If you believe that motivation is self-produced in the workplace, think again.

Gravity is a funny thing. It brings what is up high, down low. Simple physics. It’s not shocking then that motivation follows the rules of gravity.

Motivation starts at the top—not the bottom—and while it can be achieved by setting an example through behavior, your best bet is going to be having a measurable system in place to track performance-related tangibles as it trickles down.

Many managers make performance management-related decisions flippantly, and in turn, employees and other departments of the company can see it as unnecessary or a waste of time.

It’s not.

Even with a great performance management system in place—it’s up to the leaders to apply it correctly. Employee see, employee do. So, how can managers become leaders and inspire and motivate their organization through performance reviews?

• Prepare: Being prepared signals to the employee that the performance review is meaningful, and not just something to check off a box. Significant thought should go into this to instill change or encourage the employee through future events.
• Have an agenda: Put your employee at ease and open up with listed items you are going to discuss. Tell them they’ll have an opportunity to discuss their goals, etc. but let them know what’s coming.
• Continue the feedback: After the meeting is over, follow through with goals that were set. Continue giving periodic feedback on what you discussed—don’t wait until the next meeting to bring these points up again.

Find out more you can do to motivate employees here. Good luck!