DEVELOPING YOUR SKILLS AS A REVIEWER OF STAFF PERFORMANCE

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• DEVELOPING YOUR SKILLS AS A REVIEWER OF STAFF
  PERFORMANCE
• Dr Jeffrey Jones
• Principal Consultant
• CfBT Education Trust, UK
• ECIS Conference, Cascais
• April 2009

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BACKGROUND TO THE SESSION

• Core belief that
• the key purpose of all schools is to raise the
  achievement of all learners
• staff are schools most valuable assets
• staff well-being, motivation and development
  are central to sustaining and raising standards
• performance management underpins existing good
  practice and
• the structured approach provided by performance
  management will support the work and development
  of all staff.

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AIMS AND OUTCOMES OF THE SESSION

• To support you in feeling confident about
  undertaking the role of reviewer by
• increasing your knowledge about performance
  management
• developing your understanding of the reviewers
  role and responsibilities
• equipping you with the skills needed to become
  an even more effective reviewer
• allowing you time to reflect and seek
  clarification about the role.

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WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE ROLE OF REVIEWER

• To help others improve their performance by
• helping reviewees to identify their objectives
  and create a development plan for achieving
  those objectives
• supporting reviewees and providing guidance to
  help them improve their performance
• providing regular and constructive feedback
  and
• making an informed assessment about their
  performance (if appropriate).

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WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT KEY ELEMENTS OF STAFF
PERFORMANCE
Performance reviews form the basis for assessing
the three key elements of performance
contribution
PERFORMANCE REVIEWS
development
capability
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WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT SUCCESSFUL
PERFORMANCE REVIEWS

• The following have been found to enhance the
  quality of performance reviews
• the skills and commitment of the reviewer
• adequate preparation by both parties agenda
• adequate time
• the extent to which the process is done with
  as opposed to done to the reviewee
• the nature of the relationship between the
  reviewer and the reviewee
• the extent to which reviewees are appropriately
  challenged to find solutions to the issues they
  face
• a constant focus on raising the self-esteem and
  capability of the reviewee.

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WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE PERFORMANCE
REVIEW CYCLE
Annual cycle
Reviewee Self-review
Stage 3 Review End of year review of
progress. Future priorities. No surprises.
Stage 1 Planning Agree objectives performance
criteria a development plan
Stage 2 Monitoring Work in progress in
year. Monitoring and support.
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WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT REVIEWER PREPARATION

• Reviewers should come to the meeting with the
  reviewee
• having agreed a time and venue for the meeting
• having considered the reviewees job
  description
• with a copy of the schools RD policy
• having considered possible areas for discussion
  an agenda
• having prepared a strategy for structuring the
  discussion
• prepared to listen actively to the reviewees
  views and suggestions
• prepared to help the reviewee clarify the
  nature and meaning of the review focus
• having thought about possible development needs
  and activities
• with the aim of encouraging the reviewee to
  talk constructively about key areas and of
  ensuring that discussions are positive
• with the aim of keeping the discussion focused
  on the agreed scope of the review.

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WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT REVIEWEE PREPARATION

• Reviewees should come to the meeting with the
  reviewer
• having reflected on the scope of the review,
  the job description, the lesson observation,
  other supporting information and the agreed
  agenda
• having reflected on a possible focus for the
  review meeting (self- review)
• willing to discuss performance frankly and
  honestly
• having thought of professional development
  needs and activities.

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WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT THE ROLE OF SELF-REVIEW

• You cant develop people. That door is locked
  from the inside. You must create a climate in
  which people will develop themselves.
• Robert Townsend Up the Organisation, 1970.
• All personal development is self-development,
  which happens when people use whatever
  opportunities are available to increase their
  skills, knowledge, their competence and
  confidence.
• John Harvey-Jones Making It Happen, 1989.
• You are probably being judged by certain
  criteria that would be news to you. And you are
  probably making certain contributions that would
  be news to them.
• Mark McCormack What They Didnt Teach You at the
  Harvard Business School, 1989.

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WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT THE ROLE OF
SELF-REVIEW

• Self-review can
• reduce defensiveness by allowing individuals
  to take a lead in reviewing their own
  contribution
• help generate a more positive and
  constructive discussion during the review
  meeting, which can focus on joint
  problem-solving
• encourage staff to think about their own
  development needs and how they can improve
  their own performance
• provide a more balanced view because it is
  based on the views of both the reviewer and the
  reviewee.

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EXAMPLE SELF-REVIEW PROFORMA
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WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT PERFORMANCE OBJECTIVES

• S specific
• M measurable
• A achievable
• R realistic
• T time-lined

• C clear
• C concise
• M measurable
• C challenging
• F flexible

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EXAMPLE ENGLISH TEACHER TUTOR

• To develop expertise in the teaching of drama,
  with the aim of directing a school production
  within 2 years.
• To increase knowledge of the range of
  strategies to combat bullying and where and how
  to use them effectively.
• Aim for most (85) of the class to be
  constructing basic essays a) both simple and
  complex sentence structure b) correct
  paragraphing c) a range of punctuation, used
  accurately d) vocabulary choices are
  imaginative and used precisely.
• To improve the attendance of Year 8 pupils
  from 85 to 90 during the year.

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EXAMPLE JUNIOR SCHOOL TEACHER

• By the end of the review cycle, to develop the
  skills and confidence to use ICT in teaching
  class.
• To plan and develop materials for use in the
  summer term to support whole-class teaching of
  ICT.
• By next academic year, to increase the
  percentage to 45-50 of the class as a whole
  that will be able to do what the literacy
  framework states that they should be taught over
  the year (currently 40).
• To improve standards of attainment science from
  current level by the end of the academic year.

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WHAT DO YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT MONITORING

• Monitoring is the process of finding out
  through observation, discussion, reading,
  listening, analysis what is actually happening,
  and judging the impact of the activities.
• In other words, having agreed what should happen,
  are we doing what we agreed and do we need to
  make any adjustments?

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WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT LESSON OBSERVATION

• Reviewers have a responsibility for monitoring
  the reviewees performance against the agreed
  objectives, including observing the teacher
  teaching during the review cycle.
• Lesson observation is key to improving the
  effectiveness of teaching and learning it is a
  developmental tool.

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WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT PROVIDING FEEDBACK ON
LESSONS

• prepare beforehand and clarify the approach you
  intend to take
• maintain an atmosphere of low threat, high
  challenge
• recognise and celebrate good and improving
  practice
• try to provide feedback within 24 hours
• base your feedback on factual data
• ensure that the factual data are interpreted with
  reference to known and agreed criteria
• encourage the teacher to offer his/her own
  interpretation in the first instance
• provide the feedback as part of a 2-way
  discussion
• ensure that the feedback leads to development.

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WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT PERFORMANCE REVIEW
SKILLS
Building rapport
Questioning skills
Development review skills
Feedback skills
Listening skills
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WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT BUILDING RAPPORT
Rapport is a process of building and sustaining a
relationship based on mutual trust and
understanding.
At the level of beliefs, values and criteria
Level 4
Level 3
Language level, where you can match process words
Level 2
Voice level, where you match breathing rate,
tone, pitch, tempo, etc
Level 1
Non-verbal level, where you match body language
e.g. posture, gestures, facial, expression, eye
contact
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WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT QUESTIONING PATTERNS

• Funnel Pyramid
  Erratic

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WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT QUESTIONING SKILLS
Draw out information
open
Stimulate thought
specific
Put the person at ease
comparative
Follow up line of thought
reflective
Keep discussion relevant
hypothetical
Explore feelings,attitudes
closed
Clarify an issue
extending
PURPOSE
TYPE
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POINT FOR REFLECTION
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POINT FOR REFLECTION
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WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT LISTENING SKILLS

• Listening in dialogue is listening more to
  meaning than to words In true listening we reach
  behind the words, see through them to find the
  person who is being revealed. Listening is a
  search to find the treasure of the true person,
  as revealed verbally and non-verbally.
• (John Powell, quoted in Bolton, 1987)

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WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT BARRIERS TO EFFECTIVE
LISTENING
Selective attention
Selective interpretation
Selective retention
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WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT USING THE SURPLUS!
The brain can think at speeds of up to 500 words
per minute
A person talks at about 125 words per minute
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DEALING WITH DISTRACTIONS
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ACTIVE LISTENING
Deciding to listen
Listening neutrally
Acknowledging
Clarifying
Summarising
Understanding
Considering a response
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WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT FEEDBACK SKILLS

• Feedback is a mirror, reflecting back to the
  giver information about, and examples of, their
  behaviour and how this affects others. It also
  offers suggestions and advice.
• (Naisby, 2002)
• When did you last look in the mirror?

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BODY LANGUAGE
Warmth shown by
Hostility shown by
Non-verbal signals
Submissiveness shown by
Control shown by