Performance at work

The more you and your manager communicate, the easier it is for your manager to support you. Everyone should feel able to ask questions and get guidance whenever they need to.

What's involved with a check-in?

Regular conversations that are relevant, timely and flexible It’s about you -  no long forms, no lengthy preparations, not impersonal.

A conversation about your performance, your role, your successes, your challenges, your ambitions, your wellbeing and your motivation.

Having regular, good quality conversations is at the heart of our approach to supporting and driving performance through continuous improvement, empowerment and honesty.

You can access the check-in template here.

See the check-in procedure here.

Guidance on creating an electronic signature is available here.

Training for getting the most out of your check-in is available to book through our e-Learning portal.

"Coaching is a conversation where someone feels heard and knows something at the end they did not know at the beginning."

A coaching conversation essentially starts from the premise that you are able to problem solve and come up with your own ideas and solutions, leaving you feeling empowered.

Sometimes a coach will share information with you that may help to move your thinking forward, but will not tell you what to do.

A typical coaching conversation might look like this, with your manager asking:

• what do we need to think about today?
• given that we have X minutes, what do we need to focus on?
• what would you like to be different by the end of our time?
• how will you know you’ve got what you need out of this time?
• how are we going to do this?
• where shall we start?

It's a good idea to think about 'what is your question?' What do you really need to focus on to help you get to where you want to be?

Coaching conversations may not always focus on a problem or a concern you have. It could be that you have choices to make and would like to explore your options.

Your manager will talk to you regularly about your goals and objectives. It's key that you understand:

• what's expected of you
• by when
• how that contributes to the bigger picture
• what to do if you aren’t sure about next steps

You and your manager may use a range of tools to review your progress and prioritise tasks including:

• supervision notes
• the check-in template
• service plans
• team plans
• task lists

If you need support to meet the expectations of your job role, your manager will:

• agree a performance improvement plan (PIP) in writing
• meet with you regularly to assess your progress

The PIP template is available here.

If your performance doesn’t improve sufficiently then the employee performance procedure will be followed.

Developing your skills and knowledge through further training not only helps you to be good at your job, but can also widen your employment and career opportunities. 

Whether you've just joined us, or have worked for the council for a number of years, we can support your learning and development in a variety of different ways.  

Training not only provides you with skills and knowledge in a particular area, it can also help you build personal skills such as:

• networking
• time management
• resilience
• communication
• negotiation skills

We offer:

• shared learning - by working with individuals and teams to develop and apply best practice
• peer learning - identifying new approaches to shared issues
• online learning - through our web-based digital platform, you can connect anytime, anywhere
• action learning - by sharing in a safe environment, you will gain new perspectives and fresh thinking

Read the core programme flyer

iTrent training self-service user guide