Leadership

Conducting a performance
review
Lesson aims

By the end of the lesson, you will be able to …

Communication focus
• consider both manager and employee roles in a performance
review.
• define the stages of a performance review.
• use appropriate language to conduct a performance review.
Language focus
• use vocabulary related to performance reviews.
• learn nouns / verbs related to agreeing and setting
objectives.
Leadership – Conducting a performance review

Reading
Conducting performance reviews

Read the article below and choose the best title for it. Give two reasons for your choice.
1. Line managers: holding all the power? 2. Performance reviews: an
essential business tool
No business exists without its employees. In many ways, these people are the
most important factor in any organization's success. Therefore, it is vital to be
aware of each employee’s progress and performance, as this will have an impact
on the company as a whole.
As a line manager, you will be required to hold performance reviews with each
member of your staff. These will allow you to:
• assess individual and team progress
• manage and monitor overall standards
• set objectives
• delegate responsibilities and tasks
• discuss payment and related issues—including bonuses, salary reviews and
promotions
• identify training needs
• deal sensitively with any awkward issues in the workplace
All of these are important factors in the management and growth of a healthy
Stages of a performance review

Read the stages of a performance review. Identify which stages come before (B),
during (D) and after (A) the performance review meeting.

D  Agree on any Continuing Professional Development (CPD) for the employee,

such as training courses, etc
B  Inform the employee, and give them the form to fill in.
D  Discuss the information supplied by the employee, e.g., strengths and areas
for improvement, training needs, Key Performance Indicators, and their self-
appraisal scores.
B
 Choose a suitable time and place.
B
 Prepare the form.
D
 Close positively.
Stages of a performance review

Read the stages of a performance review. Identify which stages come before (B),
during (D) and after (A) the performance review meeting.

D  Use previous objectives and job description to review the employee’s

productivity; agree a score and note any comments.
D  Agree specific, new objectives.
D  Invite other points and / or deal with any personal issues.
B  Gather any relevant information about the employee e.g., current job
description, previous objectives, personal information.
A  Record the main points and send to all relevant departments.
D  Greet the employee in a friendly manner and make them feel comfortable.
Leadership – Conducting a performance review

Speaking
Completing a performance review
form
Read John’s self-appraisal notes. How will his line manager complete the form? Discuss.

Employee Line Manager

What parts of your job do you find the most interesting? And the least
interesting? Give reasons.
• I love editing the website.
• I love working with technology.
• I don’t particularly like having to
talk on the phone to internal
colleagues and external clients in
order to get copy to publish on the
website.
• John enjoys elements of his job.
• He is very good at the
technological aspect of the
position.
• However, he feels unconfident
communicating on the phone.
• He would like to move into a more
technical position to avoid these
situations.
Leadership – Conducting a performance review

Vocabulary
Performance review vocabulary

Read the comments that are often used during performance reviews.
Match the purposes to the comments.

1. Could you say a little bit more b a. offers agreement

offers agreement
about that?
d b.
b. asks forfurther
asks for furtherexplanation
2. I’m not sure that I see your point. a explanation
c. asks for agreement
3. That’s a fair point. c c. asks for agreement
d. states disagreement
4. Are you happy with that? d. states disagreement

In your experience, which other typical comments and expressions

are used during performance reviews?
Leadership – Conducting a performance review

Listening
A performance review

Yvonne and her line manager are discussing her new

objectives and areas for continuing professional development
(CPD). Listen and write down the points they decide on.

New Objectives and Deadlines CPD

1. send out of the promotional 1. team building course
material; six weeks
2. Excel training
2. arrange for sales team visits;
one month later
3. update database; ten weeks
4. organize sample card designs
and gift ideas to choose from;
first week in November
Leadership – Conducting a Performance Review

Task – speaking
Conducting a performance review

John and his line manager are discussing objectives set at his last
performance review. What would you say if you were John's manager?

• You are the line manager. You are
concerned that John has not
been meeting agreed objectives
such as timekeeping, increased
production, etc.
• You are John. You know that your
performance has not been up to
standard in some areas, but you
feel that you are not to blame for
this. You feel your punctuality
record has improved since the
last meeting.
Lesson summary

In this lesson, you have...

• considered both manager and employee roles in a performance

review.
• defined the stages of a performance review.
• used appropriate language to conduct a performance review.
• used vocabulary related to performance reviews.
• learned nouns / verbs related to agreeing and setting objectives.
Well done on completing the lesson.
Do you have any questions that you would like to ask now?