Personal and Professional Development

‘Staff Review and Development’ for reviewers

Aims, by the end of the programme you will:

·  understand the nature of SRD and its objectives

·  know how to prepare for and structure a review meeting

·  have considered a range of skills relevant to this process, including setting objectives

Content of these notes

·  Introduction

·  The bigger picture: the manager’s role

·  What is Staff Review and Development?

·  The SRD framework and process:

1.  Preparing for the meeting

2.  The meeting

3.  Follow-up

·  “What if…” dealing with different (or difficult!) reactions

Before the webinar – self-study

·  Save these notes to your computer – rename it SRD Your Name.doc (e.g. SRD Jessie Monck.doc)

·  Work through these notes and complete the required activities

·  Save and email it to by two days before the Webinar date

·  Print a copy of your notes/answers to have during the webinar. (Please note that some of your answers may be collated with others to use during the webinar. No personal or identifying information will be available to others).

·  You will be emailed instructions about how to join the webinar a few days before

·  You will need access to a computer with internet access and sound, preferably a quiet room and headphones

Webinar

·  Introductions and welcome

·  Discussion and slides to consolidate your self-study

·  Answering your questions

·  Summary and close

After the webinar

We will send you:

·  A summary of key points about SRD

·  A recording and slides from webinar

·  Request for feedback and evaluation

Further information about SRD: www.admin.cam.ac.uk/offices/hr/policy/appraisal/

The bigger picture: the manager’s role

As you know, a manger’s role is wide and varied. One key responsibility is about getting the best from people you manage in terms of performance, development and behaviour – sometimes known as performance management. It is not an event but rather a strategic and integrated process that operates as a continuous cycle.

Managing people well (i.e. good performance management) generally includes the following: planning work, setting goals, communicating effectively, providing positive and constructive feedback and offering opportunities for development.

As an overview, is this what you expect from a good manager? Think of a good manager you know – what else could you add to this list?

There are a number of procedures and mechanisms to support good performance management including, but not exclusively: recruitment, induction, probation and review (SRD). These help to ensure that you have the right person doing the right work and that they are supported, challenged and motivated. The University has procedures in place to support managers in these and other areas. You can find out more via the HR team within your department or see the HR Division website at www.admin.cam.ac.uk/offices/hr/

Consider your own strengths as a manager – what do you do well and are there areas you want to develop?

These notes and the webinar will consider how to approach Staff Review and Development as a specific tool in this wider context of managing others.

What is Staff Review and Development?

(From the SRD Guidance Booklet for all Staff, 2004)

“Staff Review and Development is an essential part of the University’s commitment to developing staff and to delivering a high quality service. Its purpose is to enhance work effectiveness and facilitate career development. SRD involves discussing ways in which your work could be developed and ways in which any difficulties and obstacles to progress could be removed. The University SRD scheme allows for institutions to develop their own procedures within a basic framework.”

The SRD process should give a chance for the following:

•  Positive and constructive two-way review of work progress

•  Agree an action plan for future work

•  Discuss training needs for your current role and future career

•  Talk about any difficulties or obstacles to your effectiveness

•  Provide a way of balancing your personal needs and ambitions with the University’s overall objectives

The content and record of the discussion will be confidential between you, your reviewer and your Head of Institution (or other nominated person in your department).

Preparation and a genuine interest in making it a useful process are the key requirements!

Outcomes for the person being reviewed

•  opportunity for self-review

•  agree an objective view of performance

•  make plans and agree goals – a sense of direction

•  recognition and support

•  agreed support for development of career / skills / experience

•  a formal record of experience and learning over time

•  a period of undivided attention, focus on individual and their job

•  overall better communication, increased motivation, more satisfaction

Outcomes for the reviewer

•  a better informed approach to working with the individual

•  opportunity to promote independence

•  chance to identify obstacles or difficulties

•  a happier, more motivated member of staff, maybe feedback on your own management practice, better communication, trust

Outcomes for the organisation

•  the organisational benefits that accrue from the individual benefits

•  better informed departmental planning (e.g. workloads, development plans, chance to spread best practice)

•  efforts of individuals focussed on departmental and institutional goals

What does SRD need to succeed? Based on national research:

•  Commitment – from person being reviewed, the reviewer and senior management

•  Knowledge about how to approach the process (such as this workshop)

•  The right reviewer – usually a line manager, but not in all institutions

•  No major surprises

•  Follow-up to ensure the review is an integral part of good management

•  Ability to set meaningful and measurable objectives

•  Time to prepare

Does this match your understanding of what SRD is? Has this been your experience in the past – either here or outside of the University? If yes, make a note of what you found useful and why? If not, what has been different in your experience?

The Staff Review and Development process

•  Stage 1: Preparation

•  Stage 2: The discussion

•  Stage 3: Follow-up

•  Good practice also has a Stage 4: institutional summary and response

We will look at each of the three stages.

Stage 1: Preparation

In the space below make a note what you can do to prepare for the review meeting with a member of your team.
What do you think your member of staff needs to do to prepare for the meeting? (How do you prepare for your own review meeting?)

Activity

Look at the University’s SRD Model Form (PD25) at www.admin.cam.ac.uk/offices/hr/forms/appraisal/ for an outline agenda and a list of preparation questions – these are useful for you and the person being reviewed to use.

Note that some Departments produce their own documentation to support SRD.

Check the arrangements in your own institution and to see what guidance is given about preparing for the review meeting.

We will discuss and expand on this stage further during the webinar.

Stage 2: the review meeting

A bad review meeting is one that:

·  focuses on a catalogue of failures and omission

·  is dominated by the reviewer

·  ends with disagreement between the reviewer and the reviewee

A good and constructive review meeting is one in which:

·  reviewees do most of the talking

·  reviewers listen actively to what they say

·  there is scope for reflection and analysis

·  performance is analysed not personality

·  the whole period is reviewed, not just recent or isolated events

·  achievements are recognised and reinforced

·  ends positively with agreed action plans

It is up to the reviewer to guide the meeting through the main stages:

1.  Starting the meeting – welcome, help to put people at ease (how can you do this?)

2.  Provide an overview of the process and agree the agenda

3.  Review and explore – detailed discussion about each area of their work, their achievements, progress and plans

4.  Agree plans and objectives, both work and development

5.  Consider longer term plans

6.  Feedback and evaluation

7.  Close

An overview of the meeting and some key principles:

(Peter Guildford)

In the space below, consider what skills/attributes/knowledge the reviewer may need during the meeting?
Consider the skills that a reviewee may need to use during the meeting.
We will discuss and expand on the points above during the webinar.
Which of the above do you think you do well? Congratulate yourself!
Which of these skills do you think you need to develop? Consider how you could work on each.


Pages 8, 9 and 10 cover two key skill areas that are useful during the meeting: using questions effectively and setting objectives.

Using questions to explore, focus and balance

Effective use of questions can help to initiate open discussion, then probe for more detail and summarise to clarify key points. You probably use many of these in everyday conversation, but it can be useful to become more aware of how and when you use them to help develop this skill further.

When discussing specific areas of work…

Exploring their view

•  Opening

–  Tell me (a bit more) about . . .

–  How do you feel about … ?

–  What … ? Why …? How …? etc

•  Encouraging elaboration

–  Key word repetition

–  I see / That’s interesting / Go on

–  And then ...?

–  Because …?

•  Extension

–  How do you mean?

–  What makes you say that?

–  Say a bit more about why … / how … etc

Focussing their view

•  Checking and probing

–  So it wasn’t until ... that you were able to …?

–  How exactly did the discrepancy come about?

–  Tell me a bit more about that particular part…

•  Reflection and clarifying

–  As I understand it …

–  If I’ve got it right …

–  So what you’re saying is ...

•  Avoid multiple questions and leading questions

Balancing their view

•  Suggesting change or alternative view

–  What makes you think that?

–  What evidence do you think there is for that?

–  Have you thought about / considered …?

–  How do you think X and Y see that?

–  I understand that P and Q think …

–  What are other views of this ...?

à Acknowledgement of different view à Proposal for action or plan


Planning for the future: setting objectives

There are two types of objectives to consider during the SRD process:

  1. Planning for future work/projects: setting objectives for each area of your work
  2. Planning for your development: setting objectives for your own development (Personal Development Plan)

As far as possible it is helpful if the reviewee can start to identify their own objectives before the review meeting – and part of your preparation time should also be spent thing about possible objectives for the year ahead. It is also important to check that objectives fit in with the team and institutional goals.

Remember that an objective should indicate what you want to achieve rather that what needs to be done. If you find yourself writing a to-do list, it can help to ask yourself “Why am I doing this?”. Keep asking until you get to what it is you need to achieve.

For example:

ý Set up new induction programme

þ Ensure new staff feel welcomed and have relevant information when they start

Note: once you have identified an objective, you will then need to identify what you need to DO in order to meet that objective – it may include several actions.

Development objectives can be written in the same way. For example:

ý Go on a presentation skills course

þ Learn how to plan and deliver a presentation by 31 October

In the space below, write yourself an objective for the next 12 months i.e. something you want to achieve in the next 12 months.

Next you can consider how to record it in a SMART way…
Once an objective is identified you can ‘SMARTen’ it together:

•  SMART objectives are:
–  Specific
–  Measurable
–  Achievable
–  Relevant
–  Time-limited / •  SMARTER objectives include:
–  Evaluation points
–  Review
1.  Check and amend your objective to make it SMART/ER.
2.  Think of one thing you will DO in the next week to work towards achieving your goal.

Achieving development objectives

In the space below, identify possible development activities e.g. go on a course, work shadow someone else…
Consider one member of your team, what do you think may work well for them?

Make sure that you know what training and development is available to you/others in the University. See Staff Training and Personal Development at http://www.cam.ac.uk/staffstudents/staff/work.html

There are sections to record the agreed work objectives on the University’s SRD Model Form PD25 and development objectives on the PD26/Personal Development Plan (or equivalent documents used in your institution).

Stage 3: Follow-up

An objective and agreed record of the discussion should be made as soon as possible following the meeting. This can be done using either the University’s PD25/26 (www.admin.cam.ac.uk/offices/hr/forms/appraisal/) or the equivalent documents used in your own institution.

Reviewers:

In addition to completing the paperwork in a timely fashion, there are two elements to the follow up process; support and review.

1. Support

The person who has been reviewed will need support to achieve the objectives set during the review discussion. What support have you offered to supply yourself? What support have you agreed to organise from others? Remember that support implies many things; resources, time, encouragement, coaching amongst others.

2. Review

You should be continually reviewing the progress of your staff, not just waiting for the next review cycle. It could be that at the meeting you have agreed interim meetings to check how goals are being met, or that you are simply taking an interest in your staff on a more general level.