Twice a year, at midyear and year-end, our coaching calls with partners and managers inevitably drift to their upcoming employee reviews. And just as inevitably,  they admit they don’t care for or have time for those meetings. Their sentiments are so common that it led me to write an article that was published in the Journal of Accountancy.

While these meetings can be positive, just as many are ineffective and dissatisfying for both the supervisor and direct report. It seems that many of these meetings are positive, but for too many times, not so much. As a result, it’s easy to enter into those conversations with an attitude that is less than helpful. And your staff can pick up your true feelings.

When you conduct those reviews in a tone and spirit that demonstrates that you care, it makes all the difference. When your staff sense that you want their best and are interested in what is important to them, they will respond positively. They have to know that you believe in them. They have to hear that you are on their side and that you want them to succeed.

So get yourself in the right frame of mind. Think about how you can speak frankly while being supportive at the same time. Whatever you do, don’t leave these critical meetings to chance by winging it.

I encourage you to read the article for some tips and prepare yourself to make your upcoming reviews effective and satisfying for you and your direct reports. These reviews aren’t going away soon, so invest in their development and spark their motivations by setting the right tone and spirit.