Elements of a successful Evaluation Conference

Conferees are not adversaries, but collaborators

The attitude is win-win, the goal is mutual understanding

Each person leads the conference

Leave the conference with satisfaction and a plan

Nine steps to a successful parent-teacher or boss-employee conference

1.Arrange a time that suits both parties.
2.Do some preconference planning.
3.Isolate problems to be discussed
4.Acknowledge progress and achievements
5.Bring documentation or examples
6.Agree on the purpose of the conference.
7.Listen and acknowledge what is said.
8. State views openly.
9.Agree on future goals.

Meeting Openers and Closers

Before addressing the meeting's formal agenda, do an "I appreciate" go-around. When closing the meeting, have each person share what s/he appreciated about the meeting.

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CATCHING PEOPLE DOING SOMETHING “RIGHT”

Showing Appreciation

Keep a Gratitude Journal.

Send an Apprecio-gram.

E-mail somebody a thank-you note every day.

Start meetings with an "I appreciate" go-around.

Give thanks every morning for a new day.

If you don't feel grateful, "Fake it till you make it."

Giving and Receiving Feedback

Feedback is fundamental for helping people . . .

Improve
Reach an objective
Know when they've performed well
Do more of what they do well

Giving Positive Feedback (Praise and Recognition)

Describe the specific behavior that deserves recognition.
Tell why the behavior is important.
Thank the person and express appreciation about what he or she did. (Use the pronoun "I".)
Get the person to recognize his or her own performance.
Express confidence in the person's continued good performance.

Being Authentic

Effective communication around another's behavior means being authentic—i.e., being real and true to your own feelings, and direct in communicating them. You are not being authentic when . . .

you ignore sticky issues;
you let innuendoes or cynical remarks pass by without acknowledging them;
you say only what you believe the other person wants to hear; and/or
you do not pay attention to your own feelings; you hide what is going on inside you.

Steps in providing constructive feedback

Giving Feedback

A performance gap is the difference between present performance and desired performance.
You are sure the person can do the task, but he/she is not doing it. Effective feedback about a performance gap should both communicate concern and empower the person to close the gap.

1.Begin by asking what is going on.
2.As soon as possible, describe the specific behavior that needs improvement.
3.Be sure the person understands how the behavior impacts you or the family/organization's goals.
4.Ask for feedback on your feedback. Actively listen to the person's reaction.
5.Tell the person what you will do to support a return to good performance.
6.Get the person to describe his or her own plan for improving performance.
7.Set up a monitoring system. Establish a date and time when you will evaluate how the plan is working.
8.Express confidence in the person's ability to improve his/her performance.

Receiving Feedback

As you perfect your skills in giving feedback, remember that another important skill is receiving it.
If you want feedback, ask for it.

How do successful people ask for feedback?

They seldom need to because they know how to find it all around them.
They carefully choose the people they ask.
They ensure that the atmosphere is right.
They take pains to clarify what they are asking for.

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