stay organized, and document for the end of the performance cycle. In this course, learn the STAR method of organizing your journal entries, how often you should consider documenting, and other benefits outside of performance management.

This course is available during the performance planning time frame. Go to the Learning Library and search "best practices" to find the current active trainings that are available.

Checking in with your team is easier once you have the right communication tool that works for your team members regardless of location. Easily know what's happening with updates that not only work for performance momentum but also build team culture as you work together. Discover and practice with tools that are readily available through Microsoft and Google as well as others you may not have considered in this way.

This course is available during the performance planning time frame. Go to the Learning Library and search "best practices" to find the current active trainings that are available.