Here is another valuable Management Tip of the Day from Harvard Business Review. To sign up for a free subscription to any/all HBR newsletters, please click here.

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Performance reviews often require you to assess an employee’s performance on some qualitative aspects of the job. To do this objectively, focus on measuring behaviors. Aside from questions that are specific to the position and your company, consider these attributes:

o Initiative: Does the employee demonstrate ambition or take initiative to improve processes and products?
o Ability to ask questions: Does she know when to ask questions rather than make assumptions?
o Cooperation and teamwork: Is he flexible when asked to perform a task outside of his regular duties or work extra hours? Has he volunteered to pitch in when the team is short-handed?
o Productivity: Does she prioritize job duties effectively and meet deadlines?
o Reliability: Does he consistently demonstrate dependability and competence?
o Improvement: Has she improved in areas that were noted on her previous evaluation?

Adapted from “Performance Reviews (20-Minute Manager).”

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Also, you may wish to check out an anthology, Management Tips from Harvard Business Review, by clicking here.