Performance management. Does your stomach sink when you hear those words? You’re not alone. In a recent Deloitte survey published in Harvard Business Review, more than 58 per cent of respondents said that performance-management approaches drove neither engagement nor performance.

It doesn’t have to be this way. A recent study in the Journal of Applied Psychology showed it’s the approach of the appraiser rather than the performance of the appraisee that has a greater effect on appraisal outcomes.

Traditional approaches to performance management are being swept aside in a range of sectors, replaced by appraisals that focus less on assessing the past and more on driving better performance in future.

As we head towards Christmas, line management relationships that started so brightly in September may hit bumps in the road. This is a great time to ask yourself about your approach to performance management. Are your management conversations:

• Regular? Do you schedule frequent feedback conversations or do they occur only when someone has not performed? How often you need to have these conversations depends, but once a month is a good start.
• Structured? Or do they revert to a catch-up on routine issues? It’s worth establishing a consistent structure for your conversations, including recording actions to pick up on next time. It can be good to have solid objectives to assess regularly rather than waiting for final summative or external assessments at the end of the year. You need to be able to at least monitor progress against end-of-year objectives.
• Purposeful? How closely do staff objectives tie in to pupil outcomes? Your feedback conversations should aim to help the adult, but always with the aim of benefiting pupils. Questioning what is best for the pupils may help to guide your approach to difficult conversations.
• Positive? What is the purpose of performance conversations in your team or school? Is it to make clear when expectations have not been met? Sometimes, yes, but they should also be opportunities to praise staff. Ask yourself how much time you spend reinforcing strengths and identifying gaps. Focusing on strengths can make the conversation more positive and future-driven.
• Two-way? Remember you should invite as much feedback as you give. Do you ask your direct report if they have any feedback for you? Do you provide time and space in the conversations to enable this?

At their best, performance management conversations are a great way to drive improvement. At their worst, they’re a drain on time and energy. Don’t let the winter blues take hold of your feedback conversations; address them head-on to establish a positive performance cycle and deliver tangible benefits for your pupils.

James Toop is chief executive designate of the Future Leaders Trust and Teaching Leaders