1. Staff Review and Development (SRD) at CAU: for those reviewing others
Human Resources Division
Personal and Professional Development
Staff Review and Development (SRD) at CAU: for those reviewing others
Intro me
Build on experience – as established academic but also from your own early career experience (as reviewee)
Today’s objectives: WHY and HOW
Clarify purpose and outcomes of SRD (rev/rev/org) – and fit in to wider working context
Consider process/stages – how to get most out of each part
Useful skills for SRD
Consider challenges and encourage engagement
How to get the most out of SRD
Evals/slides (to send later)
Range of experience – chance to refresh or reassure or build on skills – share good practice
Jessie Monck, PPD,

2. Overall purpose and outcomes of SRD
SRD is for all employees across all grades and staff groups.
“Its purpose is to enhance work effectiveness and facilitate career development.”
Review work and progress
Plan for future work
and development
Clarify responsibilities
Look for solutions
Consider longer term plans
Reviewer
Reviewee
Supported self-review
Reminder

3. SRD: Why do it? Reviewee Self-review Clear direction Well-being
Reviewer
Agreed direction
Promote independence
Relationship
Motivated staff
Satisfaction
Team or Group
Morale
Performance
Share skills
Support
Department
Results
Reputation
Succession
Retention
Culture
Focus on future
Reviewee
Self-review
Clear direction
Well-being
Development
Motivation
Before we look at HOW to do it, let’s look at why it matters. Draw on own experience
Who are the stakeholders in this?
Reviewee
Reviewer
PI/Group
DAMTP
Activity – 4 small groups, one each
Outcome for reviewer? Motivating to support less experienced colleagues. Find out what is working, build knowledge across dept.
Outcomes for org? People working happily and effectively together, good for motivation and performance, culture/reputation attracts/retains right people

4. What does SRD need to succeed?
Commitment & genuine interest in making it useful
Knowledge about it – e.g. why and how
Time to prepare
Ability to reflect on knowledge and experience
Ability to draw meaningful conclusions and objectives
Be an on-going part of good employment and support
Genuine interest in making it useful
Trust – no surprises, open about ongoing feedback
Knowledge about the process and outcomes – knowledge about future areas of work (bigger plans)
Integral part of good management

5. Stages in the SRD process
HoD: identify roles, ensure discussions take place, sign-off, identify trends
1. Prepare
2. Meet
3. Follow-up
Activity – 2 groups
How to prepare – reviewer and reviewee – what to think about before the meeting, what do you want to cover?
During the meeting – skills, knowledge, attribute for the meeting – what will help to make it an effective discussion?
Feedback from each
Good practice includes a
review of the review process

6. Preparation – before the meeting
Practical arrangements
Read relevant guidance and docs
Date, time, venue
Consider a pre-meeting
Key areas to consider:
Questions you will ask to support their self-review
Strengths and skills
Areas to develop
Plans for the next year
Longer term aspirations and career planning
Wider plans for their group/department
Difficulties/obstacles to progress
Self-assessment
It is helpful to prepare for the meeting by reflecting on what has happened over the last review period, including:
Progress in key areas since the last SRD discussion, including achievements.
Factors which helped and obstacles/difficulties which hindered effective performance.
A review of development undertaken.
Career plans for the future, including job changes, promotion and/or retirement plans.
Suggestions for the year(s) ahead in terms of key areas, training/development activity etc.
Preparation by the Reviewer
Preparation for the SRD meeting by the reviewer could include the following:
Considering the academic's bulleted list of topics
Discussing some general principles with other staff, eg retirement or promotions policy, with the Institutional Administrator or Head of Institution.
Adding any topics to the list
Providing a list of any additional points (for example as discussed with the Head of Institution) for discussion by (no more than four) approximately a week in advance of the SRD meeting.
Obtaining the model SRD form

7. Stages of the meeting Start the meeting Clarify purpose and agenda
Discuss
Work, progress and achievements
Areas of strength and enjoyment
Areas and ideas for improvement
Career planning and aspirations
Ways to meet these
Agree any actions
Evaluate and close the meeting
Reviewer to guide through these stages
Middle section to discuss achievements, progress, what’s gone well/not so well
Agree plans, targets and objectives
Consider personal development in context of career aspirations

8. Skills, knowledge, attributes for the meeting
Ask useful questions – and listen to answers
Help to draw conclusions from discussions
Be constructive – look for solutions (e.g. how to meet a development objective)
Share experience and knowledge: the bigger picture
Record key points, guide the meeting, keep to time and agenda
Be open to suggestions and feedback
Useful skills for both participants
Objectives – both work and development
positive attitude – look for solutions
Which of these do you do well?
Which could you improve?

9. Key skill: asking questions
Open: Tell me about…
Probing: Can you expand… (who, where, when, how ?)
Closed: This is what I understand. Am I right?
Open
Probing
Closed – do you, is it, have you
Pair with Key skill: listening effectively

10. Key skill: tips for effective feedback
The purpose of feedback is to sustain, change or improve a situation.
It must be a positive process and experience.
Give it regularly
Be prepared, be specific and do it at the right time
Clarify expected and actual performance or behaviour
Consider possible solutions or improvements
Agree way forward
Feedback about positives
Model how to receive feedback well
Most important giving and receiving feedback should be a positive process and experience – purpose is to change or improve a situation.
Regular and timely
Be specific
Emotional self-control
Roll with the punch
Ask questions
Repeat back what you’ve heard
Consider whether it is warranted or not
Admit shortcomings/failures
Avoid counter-attack
Receiving feedback
Approach it positively and calmly
Listen activity to feedback
Ask for specific examples or clarification if necessary
Consider the feedback and possible ways to address it
Make a note of key points
Try to thank the person

11. Key skill: Setting objectives for SRD
Work
To achieve in next 12 months
Linked to wider objectives
Development
To help do the job better
To meet work objectives
Record on the Personal Development Plan (PD26)
Record on the SRD form (PD25)
Work: what you are going to work on/achieve in next 12 months
Developmental: in order to achieve work objectives

12. Key skill: Setting and achieving objectives (1-2-3)
Identify what needs to be achieved
Clarify and record it (be SMART)
Consider what needs to be done to achieve each objective
Objectives used every day – often process driven (I need to do this by the end of the day)
To achieve: results orientated (impact/outcome), sometimes need to be activities orientated (process)
May depend on individual, position in team, requirements of their role
Some will need support to identify no.3. For senior staff, no.3 is the strategy/planning stage.
Programme examples:
Process: deliver 6 management development programmes to UL managers in Mich 2012
Impact: by the end of this programme 90% of you will have developed the tools to feel more confident in your management role and be able to and demonstrate these within your role.
Outcome: as a result of the development programme by July 2013 there will improved performance and less absence in all areas of the UL

13. Development activities
go on a course
work shadow or swap
find a mentor or be a mentor
reading/research
observe/speak to ‘an expert’
be ‘the expert’ and teach someone else
take opportunity to practise
attend meeting/event
work on a project with others
delegation – can provide many possibilities for development …

14. Tips for dealing with challenges
Anticipate/pre-empt reactions
Ask questions to understand the situation
Ask “What do you hope to get out of this process?” or “how are you feeling about it?”
Have evidence to support your opinion, be reasonable and objective
Agree to find out more and discuss again
Manage expectations, don’t promise what you can’t give
Be prepared – stay calm
IN most cases, people are keen to take part
Pre-empting different (or difficult) situations
Occasionally you may experience a difficult or different reaction. SLIDE some examples – and words of advice that you have submitted. In most cases, really good questioning can help to avoid and/or alleviate these problems – it may be upfront and along the lines “I sense you are not feeling positive about this process, can you tell me why?”. You are looking for open and honest discussion – and in most cases this is what you will get. Try to anticipate before the kind of questions you might need to ask, or pre-empt how you think someone will respond – could a quick pre-meeting help alleviate any anxiety or misunderstanding about the process?

15. Stage 3: follow-up after the discussion
RECORD the discussion and objectives (use PD25 and PD26)
Reviewees
Take responsibility for achieving objectives
Review and communicate
Reviewers
Provide support to achieve objectives
Until now we have considered the first 2 stages in the process – the preparation and all the skills/knowledge that you can bring to a meeting. The final stage is to integrate into the ongoing work and development of the reviewee, and your management of that person – linking it back to the benefits and outcomes of the process overall. Let’s assume you’ve had your meeting – what do you need to do afterwards?

16. Overall purpose and outcomes of SRD
“Its purpose is to enhance work effectiveness and facilitate career development.”
Review work
and progress
Plan for future work and development
Reviewer
Reviewee