One of the most frequently asked questions I receive is this: “Do you have any sample performance evaluation forms you can send me?” To be honest, I do have samples, but I never send them.

Why don’t I send them? Well, let me ask you: Have you ever seen a traditional performance evaluation system that actually improves performance? Probably not. To my knowledge, no such form exists. You don’t need a sample form. Instead, you need to lead well.

There’s a perpetuating myth in leadership circles that every good leader does annual performance reviews. That’s not true. You can be a great leader without going through the agony of filling out your annual HR evaluation forms.

From my previous conversations, it seems performance evaluations are started because leaders know there are one or two poor performers on the team. Rather than confront those employees, they’re looking for documentation to get rid of them. They fabricate an elaborate performance rating system to try to weed out the bad apples. In the process, they create a system that both supervisors and the employees they lead detest.

(As a side note, if you’re dealing with poor performers, do yourself and the team you lead a favor and read Necessary Endings by Henry Cloud. Then take action.)

Here are five reasons why your performance evaluation system doesn’t work and how to fix it:

1. You’re delaying the tough conversations. Waiting until the end of the year just makes it harder. Instead, you need to address the situation as it happens. Both celebration and coaching need to happen immediately to help reinforce or redirect the behavior. Here’s a secret: It needs to be a two-way conversation. Ask questions. Get feedback from your employee. Have them help drive the conversation about what’s working and what’s wrong.

2. You’re being too nice. (You’re afraid to tell the truth.) Everyone needs healthy accountability. Your organization needs it. Your employees actually want it as well (at least the good ones do). They want to hear how they’re doing and how they can improve. Think of yourself as the batting coach. You wouldn’t just let your player continue to strike out. Instead, you would give them batting instructions and practice to help them improve their swing.

3. You’re trying to access the past rather than focus on the future. In other words, you need to establish action plans before you move forward. Those action plans need to be aligned with the organization's mission and vision. Individual performance becomes more about what the organization accomplishes. Instead of arbitrarily trying to circle the right number from 1 to 5, it becomes a straightforward yes or no question: Did we accomplish our goals?

4. You think performance reviews are a waste of time, but you have to do them. No! You don’t have to do performance reviews to be a healthy organization, but you do have to have the right scoreboard. Rather than an individual scoreboard, it’s a scoreboard the whole team monitors together. What are you trying to accomplish in the next six months? What are the core numbers that drive success and health? That needs to be the focus. And when you find someone who isn’t carrying their weight to accomplish these team goals, you need to have the tough conversation immediately.

5. Your leadership doesn’t model it. Everything in an organization’s culture flows from the top down. If the senior leadership team doesn’t embrace and model it, it’ll never work in the rest of the organization. Leadership shapes culture. Healthy systems reinforce culture. No amount of training in the world can fix a poor performance evaluation system that the senior leaders don’t even embrace.

Of course, I firmly believe the organization has to establish a clear mission, vision, values and strategy in order for employees to have a framework for great performance. Without that clarity, the team is left guessing what they’re supposed to do. They gravitate to what they’ve always done. That’s the comfort zone.

If you’d like to break the cycle and move in a healthier direction, let’s talk about how we can help you complete a strategic operating plan to create the right structure and accountability to realize it through prioritized action initiatives.

Tony Morgan is the chief strategic officer and founder of TonyMorganLive.com. He’s a consultant, leadership coach and writer who helps churches get unstuck and have a bigger impact. For 14 years, Tony served on the senior leadership teams at West Ridge Church (Dallas, Ga.), NewSpring Church (Anderson, S.C.) and Granger Community Church (Granger, Ind.). With Tim Stevens, Tony has co-authored Simply Strategic Stuff, Simply Strategic Volunteers and Simply Strategic Growth—each of which offers valuable, practical solutions for different aspects of church ministry. His book Killing Cockroaches (B&H Publishing) challenges leaders to focus on the priorities in life and ministry.

For the original article, visit tonymorganlive.com.

Get Spirit-filled content delivered right to your inbox! Click here to subscribe to our newsletter.

Dr. Mark Rutland's

National Institute of Christian Leadership (NICL)

The NICL is one of the top leadership training programs in the U.S. taught by Dr. Mark Rutland. If you're the type of leader that likes to have total control over every aspect of your ministry and your future success, the NICL is right for you!

FREE NICL MINI-COURSE - Enroll for 3-hours of training from Dr. Rutland's full leadership course. Experience the NICL and decide if this training is right for you and your team.

The NICL Online is an option for any leader with time or schedule constraints. It's also for leaders who want to expedite their training to receive advanced standing for Master Level credit hours. Work through Dr. Rutland's full training from the comfort of your home or ministry at your pace. Learn more about NICL Online. Learn more about NICL Online.