We, managers, are sometimes helpless when it comes to the end-of-year evaluations of directors and key people.

What to do? How to do it?

Here are 3 principles that should guide you.

Principle 1: Think about mutual feedback

The formal evaluation at the end of the year is the consequence of the regular and punctual feedback provided throughout the year.

It is therefore vital to develop your feedback practice.

If, for example, you do not express your dissatisfaction to a director, except at the time of the end-of-year evaluation, you are creating an explosive situation.

Likewise, you need to get feedback from the director.

Are you clear enough? Is the frequency of meetings with the director the right one? Etc.

So, the end-of-year evaluation is the sum of the feedback for the year. No surprise!

Principle 2: Document the interview

The director who is the subject of the evaluation must self-assess himself before the interview, in writing. He must also assess the quality of the relationship he has with the manager.

This is to generate a contradictory discussion and therefore an awareness of both parties. In such a way that we begin to draw (and document) the areas of progress for the director and the manager, for the next year.

Principle 3: Separate past and future

The objective of the evaluation interview is to talk about the past, to analyze it, to increase the director's salary, make him change rank or pay him a bonus. In fact, this interview should not become a goal-setting interview.

Leave time between the assessment interview and the objective interview. So that the director digests and can project himself into the future.