Performance Communication Process: SPEAK

(Success: Performance, Engagement, Alignment & Knowledge)

Revised: 8/26/13

NYU Performance Communication Guide for Supervisors

Effective communication and feedback about performance are critical to the success of every
employee and to the success of the University overall. At its core, performance communication
is an ongoing dialogue between employees and their managers/supervisors that provides the
following benefits:

Creates a shared understanding of goals, valued behaviors, and other expectations that
are critical for success
Fosters an environment of continuous feedback and professional development
Provides employees with the opportunity to assess their own performance
Helps employees improve what they do and how they do it, thus enabling them to
provide greater support to the goals of their school or unit and the University

SPEAK, NYUs performance communication process, is divided into three types of

discussions that happen at specific times during the year:

NYU Performance Communication Cycle

Beginning of the Year:
Manager and employee
meet to discuss and
establish goals and
other performance
expectations for
the coming year

Throughout the Year:

Manager and employee
meet regularly to discuss
progress on goals
and expectations

End of the Year:

Employee and manager assess, review
and discuss the employees performance

At the beginning of the year:

Manager and employee meet to discuss and establish goals, priorities, and valued behaviors
along with other performance expectations including any school or unit-specific competencies
for the coming year. These discussions are documented at the beginning of the year in the NYU
Performance Communication Goal Setting Form. (Click here for a copy this form.)

Performance Communication Process: SPEAK

(Success: Performance, Engagement, Alignment & Knowledge)

Throughout the year:

Manager and employee meet regularly (weekly, monthly, quarterly) to discuss progress on
goals and performance and, if necessary, realign or reprioritize goals. Note: Some
schools/units may opt to conduct a more formal (documented) mid-year discussion.
At the end of the year:
Employee assesses their own performance against goals and expectations. Manager
assesses employees performance based on their own observations, the employees selfassessment, and feedback gathered from other sources. Employee and manager meet to
discuss, review, and reach understanding of performance on goals, competencies, and any
other expectations
These discussions are documented at the end of the year on the NYU Performance
Communication Form. (Click here for a copy of this form.)
Employees are encouraged to keep notes on their performance in the NYU Performance
Communication Self Assessment Form throughout the year to make it easier to track
progress and prepare for performance discussions. (Click here for a copy of this form.)
Likewise, managers are encouraged to keep notes on their employees performance throughout
the year.

The Beginning of the Year: Setting Goals and Expectations

Setting goals and establishing clear performance expectations with employees at the beginning
of the performance cycle provides the opportunity to ensure alignment between the employees
goals and the goals of the school/unit and the University, and is an important driver of employee
performance and job satisfaction.
Goal setting can be thought of as a cascading process from the strategic level to the individual
level, with goals getting more narrowly defined as they cascade. It is important for employees to
understand how their goals support the goals set for his/her department, and how the
departmental goals support the goals of the school/unit and the University overall.

Performance Communication Process: SPEAK

(Success: Performance, Engagement, Alignment & Knowledge)

Writing SMART Goals: Well defined goals should always include the following SMART
characteristics:
Specific: Describing in precise terms what will be done
Measurable: Describing how you will know whether or not the goal was met
Achievable: Defining a goal that is challenging but attainable
Relevant: Connecting and aligning the employees role with the objectives of the
school/unit
Time-bound: Specifying the time frame within which the goal should be completed

Before the Goal Setting meeting with your employee:

Meet with your own manager to discuss the goals of your school/unit and how you and your
employees will support them.
Review the employees previous performance evaluation, the position description, goals of
your department and your school/unit.
Ask the employee to review the same materials.
Identify the key responsibilities of the employee for the coming year, including critical duties,
projects, and goals. Consider what you and your customers expect of the employee.
Familiarize yourself with the goal setting form. Consider how the valued behaviors apply to
the employees roles and responsibilities.

During the Goal Setting meeting:

Discuss and agree upon performance expectations (including valued behaviors) and goals
for the upcoming year.
Identify the key responsibilities using the job description, specific assignments, tasks,
projects, and operational goals.
Discuss the valued behaviors and ensure a common understanding of performance
expectations.
Schedule a time for regular performance progress follow up meetings (Weekly, Monthly,
Quarterly).

After the Goal Setting meeting:

Input the agreed upon goals and priorities along with any additional performance
expectations into the NYU Performance Communication Goal Setting Form. Employee
and manager both sign and date the form, and each keep a copy of the completed form for
future reference. (Click here for a copy of this form.)
Provide a copy of the completed form to the employee and keep a copy for your records. If
required by your school/unit, provide a copy of the form to your HR Officer or HR Business
Partner.

Performance Communication Process: SPEAK

(Success: Performance, Engagement, Alignment & Knowledge)

Throughout the Year: Ongoing Feedback and Dialogue

Progress meetings should take place throughout the year, so its a good idea to schedule
several follow-up progress meetings after the initial Goal Setting meeting. These meetings give
you a chance to:

Provide coaching and feedbacklet the employee know if he or she is on track

Provide positive reinforcement and recognition
Correct behavior before problems get out of hand
Adjust your task or goal expectations as conditions and priorities change
Listen to the employees responses to your feedback on their progress

You should keep notes on progress the employee has achieved and/or improvement needed
toward achieving goals and other performance expectations, and how the valued behaviors,
were demonstrated during the year.
Note: Progress meetings are a time to formally discuss the employees performance. They are
not a substitute for the regular, day-to-day feedback and guidance that you give to an employee.
When a specific problem occurs, or to reinforce desired behavior, it is best to give the feedback
as soon as possible after the behavior is demonstrated.
Delivering Feedback Effectively:
Whether you are giving feedback in a progress meeting or on an informal, day-to-day basis, the
principles are the same. Remember that employees need both positive and constructive
feedback. The process for delivering positive feedback is listed below.
Give positive feedback when you want to reinforce and encourage a particular behavior or
result:

Identify the specific behavior

Describe the behaviors positive impact

Look for ways to build on the behavior

Emphasize the future and how you can help the employee to reproduce the positive results
achieved already

Encourage the employee to share his or her views

Give constructive feedback when an employee needs to understand when their results or
behaviors are having a negative impact on their performance
Discussing performance problems can sometimes be a challenging aspect of supervision;
however, delivering constructive feedback should not be avoided. If your employees are used
to receiving regular feedback (both positive and constructive) it makes it much easier to discuss
a problem if it arises. It also helps the employee to build and maintain a high level of

Performance Communication Process: SPEAK

(Success: Performance, Engagement, Alignment & Knowledge)

performance and therefore makes your school/division and the University stronger. The process
for delivering constructive feedback is listed below:

Identify the specific result or behavior that needs to change

Avoid attributing motive to behavior. Focus on the issue, not on the person

Describe the negative impact of the result or behavior

Ask the employee what they think is causing the problem

Practice active listening by using paraphrasing to convey your understanding of what the
employee is saying

Ask the employee what they think might work to improve the situation. Evaluate solutions
and reach agreement upon the best approach

Strive for understanding, not necessarily agreement

Agree upon next steps, including a timeline for action and follow up

Mid-Year Check In
The Mid-Year Check In is an optional step that can be added to document the discussion of the
employees progress at mid-year, and make any adjustments to goals or expectations for the
remainder of the year. It is meant to be a short recap and is less detailed than the Year End
Performance Review.
In order to make it easier to remember accomplishments and results achieved or improvements
needed during the year, managers and employees are encouraged to keep notes about the
employees performance throughout the year.
Mid-Year Check In process steps:
1. Employee enters progress to date on goals, priorities, or responsibilities, along with
any other accomplishments, along with how the valued behaviors were
demonstrated into the NYU Performance Communication Self Assessment Form
and provides a copy to the manager. (Click here for a copy of this form.)
2. Manager reviews input from employee and other sources on results and valued
behaviors to date and enters comments into the NYU Performance
Communication Form. (Click here for a copy of this form.)
3. Manager and employee meet to review progress to date and make adjustments if
necessary to goals for the reminder of the year. Any other notes or changes as a
result of this discussion should be added and both manager and employee keep a
copy of the form.
At the end of this discussion, both the manager and employee should walk away with a clear
understanding about what the employee has accomplished so far and what he/she needs to
focus on for the reminder of the year.

Performance Communication Process: SPEAK

(Success: Performance, Engagement, Alignment & Knowledge)

Annual Performance Review: The End of the Year

The Annual Performance Review provides an opportunity for both the employee and manager to
look back over the past year to discuss the employees performance results, accomplishments,
and development. It should be a conversation that summarizes the ongoing feedback and
communication that has happened all year long between the manager and employee.
Annual Performance Review process steps:
1. Employee enters results for goals, priorities, and other accomplishments, how they
demonstrated the valued behaviors, and summary comments into the NYU
Performance Communication Self Assessment Form. (Click here for a copy of this
form.)
2. Manager incorporates self assessment input from the employee and any other sources
of feedback, along with feedback on goals, priorities, other accomplishments, valued
behaviors, and indicates performance level on goals and priorities, and valued
behaviors, and summary comments into the NYU Performance Communication Form.
(Click here for a copy of this form.)
3. Manager and employee meet to review and discuss the employees performance over
the previous year. Any additional information coming from the discussion is added to the
NYU Performance Communication Form by the manager, and both manager and
employee sign and retain a copy of the form (please check with your HR representative
on whether or not they also require a copy of the form).
Determining Overall Performance Level:
Use the grid below to determine an accurate overall performance level for the employee that
reflects performance on goals/priorities/accomplishments and on valued behaviors. Place an X
in the appropriate box to indicate the employees overall performance on both (A); job
responsibilities, additional goals and priorities, and other accomplishments and (B); valued
behaviors. A suggested overall performance level rating is indicated for each box and should be
transferred the performance communication form.

Your
and

NeededImprovement ExpectationsMeets ExpectationsExceeds

(B) Valued Behaviors

Performance Communication Process: SPEAK

(Success: Performance, Engagement, Alignment & Knowledge)

____

_____

_____

Partially or
Successfully Meets
Expectations

Surpasses
Expectations

Far Exceeds
Expectations

_____

_____

_____

Partially Meets
Expectations

Successfully Meets
Expectations

Surpasses
Expectations

_____

_____

_____

Does Not Meet

Expectations

Partially Meets
Expectations

Partially or
Successfully Meets
Expectations

Improvement
Meets Expectations
Exceeds Expectations
Needed
(A) Job Responsibilities, Goals/Priorities & Accomplishments

judgment

managerial discretion play an important role in determining an overall performance level and
there may be times when your overall rating does not fit the recommendations in the grid. Here
are a couple of examples that can help guide your thought process:
1) Employee A is rated on the low side of Exceeds Expectations on results and on the low side
of Meets Expectations on behavior. The overall assessment for this employee may be
Successfully Meets Expectations (Not Surpasses Expectations).
2) Employee B is rated as Exceeds Expectations on results and on the high side of
Improvement Needed on behavior. The overall assessment for this employee may be
Successfully Meets Expectations (If the Manager does not think a rating of Partially Meets is
appropriate).
Tips for conducting a successful performance review:
Prepare:
Arrange for a private location and allow approximately one hour.
Review the guidelines above for Delivering Feedback Effectively.
Ask the employee to bring his or her self-evaluation and recommendations for areas of
development.
Provide a copy of the review to the employee a few days in advance of the discussion.
Gather your documentation (e.g. position description, past evaluations, key responsibilities,
etc.).
Open the discussion with a high level overview of the employees performance
Use your Summary Comments to guide your opening overview.

Performance Communication Process: SPEAK

(Success: Performance, Engagement, Alignment & Knowledge)

Review each of the goals/priorities/responsibilities, and valued behaviors individually

Ask the employee to comment on their performance and then add your own perspective.
Be sure to recognize and acknowledge successes to reinforce positive messages.
Focus your comments on results and behavior and their impact on performance.
Talk fairly and objectively about the employees performance; use specific examples to
illustrate your points.
Be clear about areas of improvement and offer alternatives for how things might have gone
better.
Ask the employee to offer ideas about what they can do to build upon strengths and improve
upon areas needing further development.
Reinforce positive results by discussing performance strengths.
Summarize performance and document next steps
Use your Summary Comments to guide your closing comments.
Review the overall performance level.
Give the employee the opportunity to add any additional comments to the form.
Sign the form and ask the employee to sign Note: Signing the form does not necessarily
indicate agreement with the information presented but does indicate that the information
was reviewed.

After the meeting:

Be sure to follow through on your commitments: for example; schedule any milestone
meetings that have been agreed upon.
Keep a copy of the completed, signed performance communication form along with the
employees self-evaluation for your records.
Give a copy of the final form to the employee.
Ask your HR Representative if they require a copy of the form.
If you require additional assistance, please contact your HR representative or call PeopleLink at
212-992-5465 or via email at [email protected].