The end of the year is often the time companies choose to conduct annual performance reviews for their employees. Do you cringe just hearing the words “performance review”?  You’re not alone! Performance review time is a dreaded time of year for many employees and their managers. But the good news is, it doesn’t have to be that way! You can help make the performance review process a positive, productive experience for you and your employees with these four simple tips.

Lead with the positive
Start things off by telling the employee how much you value his or her contributions and what he or she does well. This will set the tone for the entire meeting. 

Solicit feedback from others
Some companies have a formal process of gathering feedback about an employee from a number of different sources, often referred to as "360 feedback." If you company doesn't have a formal process, consider asking for informal feedback about an employee from folks that he or she works with closely. This will allow you to round out the employee's performance review by factoring in different points of view. 

Listen
If you're the only one talking during a performance review meeting, your employee may feel like she's being lectured or reprimanded. Instead, make sure the performance review meeting is a two-way conversation. In addition to providing your employee with feedback, give her the opportunity to voice her concerns, discuss her goals and career aspirations, and ask questions.

Give feedback regularly
An employee’s annual performance review shouldn’t be the only time you provide him or her with feedback. Instead, aim to give feedback throughout the year. If your employee is doing a great job on a project, let him know right then and there. On the other hand, if an employee has an area where he could use some improvement, have a discussion as soon as possible to determine what he can do to improve. If you get in the habit of providing regular feedback to your employees, you’ll probably find that performance review time is much more painless for both parties. 

What are your tips for conducting more productive performance reviews? Please share in the comments below!