This is a good time to reflect on how you will continually grow and develop professionally. From the conversation, take time to reflect on the following questions:

• What did you learn?
• Did anything about what was discussed surprise you?
• What were the benefits of having the conversation?
• What aspects of the conversation were challenging?
• What would you do or say differently in future performance assessment conversations?
• How will you move forward in achieving your goals and developing professionally?

Be prepared to address your overall assessment of your performance during the year, including what went well, what may not have gone as well, what you would do differently, how you defined your successes, and what professional development opportunities you’d like to explore moving forward. Be sure to point out areas of accomplishments by reviewing your goals, and share clear examples of your performance to enhance the conversation.​​​​​

The actual performance assessment conversation should be exclusively between the supervisor and the staff member. However, input from other leaders, especially on key projects/goals, should be incorporated into your portion of the Summary of the Previous Year.​​​

The performance assessment is an important formal document that allows for the supervisor and staff member to outline agreed-upon goals and expectations for the coming year. Your signature indicates that you have read it and participated in the discussions.​​​​​

You should complete the employee section of the performance assessment form, discussing the professional accomplishments you achieved, as well as any challenges that may have occurred. Come prepared to discuss progress toward your goals, what helped you to achieve these goals, what interrupted your progress, and what kinds of professional development may be of interest.

SMART goals are goals that are specific (S), measurable (M), attainable (A), relevant (R), and timebound (T). The following are examples of SMART goals that may be helpful as you complete your assessment:

• Marcus will create an outreach program by the fall of 2023 designed to increase awareness of the role of campus safety with the first year students to improve engagement and positive interactions.
• Ahmir will increase his planned giving gifts by 5% by the end of the fiscal year and identify four new potential donors in the eastern portion of his region to expand fundraising efforts on the east coast.
• Alison will develop and document a workflow to be shared with the entire office regarding the new process for managing incoming grant requests by the fall of 2023, and train the office on proper utilization of the process.

The performance assessment conversation with your supervisor is the best time to have an open discussion about any discrepancies you see between your performance and the documentation. You can add a supplemental document outlining any differing points of view that can be attached to the assessment document. ​​​​​​

You will supply your staff member with a copy of their assessment, including your comments. While you’re meeting, document key points of the conversation, as these can be used during follow-up conversations to assist with any performance or professional needs, or to aid in supporting their progress going forward. You should offer honest verbal feedback of the staff member’s performance for the year during this conversation. Share examples of their work, including how they complete their job responsibilities and how they approach working with you and others.​​​​​

In some emotionally charged conversations, it is beneficial to stop the meeting if it is no longer productive or if communication breaks down. Reschedule another time to meet before the conversation ends.

These forms are designed for one supervisor signature. Please have the primary supervisor sign and notations can be made in the supervisor comments section, if and where appropriate.

This is a good time to reflect on how you will continually help the staff members grow and develop professionally. It is also a good time to reflect on how you conducted the conversation and what you might want to do the same or differently in future conversations. Finally, it is helpful to take this time to reflect on your own goals and aspirations, including the following questions:

• What did you learn?
• What surprised you about the conversations you had?
• What were the benefits of having these conversations? What aspects of these conversations were challenging?
• What will you do or say differently in future performance assessment conversations?
• How will you maximize the possibilities that resulted from these conversations?
• How will you hold yourself accountable to help staff members achieve the goals they have set through this process?
• How will you continue to help staff members develop professionally?

Share this web page with them, instruct them to complete their assessment, and have them review the overall instructions on how to complete it.

For the performance assessment conversation, ask each staff member to come prepared to discuss progress toward their goals, what helps them to achieve their goals, and their professional development interests.​​​​​​

Meeting times will vary from staff member to staff member depending on the nature of the assessment and how frequently you are/were in communication prior to the assessment process. We recommend that you should reserve a minimum of one hour for the performance assessment conversation to allow for a meaningful discussion.