Performance conversations at UBC

Employees and managers each play an active role to ensure performance conversations happen, and are successful.

Typically, your manager will schedule your performance conversations as a series of regular check-ins that culminate in a final year-end overview. Along the way, you will be invited to discuss your career interests and aspirations, and seek feedback on your performance.

If you are new to UBC or have recently come under a new manager, don’t hesitate to ask your manager about the process around probation, team and individual goal setting, check-ins and the annual overview process.

Performance conversation cycle

Performance conversations will generally contain the following activities:

Setting performance and development expectations aligned to unit and team goals.
Aligned to the role, desired outcomes, level of experience, and job classification.
Agreeing to performance, development, and aspirational goals.
Relevant to role, responsibilities, objectives, interests, career aspirations and feedback received.
Making time for regular check-ins about overall wellbeing, goals, learning and teamwork.
Recommend- at minimum- one regular monthly check-in to build relationship and discuss important updates, goal status, important feedback and learning objectives and outcomes.
A dedicated Career Conversation.
UBC supports career satisfaction and resiliency. Employees are encouraged to engage in at least one career focused conversation with their manager and align developments goals to support their growth.
Reviewing performance and learning outcomes against agreed-to goals and expectations.
An opportunity to reflect on accomplishments, learning, and actual versus desired outcomes.

Performance conversation principles

UBC strives to cultivate the conditions where employees can thrive and grow. When it comes to performance conversations, adhering to a few important principles can enhance the experience for everyone.

Strengths-based. Look for the best in others as well as yourself.
A coach approach. Be curious and listen actively.
Shared learning. Recognize there is an opportunity for everyone to learn something new.

Phase 1: Prepare for the performance conversation

Enhance your performance conversation by working through the following preparation questions:

What would make this a meaningful conversation for you?
What feedback or insights are you hoping to obtain?
Are you meeting in person or virtually? How can you optimize the meeting space?
How are you doing? What would you like to share with your manager? (goal updates, wellbeing, teamwork, remote work, etc.)
What aspects of your performance and work do you hope to discuss?
What are you most proud of in terms of your technical and interpersonal achievements?
What challenges have you been facing, and how are you managing?
What progress are you making toward your goals?
How do you feel about your collaboration with others?
What resources do you need to be more effective in your role?

Phase 2: Have the performance conversation

The Connect, Open, Explore and Close (COEC) conversation model supports effective learning conversations of all kinds. The approach provides employees and managers with a structure, questions and prompts and can be easily applied to your annual and ongoing performance and development conversations.

Connect: Build trust and safety

Connection cultivates psychological safety and mutual wellbeing, allowing us to build and sustain meaningful working relationships. Your ability to genuinely connect with your manager is influenced by your level of trust and comfort; each relationship is different, and they evolve over time. As an employee, you can support the relationship with your manager by appreciating their effort to invest in your development. Come prepared and demonstrate your genuine interest in the wider context of their management responsibilities and related challenges.

I appreciate that we have carved out time for this conversation. I look forward to discussing my strengths/ goals/expectations/achievements/emerging opportunties/unanticipated setbacks, etc.
How are things going for you? Is this still a good time?
I want you to know that I value your perspective, questions and insights. Is there a particular approach you want to take today?
What can I do to help make this conversation a success?

Open: Co-create intent and purpose

Open confirms or establishes the purpose and invites you and your manager to agree on the focus and desired outcomes. The purpose of your conversation will change depending on where you are in the annual performance cycle. Are you starting the year with a new performance plan, is this your year-end review, or are you preparing for a regular check-in? In any case, it helps to create a shared understanding of the conversation’s focus and your hopes and expectations for the meeting.

Can we clarify the focus of this performance check-in conversation?
Can you share some observations with me about what you have seen working well this past month?
Are there any areas of my performance, technical or people skills that you hope to explore today? (share some of what you are hoping to talk through, too)
These conversations are important to me. Can I also share some of my observations and emerging feedback with you?
How do you want me to capture or share the key points and commitments from our conversation?

Explore: Discover options and possibilities

With connection and purpose established, the conversation can truly begin. Explore reminds everyone to be curious, to slow down and consider things from multiple perspectives. Take time to listen, ask the questions you prepared ahead of the meeting and circle back when points need further discussion. Invite your manager to share their perspective and ideas and respectfully challenge assumptions when necessary.

Maybe I can start by sharing what’s working well, the strengths I am putting to use and then we can zero in on what I want to give more attention to moving forward.
I want to provide you with an update, but I hope you can also share relevant observations or insights to help me be successful.
How do you think my work has gone over these past weeks, months?
I have noticed some challenges lately, and I hope we can openly discuss them and identify potential solutions.
We identified some outcomes at our last check-in. It would be great to review the results and see what needs to change going forward.
I’m curious to know how you see my goals impacting the work more broadly.
It’s important that I talk about my wellbeing today. Can we make time for that?

Close: Determine a plan and next steps

Close is where you partner with your manager to bring it all together. Identify the key takeaways, next steps, opportunities for ongoing learning and feedback and any support you may need.

What has been of most value for you today in understanding and supporting my performance?
Here are the key takeaways from this conversation. What can you add?
Here is what I most appreciated about today…
What are the opportunities to enhance our conversations and check-ins for next time?
Can we take one more look at my goals to ensure we are on the same page for timelines and outcomes?
Is there anything we didn’t get to that we should schedule follow-up time for?
I recognize things are likely to come up or get in the way of my goals. How would you like to address this if it happens?

Phase 3: Learning and reflection for self-development

Enhance your next performance conversation by working through the following reflection statements:

What I most appreciated about the performance conversation was…
What I learned about myself, my manager and/or my work was...
The aspects of the conversation that were challenging involved…
My learning edge is…
What will I be sure to remember for our next meeting…

Questions

If you have questions or concerns about the performance review process, please ask your manager, or if you need additional support, contact your HR Advisor.

Performance conversations