Feedback is a gift. However, it must be done correctly to be effective.
Local government and utility executives regularly evaluate the people who report to them. And they expect the managers in their organizations to do the same. Without regular feedback, it is easy for expectations to be misunderstood, recognition for what is going well to slide by, and goals to become unclear.
City councils, utility board members, county boards of supervisors, and other governing bodies appoint a chief executive. They frequently appoint chief legal counsel and sometimes other top staff such as auditors, clerks of the board, and some department heads.
It can be both time-consuming and confusing to determine how to conduct an evaluation with a multi-member governing body. Some governing body members have not conducted evaluations, and most have not evaluated employees as a group. Gathering useful and timely feedback to help assess past performance and set measurable goals for the next year is challenging.
The chief executive and other council/board appointees are sometimes the only employees who are not being evaluated annually or given helpful feedback. A facilitated evaluation takes the pressure off the governing body. It ensures that all voices are included equally and that a document is created containing the results of the evaluation and consensus on goals for the coming year.
Raftelis has experienced facilitators who use a proven process to conduct executive performance evaluations. Our process provides for two-way discussions between the governing body and the executive. It is an avenue for the governing body and executive to strengthen their partnership in carrying out their respective roles. The result of our process is a collective view of the executive’s performance and goals for the coming year.
The facilitator’s role throughout this process is to serve as a neutral party in gathering feedback from the governing body, summarizing the results, facilitating a productive discussion in a closed session, and documenting agreements resulting from the process. Strong leaders welcome receiving feedback that helps them understand what their governing body appreciates about their leadership, identifies areas for growth, and ensures alignment on goals. Councils and other governing bodies appreciate an efficient and smooth process that enables all voices to be equally heard, is productive, and adds value to the executive.
The key elements of our process are:
The primary purpose of the performance evaluation is to enhance the executive’s ability to achieve the greatest success in their organization. It is about two-way discussions, meaningful feedback, and a clear understanding of expectations from the governing body, as well as what the executive needs to carry out their roles most effectively.
Our approach converts the annual evaluation from a stress point into an opportunity for strategic alignment. We facilitate a structured, two-way dialogue between the governing body and the executive, moving beyond simple critique to establish a collective view on past performance and shared, measurable goals for the year ahead.
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