In 2021, the campus announced a shift in the performance management cycle for university staff employees. The new cycle, July 1 to June 30,聽 will be implemented for the 2022-23 performance year. To support the shift, the 2021-22 university staff cycle was extended to June 30, 2022.
To facilitate the new timeline and accommodate an extended cycle for 2021-2022, it is recommended that supervisors and their employees participate in a second formal 鈥渃oaching鈥� or feedback session during the month of February. This recommendation is meant to provide continuity from the fall 2021 coaching session, and to ensure performance and feedback discussions remain a supervisory priority until the final evaluation in July 2022.聽
For those who use Cornerstone for Performance Management, the secondary coaching 鈥渢ask鈥� was launched February 1. The coaching session is a formal conversation during which supervisors and employees discuss performance as it relates to聽goals and core competencies.聽
Tips for Conducting Coaching Discussions
When conducting a formal coaching session, consider doing the following:
- Discuss the employee's performance for the entire cycle to this point.
- Discuss any notes you have kept up to this point regarding the employee's performance; including any prior coaching sessions, performance improvement plans and/or any disciplinary communications/actions.
- Discuss and revise all goals within a performance plan to ensure the content, measurement method, tasks and targets, weights, and timeframe are still SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Time bound)聽 If not, what edits should be made to make them SMART?聽 Do timeframes need to change? Or does the direct report need additional training or additional resources?
- Remember, performance plans are not static, they are meant to be altered and changed throughout the cycle year, depending on situational changes (e.g.聽perhaps funding changes, an employee goes on FMLA, changes to strategic visioning or聽 goals, etc.).
- Does the plan help align an employee鈥檚 work and campus resources to clearly defined institutional aspirations and imperatives (goals)?聽 If not, what edits need to be made to make it so?
- Does the plan establish clear expectations between employees and supervisors around work, professional development, and career growth opportunities?聽 If not, what edits need to be made?聽 Can clear deadlines, measurement factors, behavioral expectations be added?
- Does the plan reinforce organizational values by placing appropriate emphasis on competencies? (Please note that an additional competency has been added to the performance planning form in support of Inclusive Excellence).聽Competencies are a great way to measure the 鈥渟oft skills鈥� that are imperative for a professional and successful work environment. Be clear and specific about the behaviors and communication styles that are expected.
Visit the performance page on the HR website for additional information.聽