Fear of the Review

Nearly everyone who works has had a performance review. Usually conducted at least annually, the performance review is designed to provide a structured way for a leader to give formal feedback about an employee’s job performance. Many employees approach the performance review with fear, expecting to hear negative comments. In reality, though, most performance reviews are positive.

Some performance reviews are nothing more than pats on the back, with little if any time spent discussing areas for improvement. Managers who conduct these kinds of reviews do so merely to fulfill an obligation. The box is checked, but the opportunity for dialogue and development is lost.

Try a different technique on your next BFR
Photo by Stephen Michaud

Aviation has an equivalent to the job performance review. The biennial flight review, or BFR, requires the pilot to demonstrate his or her pilot proficiency and knowledge of important regulations. As the name implies, the BFR occurs every other year. It is conducted by a flight instructor of the pilot’s choosing.  Some pilots seek an easy BFR with a familiar instructor, wanting to simply check the box and satisfy an FAA requirement. According to an article in the September 23 issue of ePilot, published by the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, fear of the BFR is common among pilots.

Imagine if on the job performance appraisals and biennial flight reviews were widely embraced as opportunities to grow, develop and improve? How much more effective would performance reviews and BFRs be if they were anticipated with excitement and viewed as learning experiences? They can be – and it starts with us.
If you are an employee with an upcoming performance review, reach out to your manager well ahead of schedule. Remind him or her that the review is coming up, and explain that you’d like to use the time for a meaningful discussion of performance and opportunity. Many leaders shirk deep discussion in the performance review, for fear of disagreement, conflict or even confrontation. By initiating the conversation, you will have removed one potential barrier to a productive review. Follow through with some homework - conduct an honest assessment of your skills and competencies, noting the areas where you have room to improve. If you have few or none, try again – everyone has opportunities to grow.

Great leaders set this kind of tone for their employees. They ask employees to do an honest self-evaluation and identify areas for development ahead of the actual performance review. The leader partners with the employee to identify developmental opportunities – training classes, job shadowing or stretch assignments where new skills can be acquired. The great leader uses the formal performance review to reaffirm feedback given throughout the year and to support the employee’s continuing growth.

Pilots and flight instructors can take a similar approach to the BFR. The pilot can prepare a list of maneuvers and techniques he or she would like to improve and make note of any new regulations that are fuzzy. Instructors can support the pilot’s skill enhancement, using the BFR to practice skills that the pilot does not use regularly. Both parties can head into the BFR expecting to learn, improve and actually have fun, rather than simply fulfilling the requirement for an endorsement in the logbook.

Performance reviews, whether on the job or in aviation, needn’t be dreaded events. If framed as opportunities to expand and enhance skills, performance reviews can be transformed into valuable and actually enjoyable developmental experiences.

If you’d like to read more about performance reviews, consider How to Make Performance Evaluations Really Work, by Glenn Shepard.  The book is a practical guide for leaders on the art of writing and conducting performance reviews.  Beyond the Checkride, by Howard Fried, offers an interesting perspective on ways that certificated pilots can continue to learn and expand their skills.