In a traditional performance evaluation, someone is assigned to compile and review with each executive a summary of her/his strengths, contributions, growth, and opportunities for improvement. The traditional process has many weaknesses which are summarized in this article recently published by Flevy.com, such as:

• Compiling a quality performance assessment is difficult; consequently it often gets put off to be done at the last minute but it also takes time to do a good job and time runs out.

• Assessment content tends to be arbitrary based on ability, skills, and perspective of the reviewer and may not represent the best thinking or interests of the team.

• Reviewers tend to avoid raising and dealing with tough matters that should be addressed aggressively because it is uncomfortable and they are not trained or motivated to do otherwise.

A best practice approach engages senior executive teams in a process that identifies needs which, when addressed, increase the odds of success as the organization matures. The objective is to use the experience and knowledge of the team to uncover skill strengths and learning opportunities which will drive the team’s success now and in future evolutionary stages.

Tenets that underlie the approach and why it works are explained in the article along with how it works. See How to Drive Elite C-Suite Performance to read the complete article and case study.

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