Change the way you do performance reviews for better results
Is your fitness business still stuck in a rut doing traditional performance reviews? You know, the ones where you give your employees a certain set of targets to fulfil at every quarter?
If so, then you may be in need of a little shake-up.
For every business to truly succeed, it’s essential to prioritise marketing, sales, and team development. As a leader, these three core areas need to be woven into every process of your daily work routine.
Within these core areas, staff development plays a crucial role, and reimagining performance reviews could become the next key factor in propelling growth and excellence in your business!
In this article, we’re going to take a look at the current state of traditional performance reviews and how you can reimagine them to inspire your staff and get the most out of your team.
Performance Reviews: Limitations & drawbacks
It’s no longer a secret that traditional approaches to performance reviews may not be the most effective anymore. That’s evident from the title 🙂
Many of the current practices are outdated and tend to elicit negative emotions and stress, for both staff and management. This is due to the current business mindset, where specific targets or KPIs are set and employees are expected to conform to rigid metrics. However, all this does is disregard individual differences and needs, while only providing a one-sided approach to goals. Not the most inspiring hymn sheet to sing from.
In fact, you could say it’s reflective of the education system – expecting all children to thrive under the same teaching methods, despite their learning styles. Applied in the adult world, this ‘one-size-fits-all’ conventional way of conducting performance reviews stifles more than it motivates.
Of course, there is a better way. What if you could introduce a performance review that’s tailored to unique abilities and strengths, and expands capacities of individuals?
You can do this by adopting a more personalised and inclusive system to performance reviews, which will help reduce dissatisfaction and disengagement among staff. Taking the time to understand individual strengths and weaknesses, you can support each team member to thrive in their own unique way, which will ultimately lead them to be more motivated and fulfilled.
Introducing Performance Roadmaps
When it comes to improving staff performance, there’s a more promising alternative to traditional reviews that works exceptionally well – the performance roadmap.
So, what exactly is a performance roadmap? Unlike just a performance review, a performance roadmap aims to guide employees towards achieving their goals.
A performance roadmap provides a clear and aligned path specifically for your staff member, helping to bridge the gap between personal aspirations and the company’s objectives.
Developing an effective performance roadmap
There are many ways you can create a performance roadmap that best suits the needs of your company and staff, though they should include elements of the following steps:
- Goal Alignment: List the company goals, objectives and values and ask your staff member to think of ways their personal aspirations align with them. Help them to identify where individual growth intersects with company success.
- Collaborative Planning: Organise a team-wide meeting to engage in open conversations to establish a roadmap that caters to both personal and organisational goals. This collaborative approach ensures a sense of ownership and commitment from all parties involved.
- Measurable Outcomes: Encourage your staff member to set clear and measurable milestones for themselves, to help track progress and ensure they’re on the right track towards achieving their objectives.
- Regular Check-Ins: Establish a system for regular check-ins to review performance and discuss any challenges or opportunities that may arise along the way. You may decide to change this frequency depending on the employee – some may prefer to review only twice a year, whilst others may need more frequent encouragement, e.g. every 2-3 months.
- Adaptability: Embrace the flexibility of the performance roadmap, as it allows for adjustments and refinements to accommodate changes in your goals or the company’s priorities.
By incorporating a well-crafted performance roadmap into the professional journey of your staff, you’ll find them to be more driven, focused, and connected to their work. A win-win!
Applying to New & Existing Staff
There is always a fear that introducing something new may bring about scepticism with existing staff. The key here is to subtly update your existing performance review process with one that includes their career trajectory too.
When bringing in new team members, it’s vital to set up clear expectations and a performance management system right from the get-go.The main goal here is to boost staff fulfilment and ensure they stick around for the long haul.
Here’s how to apply your new performance review to new and existing staff:
- Get candid: Engage your team by having candid conversations about their career aspirations within the company over the next 12 to 24 months. Knowing their goals will amp up their dedication and enthusiasm. For new staff, focus on a 12-month plan, while for your existing team, you can aim for longer-term objectives.
- Get clear: Once you’ve got their career trajectory in sight, pinpoint the contributions they’re willing to make to reach those goals and the kind of support they need from the business. This will bring absolute clarity to expectations and responsibilities.
- Set goals: Now, it’s time to build the actual performance roadmap. Start by working backward from your mutual set goals and establish key milestones along the way. The simpler, the better – shoot for 3 to 4 measurable milestones to avoid any confusion or hiccups.
Remember to keep it straightforward, easy to understand, and simple to measure. With this strategy in place, your team will have a renewed sense of purpose to contribute towards your business.
Setting Milestones in a Group Training Business
If you’ve got a business based on group training, setting the right milestones is all about personal goals. For your star instructors, a clear Key Performance Indicator (KPI) could be class utilisation, easily measured through attendance data. Keeping metrics straightforward and crystal clear minimises confusion and ensures everyone is on the same page.
Milestones in a performance roadmap might include trackable metrics such as;
- hours worked
- course completions
- upskilling efforts, and/or
- referrals
These milestones all add up to the business’s growth and your instructor’s career aspirations. Formally, you could address these KPIs measurements every three months, but if you prefer something a little more informal, check-ins can be done more frequently based on each instructor’s personality and preference.
Agreeing upon clear milestones is essential. Having shared goals that align with both the instructor’s and company objectives prevents disengagement, helping to build a team that feels connected and valued.
Recruiting the Right People from the Start
When building a performance roadmap, recruiting the right people from the start is half the job done! Engaging the recruitment process within a performance management system ensures there’s a strong link between individual goals and business outcomes from the outset.
Of course, roadmapping is not the only map to success. Fostering culture alongside clear goals and metrics help to avoid misunderstandings and disengagement.
Observing cultural fit is crucial, and conversations can be initiated when there is a clear disconnect between a staff member and the company’s culture.
While being friendly with staff is encouraged, it’s probably not the best idea to cross too far into the friend zone, though this is entirely for your discernment. Maintaining a professional relationship allows for better feedback and support in helping staff excel in their roles.
When handling staff members resistant to new processes and systems, you’ll need to find a motivating link between their goals and the changes being implemented. If no connection can be made, it might be time to consider parting ways.
In the pursuit of building a high-performing team, it’s worth remembering that striking a balance between individual aspirations and company objectives, as well as fostering a positive and aligned culture, will drive your businesses’ success and growth.
Evolving and Refining the Performance Review Process
- Incentives: When implementing bonuses as incentives for achieving performance outcomes, ensure that your staff members are genuinely motivated by monetary rewards. Some individuals may be content with their base income and not feel compelled to go the extra mile for bonuses. Understanding your team’s motivation factors is crucial for the effectiveness of this incentive system.
- Frequency of Reviews: Distinguish between formal and informal check-ins. Formal reviews should have a more significant impact and occur every three to six months. They should be hyped up and celebrated as milestones for staff members to work towards. Informal check-ins, on the other hand, can be done more frequently based on individual needs and preferences. Monthly informal check-ins can be appropriate for some staff members who may require more regular feedback and reassurance.
- Personalised Milestones: Not all staff members have the same goals for growth or career advancement. Some may find fulfilment in their role through enjoyment, gratification, or positive relationships with members. Identify the specific link that motivates each individual in your team and tailor milestones that align with their unique aspirations. The key is to create milestones that enhance their enjoyment and keep them engaged in the business.
- Building Trajectory: For staff members who are motivated by enjoyment and contentment in their role, focus on setting up milestones that allow them to achieve increased satisfaction and fulfilment. These milestones may not be geared towards dramatic growth but should be designed to nurture their passion for the work they do.
By refining and customising the performance review process based on individual motivations and preferences, you can create a more effective and engaging system that empowers your staff to thrive in your fitness business.
Recap: Best Practices for Your Performance Roadmap
So to recap, when creating your performance roadmap, focus on clear and simple KPIs that are easy to measure and leave no room for confusion. This way, you can ensure goals are transparent, straightforward and easy to follow, minimising the risk of disengagement between staff and management.
- Be on top of culture: Assessing culture should be an ongoing practice, observing staff behaviour, language, and attitudes. Instead of formalising cultural KPIs, have regular conversations with staff to gauge their cultural fit and address any misalignments promptly.
- Open discussions: When aiming to retain current staff members, have open discussions about their career aspirations and what they need to achieve to stay with the company. Create a clear link between their goals and the milestones they need to reach, supported by measurable metrics and timelines.
- Check-in frequency: Formal milestone reviews should be conducted every three to six months, but consider the individual needs of staff members. Some may benefit from more frequent check-ins for reassurance and feedback, while others may prefer more independence.
- Transparency: Remember that new processes in performance management can lead to disengagement. Provide clear insights and prepare staff adequately, ensuring they understand the process and what is expected of them.
- Build slowly: Continuously refine and evolve the performance roadmap based on real-world feedback and staff experiences. Start with a lean process and add layers as needed, rather than building an elaborate system from the outset. Flexibility and adaptability are essential for successful performance management.
By implementing these best practices, you can create an effective performance roadmap that empowers your staff and drives success in your company.
