Performance reviews are broken. There, I said it.

Would you be relieved if you didn’t have to do them anymore? At the same time, would you feel like you were missing an opportunity to acknowledge something an employee did really well—or really wrong—this past year?

These days, I often feel rushed. When team review time rolls around, I’m guilty of rushing through them. And in doing that, I miss a crucial opportunity to have a constructive, meaningful conversation with my team about their growth and future. But why do I feel like I only have one chance a year to do that? I coach my team all year long—so why is it that I’m supposed to sit down once a year to reflect on everything that’s happened, when what I really want is to talk about what’s ahead?

That realization pushed me to change the way I think about performance reviews. First and foremost, I stopped calling them “yearly reviews.” I threw out my old format, created a new outline, and removed wage increases from these team development conversations. I did everything I could to make these meetings constructive, positive, and self-led.

A week before our meeting, each team member receives an outline of the topics we’ll cover. This structure creates predictability, which lowers anxiety and helps foster a safe, open environment. And what I’ve seen happen since making these changes has been incredible.

Making It Employee-Focused

I begin every meeting by thanking the team member for taking time out of their day to meet with me. I thank them for serving our practice and our patients, and for choosing our office as their professional home.

We start with a few reflective questions:

• Have there been any changes in your role over the past year?

• Do you feel clear about what’s expected of you?

From there, we dive into strengths and weaknesses. Honestly, I find it more enlightening to ask existing employees about these than I do during interviews. We also make sure they’re on track with CE requirements and feel supported in their education. We check in on their equipment and whether they’re receiving support from their team members.

Some of my favorite questions to ask are:

• What ideas do you have for improving patient care?

• What ideas do you have to boost team morale?

• How would you rate your attitude coming into work each morning on a scale of 1–10?

• How satisfied are you with your rate of pay? Your benefits? Your learning opportunities?

Looking Forward with Goals

Next, we move into goal setting. We review the three goals they set during the last meeting and set three new goals for the upcoming year. But honestly, my favorite part of the entire conversation comes at the end, when I ask about three personal goals.

This simple question has sparked incredible conversations and helped us get to know our team on a more personal level. They leave feeling seen and supported as people—not just as employees. And that’s such a humbling, powerful feeling. It’s truly a win-win for everyone involved.