Learning & Development

Regular Meetings and Performance Check Ins

Each meeting with your manager is an opportunity to check in on successes, challenges, and opportunities. The conversation is intentionally focused on performance and goal progress once a quarter. This is your chance to express what's going well and what isn't and share ideas about improving the work, the department, and organizational processes. These conversations should be two-way to allow for feedback to your leader. Be intentional and share ideas that help your leader better understand how you need to be led; you'll find this template helpful.

To prepare for your Performance Conversations:

1. Be open to receiving feedback and take steps to improve.
2. Be willing to give feedback to your leader. Do communication and clarity need to improve? If so, how so and when? Help your leader improve their ability to be effective.
3. Keep a record of your performance achievements, successes, and challenges and share such details with your supervising leader. Take responsibility for continuous learning and professional development. Inform your leader of the initiative you've shown to strengthen your skills and grow your knowledge.

Annual Evaluation Process

The Formal Evaluation period is July 1st-September 30th. The annual performance evaluation process provides you the opportunity to learn how your supervising leader assesses the work you are performing.

When preparing for your evaluation conversation:

1. Reflect on the work you’ve completed over the last year. Consider notes, work samples, compliments received that reflect the quality of your work. Reference these in your self-evaluation. This is your time to tout your accomplishments and the positive impact you have made.
2. Your manager will review the self-evaluation. 
3. If providing feedback to your leader, be familiar with the SBI feedback model: Situation, Behavior, Impact.
4. Mark it on your calendar and be on time.
5. Manager and employee sign the evaluation by providing an electronic signature to verify the performance evaluation conversation has taken place.

Instructor-Led Courses:

• Performance Evaluation: Staff Making the Most of Your Review to register.

Online Learning:

• Performance Management at UAB
• Unlock the Transformational Power of Goal Setting

Other Resources:

• Building Rapport with your Manager
• Employee Checklist for Performance Evaluations
• Acing the Conversation
• How I Like to be Led Document
• Development Check-in Guide
• Self-Evaluation Where to Begin Job Aid
• Situation-Behavior-Impact (SBI) Feedback Model

Suggested questions for a Check-In Conversation

Managers may find the suggested questions below helpful to ensure a two-way dialogue:

• What's going well?
• What are your successes?
• What challenges are you facing?
• What can I do to support you?
• Is there anyone I can single out that deserves recognition and praise this week? Has someone helped you and is deserving of praise for doing so?
• What work are you most proud of this week?
• What have you learned?

The following questions are specific to the performance-focused QUARTERLY Check-In conversation.

• How are you performing against your goals?
• What's hindering your efforts to stay on target with your goal delivery quality and due dates?
• How can I support you more thoroughly? Encourage the employee to complete this template. (link: How I Like to be Led handout)
• What are you most proud of accomplishing so far this year? How do you feel about your accomplishments?
• What did you learn from your accomplishments? How can you use that learning experience in other parts of your job?
• What strengths do you bring to your work? How can we better use your strengths?
• How does your work make a difference to our team, department, and UAB.? (Help the employee can articulate why their work matters. Help them see the connections between their work, the department's priorities, and UAB's Mission, Vision, and Shared Values)
• What goals are not on track? What's causing the challenge? What ideas can put you back on track?
• What area of our department or UAB would you like to learn more about?
• Where do you see yourself in 3 years? How can I help you achieve this?
• What should we have talked about today that we didn't cover?

Instructor-Led Courses:

• Performance Evaluation: Planning and Conversations for Managers to register.

Online Learning:

• Coaching for Excellence
• Developing People to Reach Their Full Potential
• Give the Gift of Feedback
• LinkedIn Learning: Feedback Collection and Goal Setting
• Performance Management at UAB

Other Resources:

• Compensation and Merit Guidelines for FY23 (TBA)
• GROW Model Questions
• Development Suggestions
• How to Deliver Feedback
• Leadership Expectations
• How I Like to Lead
• Making Feedback Work for You as a Manager
• Manager Checklist for Performance Evaluations
• Acing the Conversation
• Performance Conversation Questions
• Self-Evaluation Where to Begin Job Aid
• Situation-Behavior-Impact (SBI) Feedback Model