Kim, Jason and Amy answer a listener’s question about how to give a year-end performance review to someone who’s been bounced from team to team and manager to manager. They also reveal why everyone needs an “I love me” folder.
Listen to the episode:
Radical Candor Podcast Episode: A ‘Hot Potato’ Management Dilemma
A listener wrote in with a question:
Hi! I just started my career as a manager. I occasionally listen to the Radical Candor podcast and I find it very helpful in a way that it inspires me to be the kind of manager that I want to be.
I have this dilemma and I want to seek advice. Recently, an employee was moved to my team and he became my direct report. This new direct report has been bouncing around from project to project and for 1 year, he moved to 4 managers already! Since I am his new manager and it’s near the end of the year, I will be the one to accomplish his performance appraisal.
I asked for feedback from previous team members and managers he worked with. Some said that his competency is below his current level and that he mostly needs assistance on every task assigned to him. Some said that he is a good team player and is eager to learn. The comments I got were contradictory so it’s very hard for me to gauge where he’s currently at. My question is, for the performance appraisal, should I just give a rating of “Meets expectation” for the benefit of the doubt?
I want to know your thoughts about my situation. What else can I do to help this direct report?
Radical Candor Podcast Checklist
- Complete a 360 performance review of the person who is new to your team so you can solicit specific feedback from others who are more familiar with their work. Ask the employee who you should include.
- If you’re the employee, keep an “I love me” folder with all of your wins, losses, and areas where you can improve so you can easily complete a self-evaluation and/or get a new manager up to speed about your performance goals and metrics.
- Commit to getting to know this person who is new to your team. Make sure the expectations of the role are clear to both of you. Start the new year off by having Career Conversations with this person so you can ensure you’re setting them and the team up for success.
Radical Candor Podcast Resources
- Fave thing: Blue Planet: The Fascinating World Beneath the Waves | Free Documentary Nature
- 13 Key Elements Of The Performance Review Process | Radical Candor
- Performance review with a manager who doesn’t know me? – The Workplace Stack Exchange
- How To Have 3 Crucial Career Conversations At Work | Radical Candor
- People Labeled ‘B Players’ May Be in the Wrong Job — Here’s How to Tell
- New Hire Performance Reviews: How to Drive Business Results and Engagement | Zavvy
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Watch the Radical Candor Videobook
We’re excited to announce that Radical Candor is now available as an hour-long videobook that you can now stream at LIT Videobooks. Get yours to stream now >>
The Radical Candor Podcast is based on the book Radical Candor: Be A Kickass Boss Without Losing Your Humanity by Kim Scott.
Episodes are written and produced by Brandi Neal with script editing by Amy Sandler. The show features Radical Candor co-founders Kim Scott and Jason Rosoff and is hosted by Amy Sandler. Nick Carissimi is our audio engineer.
The Radical Candor Podcast theme music was composed by Cliff Goldmacher. Order his book: The Reason For The Rhymes: Mastering the Seven Essential Skills of Innovation by Learning to Write Songs.
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