Performance Review Phrases for Innovation

Is Innovation a Core Competency for the employee’s job role? Do you need a motivating performance review phrase for this competency? Let’s define it and see.

What is Innovation?

Innovation is a change in the thought process for doing something or “new stuff that is made useful”.  Innovation can mean thinking outside the box and challenging the way things have always been done.  Innovation can be the introduction of something new or coming up with new ways to do old things.   Does this sound like a core competency for the job description you are reviewing?  If so here are some key phrases for rating the performance of this employee.  Keep in mind that innovation mostly is a good and positive attribute, but as anything can be overused and become a negative if not used appropriately within the work environment the employee is in.

Some positive performance review phrases could be:

Terry consistency thinks outside the box when faced with new projects or initiatives.

Terry is able to suggest innovative recommendations to new projects or assignments

Terry encourages creative collaboration within the team to come up with new innovative ways of doing things

Terry always challenges the way it has always been done by recommending newer more innovative ways of accomplishing things

Terry always has original ideas and does well to articulate them

Terry consistently makes recommendations on how to improve existing process and improve overall operations of the team

Terry often questions the way it has always been done in order to identify efficiency opportunities and streamline work processes

Some negative performance review phrases could be:

Terry does not demonstrate the required innovation or creativity for his role

Terry does not seek alternatives to common practices

Terry is hesitant to explore new approaches or needed changes in the work environment

Terry over complicates tasks with the use of innovation and creativity

Terry seems rigid with it comes to applying creative thinking and innovation to his projects

Terry doesn’t work collaboratively with the team to come up with new ideas and processes

Terry frequently gets too innovative and changes process without approval or buy-in from the other team members

Terry forces his innovative style on others working within the team

If the employee you are reviewing has negative feedback in his review for this competency, here are some goals and some development opportunities in this area that could be a discussion point.  Remember as his/her manager you are taking on a partnership in their development, so you will need to list items that you will do as his manager to help him / her improve in this area.

If the employee isn’t being innovative enough some ideas or items to discuss would be to assign or discuss with him/her a specific task that requires innovation and tell him to think outside the box on it before starting the work.  You and the employee could sit down and brainstorm ideas for the project or assignment.  Sometimes people don’t know how to “think outside the box” and it is an area that can be trained and worked on.  Tell the employee to brainstorm with peers and the team members to come up with a collaborative approach to the assigned task of issue.

If the employee is TOO innovative, then some items to discuss would be to discuss the innovation or idea with you before acting on the idea.  This will open the door to discussion prior to the employee just doing it.  If the employee is just being innovative to be innovative, where is doesn’t make sense, tell them that. Also inform them they should use the appropriate “judgment” when changing or modifying a process.  Processes should only be changed where it makes sense and sometimes things don’t need to be changed just for the sake of being innovative. Take care when using these performance review phrases because you don’t want to inhibit their creative process, but sometimes innovative thinkers need to have someone to balance out their innovation (if that makes sense).

An innovative employee is good to have but usually highly creative or innovative people have trouble balancing the innovation with practicality and don’t see beyond their view.  It is your role as their manager to enlighten them on the big picture they maybe can’t see or don’t have insight into.

To return back to the Core Competency – Performance Review Phrases