No matter if you have performance reviews at the end of the year or around an employee’s anniversary date, performance reviews are extremely important for employees. Employees want regular feedback on their work and what areas they can improve. Providing ongoing feedback can help improve employee morale in the workplace and help prevent larger issues in the future surrounding employee performance. Below are a few performance review tips:

• Have employees track their accomplishments. Before writing an employee review, ask each employee to provide a list of what they have accomplished over the year. This will help you remember all the projects that they have worked on and help employees feel good about all that they have accomplished throughout the year.
   
• Schedule times consistently. Depending on when your performance reviews are complete, make sure all employees are on the same page when they are completed. If you perform reviews at the end of the year, try to schedule the reviews on the same day if possible so it is fair to all employees.
   
• Provide honest feedback for both parties. In order to help your employees improve on the job, praise what they do well on the job and be honest in areas they need to focus on. Make it clear during the conversation that the employee can discuss anything that they have concerns with. It needs to be a two-way conversation.
   
• Give plenty of examples. Whether it is positive or negative feedback, try not to be vague during your discussion. Examples for each major strength or weakness will provide a clearer picture to employees.
   
• Focus on the future. Discuss what measurable goals you want your employee to accomplish in the future so that they can strive to achieve them. Also ask your employee if there are any areas of the business or your group they would like to get exposure to. This will show your employee that you want to provide them different opportunities to learn and grow.
   

Remember performance reviews should be a positive experience and something that employees should look forward to. Creating a positive atmosphere during a review will help ease their nerves and have them leave your office with a renewed attitude towards their work and be well motivated for the year ahead.

Technorati Tags: employee morale, employee performance, job, measurable goals, morale in the workplace, performance reviews

Now is the perfect time to get organized at work. Not only does being organized at work reduce clutter, but it will help you be more efficient and effective everyday. Here are a few suggestions to help you get organized at work:

• Make a list. It is critical to highlight what tasks/goals you need to complete during the day, week, and month. You can either create 3 separate lists by day, week or month or create one main list and designate which tasks you need to attain by which timeframe. Be sure to review your list (s) at the beginning of each day so you know what you need to do.
   
• Utilize a calendar or planner. Any important dates or deadlines should be marked and tracked in a calendar. You should review your calendar or planner frequently so that you do not lose track of any important dates and deadlines. In addition you will be able to see if you have any conflicts that might occur. You can also consider electronic calendars that will alert you when important tasks are due.
   
• Straighten your desk. Try to keep your desk clean and get rid of any papers you do not need. If you have a filing drawer or compartments on your desk, utilize them to file any information you rarely use. Discard or shred any old papers or files that are no longer needed.
   
• Prioritize your Email and Phone Calls. If you tend to get bombarded with emails and calls, sort your incoming emails and calls by level of importance. Whenever you have some downtime, then you can handle the less important calls and emails.
   
• Commit to be organized. It is great to say that you will try to be organized but a commitment needs to be in place. Spending a few extra minutes at the end of each day to clean your desk and get organized for the next day will help you stay organized and resourceful throughout the year.

So, are you ready to take action?

Technorati Tags: Career, organize