Performance Evaluations

            Performance evaluations typically have check boxes or list numbered categories for the supervisor to mark as a method of assessing the worker’s abilities, behaviors and skill sets. When you promote into supervision you will be responsible for evaluating those workers who directly report to you. It is critical that your assessments are well thought out and provide good information in order to provide comprehensive feedback to those individuals.

            What is the most difficult part of evaluations? Several issues come to mind; 1. Taking the time to sit down and start writing an assessment of those workers you will be evaluating. 2. Discussing your observations with those workers, having a meaningful discussion with them on the things that are positive and trying to head off areas where there are observable negative trends. 3. Allowing the worker to provide feedback to you on your performance. Maybe the person you’re evaluating doesn’t know where they stand with you, are confused as to the direction you want the department to go and how expectations might be 180 degrees out because of a lack of communication and failure on the part of leadership to take the time to clearly communicate the goals and objectives.

            It’s even more difficult when you consider the fact that you might be writing and discussing an evaluation with someone who was once your foreman or journeyman when you were an apprentice.  A month ago, you were on the crew and now you’re the person in charge and making assessments about those same people. You have to separate your professional relationships from your personal ones. The best advice I can give is to be open, honest and direct. Have a conversation with those individuals who you will be leading and directing, make sure the message is positive and that you have their back, but you are in a different role and your responsibilities are on a different level and you report to someone else who has a vision of the direction they want to go.

            Tools: as a supervisor, make sure that you perform crew visits observe the work and take notes. Observe how your crew leaders are discussing their tailboards, if you have feedback, take them aside and have a conversation. Write two sentences a week on each person you are evaluating, after six months you will have a lot of information to put into the evaluation that is timely, accurate and you’re not guessing.

Finally: an old lineman once told me this and it holds true for just about every interaction you have with team or crew members- “Criticize locally, praise globally.” Negative feedback should be done one-on-one, and praise communicated in front of everyone.  

T&D World Leadership – Ask Max – Performance Evaluations