Advocating for your team’s interests will almost always require you to communicate with stakeholders much higher than you in the organization. These folks are time-constrained, so being focused is key.
Some good managers fall into a trap of trying to encapsulate everything about their direct reports to show why they’re so valuable. This is a mistake! Your points will get muddled and you will test senior stakeholders’ patience.
Instead, use this template to stay concise and persuasive by focusing on three aspects of your report’s performance:
- Impact that they’ve had on the business, with as much quantifiable data as possible.
- Top strengths, especially those that differentiate them from peers.
- Opportunities for growth; others will bring these up, so take control of the narrative by explaining where your report can improve and (hopefully) how they’re already working to address their challenges.
