Supervisor guide to the Performance Planning Meeting

The Performance Planning Meeting establishes a shared understanding between the supervisor and employee about expectations, priorities, goals, development, and how they will work together throughout the performance cycle.

Unlike the Annual Review Form, which supervisors generally prepare before the conversation, the  Performance Planning Form is intended to be discussed and completed collaboratively during the conversation. 

Before the Performance Planning Meeting

Prepare for the conversation by considering what the employee will need to understand and accomplish during the upcoming performance period.

Before the meeting:

  • Review the employee's current position description, responsibilities, and performance expectations.
  • Identify any changes in responsibilities, priorities, or expectations that should be discussed.
  • Review department, MAU, and university priorities and consider how the employee's work contributes to them.
  • Consider what successful performance should look like in the employee's role, including expected results, quality, timeliness, communication, accountability, and behaviors.
  • Review the MSU Core Values and any applicable MAU or department values and behavioral expectations.
  • Consider potential performance goals based on upcoming priorities and needs.
  • Consider the employee's development needs and opportunities, including knowledge, skills, competencies, interests, or career development.
  • Ask the employee to come prepared with their own ideas about goals, development interests, support needs, and priorities.

Tip: Come prepared with ideas, but not with every decision already made. Performance Planning should be collaborative and allow the employee to contribute to the plan.

Completing the Performance Planning Form

Complete the Performance Planning Form during the meeting as you and the employee discuss and establish expectations, goals, development, and plans for ongoing communication.

Section 1: Employee Information

Complete the employee and supervisor information requested on the form.

Discussion Theme 1: Establish Clear Expectations for Success

Begin by making sure you and the employee have a shared understanding of the employee's role and what successful performance looks like.

Together:

  • Review the position description and clarify key responsibilities, duties, and performance expectations.
  • Identify any needed updates to the position description and consult your unit HR professional as appropriate.
  • Discuss how the MSU Core Values—Collaboration, Equity, Excellence, Integrity, and Respect—and other applicable behavioral expectations should be demonstrated in the employee's work.
  • Discuss how the employee's work contributes to department and MAU goals and the university's mission and strategic priorities.
  • Clarify what successful performance looks like, including expectations related to results, quality, timeliness, communication, and accountability.

Questions to Consider

  • What are the most important responsibilities and priorities for this performance period?
  • Where should the employee focus their time and attention?
  • What does doing this work successfully look like?
  • How will we know expectations are being met?
  • What behaviors are important to success in this role?
  • How does this work contribute to the priorities and purpose of the department, MAU, or university?
  • Are there areas where expectations need greater clarity?

Tip: Don't assume expectations are understood simply because they appear in a position description. Talk about what successful performance looks like in practice.

Discussion Theme 2: Set Goals and Create a Development Plan

Collaboratively identify performance goals and development opportunities that support the employee's success and organizational priorities.

Together:

  • Establish SMART goals that are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound.
  • Connect goals, where appropriate, to department priorities, strategic objectives, and MSU Core Values.
  • Identify development needs and interests.
  • Discuss knowledge, skills, or competencies that will help the employee succeed in their current role.
  • Identify specific learning, growth, or career development activities.
  • Discuss the support, resources, and guidance the employee will need to achieve their goals and development objectives.

Questions to Consider

  • What are the most important results to accomplish this year?
  • What would meaningful progress or success look like?
  • How will we measure or recognize progress?
  • What would the employee like to learn or strengthen?
  • What development would help the employee be more effective in their current role?
  • Are there experiences, projects, mentoring, coaching, training, or other opportunities that could support development?
  • What support or resources will the employee need from the supervisor or others?

Tip: Development does not have to mean formal training or preparing for another position. Development can include experiences that strengthen effectiveness and capability in the employee's current role.

Discussion Theme 3: Plan for Ongoing Coaching and Feedback

Performance Planning should establish how the supervisor and employee will stay connected about performance throughout the year, rather than waiting until the next Annual Review.

Together:

  • Plan for at least two formal Mid-Cycle Check-In discussions to review progress toward goals and development objectives and make adjustments as needed.
  • Discuss how feedback will be exchanged throughout the year.
  • Identify opportunities for both the supervisor and employee to raise successes, concerns, observations, and support needs.
  • Determine how performance conversations can be incorporated into existing interactions such as one-on-one meetings, project check-ins, team meetings, or informal conversations.

Questions to Consider

  • How often should we talk about progress?
  • What existing meetings can we use for ongoing performance conversations?
  • How do you prefer to receive feedback?
  • How can you let me know when you need additional support or clarity?
  • What will help us identify concerns early rather than waiting until a formal review?
  • How will we recognize progress and accomplishments along the way?

Tip: Feedback should not only occur when something is wrong. Regular conversations about what is working, what is changing, and where support is needed make formal performance discussions more useful and reduce surprises.

Tips for a Productive Performance Planning Conversation

  • Make it collaborative. Supervisors are responsible for establishing expectations and organizational priorities, while employees should have meaningful input into goals, development, and how they can be supported.
  • Be specific about expectations. "Do a good job" is not an expectation. Describe the results, quality, behaviors, communication, timeliness, or accountability that successful performance requires.
  • Connect the work to purpose. Help employees understand not only what they are expected to do, but why their work matters.
  • Talk about both results and behaviors. Performance includes what employees accomplish and how they accomplish it.
  • Prioritize. Not everything needs to become a goal. Focus on the goals and development priorities that matter most.
  • Make development practical. Consider learning through assignments, experiences, coaching, mentoring, collaboration, or new responsibilities—not only formal training.
  • Discuss support explicitly. Ask what the employee needs from you and identify what you will do to support their success.
  • Plan for change. Priorities and circumstances may change during the year. Goals and plans can be revisited and adjusted when appropriate.
  • Don't wait for formal check-ins. Coaching, feedback, recognition, and clarification should occur throughout the performance cycle.

Close the Conversation

Before ending the meeting, review what you have documented together and confirm that you have a shared understanding of:

  • The employee's responsibilities and expectations for successful performance.
  • Key goals and priorities.
  • Development objectives and planned activities.
  • Support or resources needed.
  • How and when you will discuss progress and exchange feedback throughout the year.

Ask the employee whether anything remains unclear or whether there is additional information that should be included.

Both the employee and supervisor sign the completed form. Signatures indicate that the Performance Planning Meeting was completed. Provide the employee with a copy, retain a copy in the department, and follow the college or MAU's routing process or email a digitally signed copy to performance@hr.msu.edu for processing.