Checking In For The Last Quarter by Cindy Stradling CSL, CPC
It may be hard to believe, but the last quarter of the year is almost here. This is the time for leaders to check in with their team members and provide the support, practical guidance, and the assistance needed to help them succeed.
Get the Ball Rolling
Leaders can proactively help their team to review their quarterly goals. As this is the last quarter, team members and leaders may need to make adjustments based on what has happened and the anticipated results over the next three months.
Many employees and leaders create their goals and fail to review them periodically. It is easy to overlook specific goals or to make the assumption everything needed is in place to help to meet those goals. Rather than wait until the mid or late fourth quarter, reviewing your plan and making the necessary changes helps to facilitate growth, succeed in meeting goals, or even adding some stretch goals in one or more areas.
Resources Required
This advanced review is the perfect time for managers and leaders to sit down one-on-one with employees for review. As a collaborative process, it is helpful to provide the employees with the opportunity to ask for specific resources that may be required to meet their goals.
Often these resources include additional training or support. Opening up the discussion allows the team member to articulate what they need and discuss the possible options. Perhaps this means sending the employee to training, creating the opportunity to job shadow a senior team member, or even creating a coaching or mentoring relationship to provide personalized support.
Goal Revisions
Occasionally, team members may have set lofty goals that are simply not achievable. Downturns in the economy, lingering issues with the pandemic, and changes in the economic climate over the last year can have unintended negative repercussions. If this is the case, reworking the goals now rather than facing a poor quarterly or annual performance review is a very wise decision. Leadership can guide this conversation and create a positive, open, and honest discussion and goal revision activity on an individual basis.
Approaching this proactively and in a collaborative way with the team member creates a very different dynamic than telling the employee or team member what needs to change. The employee feels supported and has the ability to request the resources needed to allow them to achieve their goals or restructure their goals for success.