July FAQ - Providing Performance Feedback

Answering an essential question about retail team development.

One Friday each month, I dedicate the post to looking at some questions I have heard recently from developing leaders. Sharing those questions and my thoughts for them is a way for me to spread the information to as many leaders and future leaders as possible. If you have a question about leadership, or just a situation you would like some additional insight on, please email me at Effective Retail Leader. Let’s take a look at this week’s question.

A reader who's new to their company and used to doing mid-year reviews asked…My company doesn't require mid-year reviews. Should I do them anyway?

Absolutely. In fact, I'd take it further: regardless of what your company's policy or stance is on formal feedback reviews, you should be doing monthly reviews at minimum, with more casual conversations happening in between. Any time you're talking with a direct report, that's an opportunity for feedback and coaching. We tend to think of reviews as this formal process. Fill out a form, hit certain checkpoints, make it official. If your company isn't handing you specific documentation, that's actually a good thing. It frees you up to just give your team member natural, honest feedback that helps them get better.

So yes, do the mid-year review. Do quarterly reviews at a minimum. I'd push for monthly, with more conversational, developmental discussions happening during your regular touch bases, whether that's weekly or every other week depending on your role and how many direct reports you have.

Setting the stage

If your company isn't giving you a specific set of parameters, what do you do? Start with what you already have. If there's an annual review process, use that framework. Tell your team member: "We don't do mid-year reviews here, but this is what we evaluate on for the full year, so let's talk about where you are halfway through." Walk through the performance metrics. If there's a scorecard, show them how the store or team is doing and where their role fits into those results.

Beyond the numbers, there are usually other things tied to company values or the specific contributions someone makes in their role. Be as specific as you can. Reference observations you've made over the last several weeks or months. Point to what they're doing well.

Start With Their Perspective

Before you launch into your notes, ask them how they think they're doing. Let that open the dialogue. Don't be firmly attached to what you'd already planned to say. Let the conversation go where it needs to go.

If there's a disconnect, that's valuable information. Maybe your read going in was "doing okay, but not great" with specific things they could improve. If they come back and say they think they're crushing it, you know you've got a bigger conversation ahead. It's also a sign you need to be having these discussions more often than twice a year. If you think you're already covering this ground monthly or quarterly and there's still this much of a gap between what you're saying and what they're hearing, that disconnect is worth addressing directly. Disconnects aren't a bad thing as long as you correct them going forward.

The disconnect can run the other way too. A lot of people are harder on themselves than they should be. If someone tells you they don't think they've contributed much, or they're barely meeting expectations, dig into that. Ask them to tell you more about why they see it that way. You're not trying to get them to talk themselves down. You've done the observation, so if what they're describing doesn't match what you've seen, that's a chance to recognize them. Point to specific things they're doing well and tell them how much of a contribution those things make. That conversation can turn into a genuine recognition moment, even if there's some coaching mixed in too.

When It's a Tougher Conversation

If someone has genuinely been underperforming and you've already had hard conversations about it that haven't led to change, this isn't really about mid-year reviews anymore. It's about day to day performance, and you're just using this moment as an opportunity to be direct. Say it plainly: "We talked about this 90 days ago. We talked about it again last month. We talked about it in your last touch base. I'm not seeing the change." From there, be honest that if things don't change, the conversations are going to get harder, and it could put their job at risk.

Before you get to that point, ask questions. Is something going on outside of work? Is there something you can help with? If this is new behavior from someone who's performed well in the past, that's worth understanding. If it's someone newer who's been mediocre from the start and you gave them time to adjust, be upfront about where things stand. Either way, you owe them honesty. You're either helping them turn things around, or you're making sure they're not blindsided if it eventually leads to letting them go.

The real value

Call it a mid-year review, call it a check in, it doesn't matter what label you put on it. Any opportunity to give feedback and have developmental conversations with your team is worth taking. Don't wait for a formal moment, and don't assume every conversation needs to be formal either. Approach it however makes sense for the situation.

One thing to watch for: if you do this for one person, do it for everyone. Otherwise it can feel like you're singling someone out. Don't decide the company doesn't require it, so you'll only do it for three people you're worried about. Everybody deserves the feedback. Most people want it, and they'll value it when you give it consistently, whether or not your company requires it twice a year.

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