Performance Documentation

When a leader determines the need for coaching and corrective action, appropriate documentation is key. Apart from following the performance evaluation process, documenting various conversations and instances with employees is necessary because it may impact the type of corrective action that is taken.

Here are some tips for documentation for leaders:

Document performance and conduct conversations on the same day that the conversation takes place. If it is not possible to take notes during the conversation itself, take some time after the conversation to write down what was said. It is important to document both what you said as well as what the employee said.
Prepare notes before the conversation. These will help you recall all items that need to be addressed with the employee.
All documentation of conversations or instances should include the date and time, your name and title, and the employee’s name and title. This is important because as you or the employee change jobs in the organization over time, it is sometimes difficult to later put the record into context. Also, if the employee is experiencing similar problems throughout his or her employment, the employee’s next leader may need to use your record of the conversation for assessing how to deal with the employee.
Do not abbreviate, editorialize, or characterize in your written record. Write down what you said and what the employee said.Always include what the resolution was from the meeting in your documentation. State the action plan that was agreed upon, with clear expectations that were set for the employee to follow.
If you record your documentation on a computer, do not maintain them on a shared drive. Your relationship with the employee is between you and the employee.
Do not manage employees through email. It is fine to send the employee an email confirming the conversation but it does not substitute for having a one-on-one conversation and taking notes on it.
Keep a file to maintain documentation from meetings, etc. with employees. This could be a tangible file in your desk, or a computer file, or both.
You may need to transfer the employee’s department file to the new leader (if you change roles).
You should send the employee’s department file to Human Resources, if the employee leaves the position (whether to transfer to a new role in the University or outside of the University).
Use Outlook notes and reminders to schedule employee meetings and reserve time to work on documentation.