Getting the most from ‘one-up’ meetings with your boss on performance

“OK…my HR team has convinced me to get involved in our performance calibration meetings. I’m going to have a “one-up” meeting with my boss. What should I expect, and how can I prepare so I get the best use of my time?”

You and your manager are going to sit together and discuss the performance standards in your area. There may even be other supervisors there. Whether or not it’s been arranged formally, most executives want their managers to come to them with a sensible plan for how they are going to apply the organization’s performance standards to their people. Some businesses such as GE even mandate the process.

You are probably going to come to two kinds of understanding: UNDERSTANDING of the RATINGS that define each level of performance, and common APPLICATION of the RATINGS across a range of performers. Your ‘one-up’ meeting is really a Ratings Consensus meeting.

I recommend clients start by agreeing on a common understanding of the performance ratings. To do this, don’t just look at words such as Below, Meets or Exceeds Expectations. You can argue about those all day and still not reach agreement. Rather, imagine what it would look like if an employee were performing at that standard in your group.

For example, you discover an employee error and the employee is asked to correct it. The employee denies there is an error and refuses to investigate or take corrective action. Depending on the severity of the error, you might all agree this is behavior meriting a “Below Expectations” rating or even disciplinary action. Another example might be a receptionist who is recognized by others for their enthusiasm and whose greetings are now standard throughout the department merits an “Exceeds Expectations” rating.

Gaining this kind of agreement on the meaning of the performance ratings can take a significant amount of time, depending on the number of ratings in your system, and the number of different levels of employees and kinds of jobs they have. If well facilitated you can do this as a group, (one manager and all their supervisors), and it shouldn’t take much more than 90 minutes to three hours. A worthwhile investment for a certain return in future time, well-being and productivity!

Once you have reached agreement on what the ratings look like when translated into behavior, it’s a relatively simple process to have a principled discussion about the ratings to be applied to each person. Whether it’s done as a group, (which I recommend), or just between you and your boss, all you have to do is produce your best examples of the employee’s behavior which fit with the ratings you have agreed on. If you’re doing it as a group, be prepared that other people may disagree with you based on what they see.

This is also the answer to the preparation you need to do. Throughout the review period keep a running collection of examples of the employee’s behavior and achievements. Present them at the meeting.

I’ve talked before about the benefits to the organization when good performance consensus occurs. There is also a big payoff for the supervisor. It’s difficult to be the only one who sets stretch goals, or holds people accountable. It’s also hard to earn the disrespect of your people for being too harsh, or too soft. It’s much easier to be a principled people leader and be known for achieving your goals when you are consistent and have the support of your peers.

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