Performance

Management at
University of Portland

What is Effective Performance Management?

Not an isolated event, but an on-going process
Series of conversations held throughout the year
Based on Setting Clear Expectations
Clear Job Description
Reasonable and Consistent
Ask what support the employee needs from their manager
Supported by Feedback on Performance Expectations
Recognition: Make time to recognize a job well done.
Development: Have discussions with employees about their
career interests/goals and find help identify growth opportunities
Notice of Valid Concerns and Opportunity for Improvement
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The Importance of Timing &

Communication
Depending on the role,
weekly or bi-weekly 1:1 meetings are
suggested

Address accomplishments and concerns as timely as possible

If not meeting expectations, clarify and explain consequences of lack
of improvement , and include time frame when appropriate
Follow up with employees in regular 1:1 meetings during the
improvement period
Be Respectful
Keep it confidential
Practice active listening
People hear messages in different ways
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Performance Management - Documentation

The Performer
Take time to recognize good performance, such as sending a
complimentary email
Keep a drop file of peer or customer compliments
Document plans for the individuals growth and development
Write and deliver an annual performance evaluation

The Under-Performer (Partner with Human Resources)

Give notice of concerns and provide opportunity for improvement
Document events accurately and write documentation in a timely manner
(do not re-create it later when a problem is identified)
Follow up conversations with a re-cap email to give the message more
than one voice
Includes performance messages and formal disciplinary action
Write and deliver an annual performance evaluation

Information Used in Reviewing

Performance
Job Description and Annual Goals
Managers Direct Experience and Observations
Managers Drop File
Meeting notes/summaries, compliments and concerns from
customers, annual reviews, other performance documents
Employee Self-Evaluation Form
360 Degree Feedback received from check-in discussions with
subordinates, peers, and key partners
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Philosophy of a 5-Point Rating

Scale
Philosophy
Assess against the jobs expectations
Be honest when indicating your rating; inflated ratings will hurt the
whole team

Importance of delineating different performance levels

Clear understanding of the meaning of each rating level
Delivering the right message for a rating of Meeting
Expectations/Successful
Consistent use of 5-point rating scale cross campus
Ratings will be tracked in Banner

5 Point Rating Scale Defined

Outstanding (Work with HR)
Reserved for exceptional performance in all areas of the job
Exceeding Expectations
Employee is going above and beyond on a consistent basis in
many areas of the job
Successful/Meeting Expectations
The employee is successfully meeting all requirements of the
position.
Below Expectations
(Work with HR)
A signal that performance improvements are needed in some
areas.
Improvement Required (Work with HR)
Employee is likely already on a Performance Improvement Plan
and his/her job is in jeopardy.
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Support for Ratings is Critical

Supporting Evidence should be provided for ratings to illustrate the
reasons for the rating.
Examples of accomplishments
Customer accolades or complaints
Efficiency metrics or improvements
Documented performance coaching or disciplinary action

Example in Action - Outstanding

Employee: Wally Pilot
Job Description:
Wally Pilot is the face of and inspiration for our dynamic NCAA Division 1
teams. He is responsible for accompanying teams to all events, increasing
crowd enthusiasm, and posing for photo ops.
Accomplishments:
1) Traveled to 16 cities and 3 foreign countries for events this year
2) Increased crowd participation by 15%, above his goal of 10%
3) Attended 256 photo opportunities with Alumni, up from 180 last year.
4) Increased number of Friends on Facebook by 25% over the prior year
Strengths:
Wally takes pride in his role. He watches video of his performances to ensure
he is consistently exceeding crowd expectation. He has a friendly and
approachable demeanor and receives many compliments from parents about
his interaction with children at the games.
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Example in Action Improvement

Required
Employee: Spike the Bulldog (Gonzaga
University)
Job Description:
Spike the Bulldog is the mascot for our NCAA Division 1 teams. He is
responsible for accompanying teams to all events, increasing crowd
enthusiasm, and posing for photo opportunities.
Areas for Development:
1) Spike must improve his attendance at games and continue to work on
timeliness. He received a written warning after being found asleep on the bus
during two away games in March. He also arrived late to 6 games in January
and was put on an Improvement Plan earlier in the year. He failed to reach any
of his appearance goals this year.
2) Spike needs to work on being more approachable to children for photo
opportunities. Photo ops were down by over 20% this season. Parents have
reported that Spike has been too aggressive with smaller children, causing
them to cry or hide from him.

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Suggested Timeline for Annual Review

February-March: ManagerProcess
and Employee review current job

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description for accuracy, Employee completes a Self-Evaluation

April: Manager seeks peer/customer feedback, reviews own drop
file, and drafts the review content
May: Officer reviews his/her Organizations evaluations and overall
results
Mid-May to Mid-June: Managers hold 1:1 meetings with staff to
deliver the evaluation; timing coincides with salary adjustment
information for new fiscal year
June: Evaluations submitted to HR for scanning into employee
electronic files and tracking in Banner
June: Salary letters and total compensation statement sent to
officers for July distribution
Some staff offices have an accelerated schedule & start in January

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Writing the Annual Performance

Review job description for Evaluation
accuracy and make updates as needed
HR Template available (for Staff positions)
Intended as a guideline, but can be revised to meet specific
department needs (must keep to the 5 point rating scale)
Resource Books on Hand in HR Office Available to Borrow!
Effective Phrases for Performance Appraisals
How To Do A Superior Performance Appraisal
HR (Stacey or Bryn) will help craft and edit the content of your
performance evaluations at your request, please allow for 2 day
turnaround
Any Below Expectations/Improvement Required evaluation must be
reviewed by HR and next level manager prior to delivery
All evaluations should be reviewed by the next level manager before
delivery

Caution in Writing Annual Performance Reviews

Halos and Horns: too much focus on one aspect of performance (either
good or bad)
Hero or Villain: rating everyone above average to avoid conflict or rating
everyone low because no one can meet your high standards
Lack of Evidence: rate the entire year, not isolated events, and provide
clear examples to support ratings above or below a Meeting
Expectations/Successful
Hollow Criticism: sandwiching negative comments between positive
ones without constructive advice on how to improve

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Caution in Writing Annual Performance

Reviews
Gut Feeling: making subjective
comments without any supporting
evidence or trends seek data and multiple opinions

Length of Service Trap: research suggests that longer-tenured

employees actually perform worse than eager new ones, but we often
rate on dedication
Legal Issues: avoid rating lower for protected absences or complaints,
and do not include discussion of those issues in the commentary
See HR for Coaching

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Holding Successful Evaluation

Schedule in advance, meet
in private, and be on time
Meetings

Set a positive tone, build rapport with a friendly welcome

Allow ample time for the discussion
Outline the agenda for the meeting
Use active listening, hear what the employee has to say or what their
questions are
During a difficult message, stick to Just the Facts:
Follow the order of the evaluation document
Dont get emotional
Allow direct reports to make a case, and if they have ample
evidence, consider adjusting the review
If the staff member is highly agitated, stop the meeting and resume
the next day
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Keys to Delivering the Message

Dont blame others for the message and dont deliver it unless you
have bought into it.
I only rated you this way because my manager told me to.
Treat the employee with respect and professionalism.
No Surprises!
Major performance concerns should have been addressed prior
to delivery of the annual evaluation.
Come prepared with Examples
Engage in Active Listening
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Probationary Period Evaluations

Newly hired staff are subject to a 90 day probationary period.
Positions in Physical Plant and Public Safety may have a longer
probationary period.
Managers should review job description and set expectations upon
start date. If concerns arise, Managers should engage with the
employee to provide notice of concern and opportunity for
improvement. (Document it!)
A performance review should be completed at the end of the
probationary period to assess progress. A copy of the review should
be sent to HR for the employees personnel file.
Consult with HR if there is a concern that the employee will not
pass the probationary period.
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HR is Here For You!

Being a manager is a challenging role, but it is critical to make time
for providing recognition and discussing concerns.
HR is here as a partner to advise and assist you, so please reach
out to us!
Meeting to discuss issues and plan of action
Creating or editing specialized content for evaluations or other
written performance documents
Coaching on how to deliver the appropriate message
Sitting in on your meetings with employees as needed to ensure
smooth communication between parties
Providing exempt/non-exempt testing for positions
Preparing compensation analysis
Stacey Watanabe, watanabe@up.edu, www.up.edu/hr/forms
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