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Issue 2: Winter 2020–21
Theme: Reflections for Growth
As we near the end of our annual Employee Performance and Development cycle, reflection takes center stage. Reviewing performance at the end of the year is an opportunity for supervisors and employees to pause, review, and recognize contributions and accomplishments; reflect on lessons learned; and identify areas for future growth and development.

Administrative requirements include completing Annual Accomplishment Records (AARs), Annual Performance Evaluations (APEs) and Annual Review Conversations, including Skills Assessments. But the key to making the end of cycle review a positive, engaging experience is to keep the conversation forward looking—what did we learn that we can build on next year?
According to FSOs, which of these do Rating Officials do well?

Answer A Using Quarterly Conversations effectively to clarify expectations and priorities

Answer B Helping their employees think about ways to develop or demonstrate skills

Question Icon Scroll down to find the answer.
In this issue we reflect on what we’ve learned about employee performance and development and offer strategies you can use to improve your own performance and that of others you supervise.
 
LISTEN IN: Cheryl Anderson discusses a personal lesson-learned and the role of reflection in preparing for annual review conversations.
Which subskill in the framework do you believe is most critical for FSOs to develop this year?

Share your thoughts and get tips on how to use the framework when doing your FS Skills Assessments and Annual Accomplishment Records.
 

Question Icon According to FSOs, which of these do Rating Officials do well?

The Answer is:

Answer B Helping their employees think about ways to develop or demonstrate skills

In the November 2019 workforce survey only about half (49%) of the FSOs agreed that their Rating Official had “used Quarterly Conversations effectively to clarify expectations and priorities,” while slightly more than half (57%) said their Rating Official “Helps me think about ways to develop or demonstrate my skills.” So there is still a lot of room for improvement in both areas. We don’t have data on this, but expect that employees who asked for clarification or help developing skills are the ones who got this kind of help.
 
CHECK OUT: Check out these resources to explore additional views, insights and approaches.

Staff Recommendation

Ginger Longworth Ginger Longworth
Supervisory Executive Officer
Middle East Regional Platform
Frankfurt Support Center

 

Recommend a Resource

Do you have a favorite article, Ted Talk or other great resource that you found insightful and would like to share with others?


 

Extrinsic vs. Intrinsic Motivation at Work:
What's the real difference?
Psychology Today, Posted Apr 11, 2020

Ginger: The Q4 conversation is a great time for supervisors to think about their own management style and how it impacts their staff's motivation and performance. We often think there's just the stick or the carrot but there's something else that a good supervisor taps into - intrinsic motivation. Especially now, when so many FSOs are dealing with COVID related challenges and working harder than ever, we all need to look for ways to maximize intrinsic satisfaction in our work lives. I like this article because it offers specific suggestions for doing this.


 
The Power of Reflection at Work
6 min
 
In this discussion of the working paper "Learning by Thinking: How Reflection Aids Performance", Giada Di Stefano, Professor of Strategy at HEC Paris, shows that reflecting on what you've done enables you to do it better next time. Results of the studies are also reviewed on the Harvard Business School website.

 
Performance Appraisal or Performance Inspiration?
By John Campbell on growthcoach.org
 
Could you use a couple ideas to kick off your Annual Review Conversation? Think about yourself at the beginning of the year and the person you are today.
- How have you changed?
- What did you do that helped you improve?
Check out this quick read for a few more suggestions.

Read More

 
 
Emergent Learning in Action: The After Action Review
By Charles Parry and Marilyn Darling on thesystemsthinker.com
 
“One of the best sources of actionable knowledge is that which emerges from people’s own experience.” In this in-depth article, the authors take a research-based look at how reflection on experiences fosters learning in teams.

LISTEN UP: Plan ahead for key management milestones.
Timeline showing dates for Q4: JAN-MAR Quarterly Check In. Annual Review Conversation, Annual Performance Evaluation, Annual Accomplishment Record, Promotion Inoput Form, All Due: April 30

Job Aid Job Aid: 2021 Performance Management
and Promotion Timelines
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