'The Good Conversation' in HR: what it is and how to implement it

The Good Conversation is a methodology that is rapidly growing in popularity and is used as a new way to organize the HR conversation cycle, the performance management cycle consisting of a planning, performance and appraisal interview. In our previous blog, we extensively discussed the 3 most important reasons to truly renew your traditional HR conversation cycle and why simply stopping your appraisal interview is a bad idea.

We define the Good Conversation as the conversations replacing the planning, performance and appraisal interviews between the manager and the employee. In fact, a 'good' conversation is a replacement of the traditional HR conversation cycle. The main goals are to increase employee engagement and job satisfaction, improve employee performance and encourage employees to continue developing.

1. The 'Good Conversation' combines planning, performance and appraisal in one

Where the traditional HR cycle clearly distinguishes between three separate conversations, the Good Conversation methodology merges them into one. Both evaluation and forward-looking planning take place in a single conversation.

2. The frequency of conversations is higher

Instead of a traditional cycle with three conversations, the Good Conversation typically works with a cycle of four conversations per year, often aligned with quarters.

3. The Good Conversation covers a broad range of topics

The Good Conversation is used to address a wide range of topics: performance (goals), sustainable employability, personal and professional development, and career ambitions.

4. The Good Conversation looks not only back but also forward

One of the most important differences compared to the traditional performance appraisal is the focus on looking ahead. Evaluating the past period is important, but change is no longer possible. It's even more important to look forward and concretize the business and learning goals for the coming period.

The Good Conversation can consist of a broad range of topics. A discussion point that appears in almost all Good Conversations is the employee's performance. Performance is usually discussed by evaluating both the business and learning goals of the employee. Additionally, we increasingly focus on the employee's skill gap, looking not only at development but also at sustainable employability.

Curious about the full list of topics? ✅ Download our E-guide with example questions for the Good Conversation

A common misconception is that there is no room for assessment in the Good Conversation. Assessment remains necessary as input for salary and/or promotion. However, within the Good Conversation methodology, assessment takes place continuously. This falls under 'The New Assessment'.

A commonly heard remark that people experience receiving a score as negative has been debunked in a study by Gartner. Only the manner of assigning the assessment influences how most people experience it. Relevant assessment criteria are therefore essential.

The best practice is to evaluate in every 'good conversation' and also link a score to this evaluation. The evaluation can take place based on the realization of business goals but also on the behavior and expertise the employee has demonstrated based on skills and competencies.

By evaluating every good conversation and taking the average of the four evaluations at the end of the year, the assessment does not come as a surprise to the employee and is concretely substantiated throughout the year.

In a study conducted by Gallup on renewing the HR cycle, enormously positive results emerged. Gallup saw an increase in employee engagement of up to 280%, an increase in productivity, a reduction in employee turnover and a decrease in burnouts.

In summary, the Good Conversation is a methodology to renew the traditional HR conversation cycle. With the main goal of creating up to 4 good conversations per year between manager and employee about business goals, skills, professional development, sustainable employability and career growth.

How to get started?

At Learned, we believe that a continuous dialogue is the key to success. To realize a continuous dialogue between manager and employee, you need both a modern HR cycle and user-friendly software to support it.