Prepare and Run a Quarterly Conversation

Learn how to conduct an in-person or remote Quarterly Conversation with Ninety

Written by Amanda Barfield

Updated at September 23rd, 2024

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Table of Contents

What Are Conversations? Role Permissions Creating a Conversation Preparing the Forms Editing the Forms Overview Tab Settings Tab Completing the Forms Holding the Meeting Printing Conversation Responses Viewing Past Responses

What Are Conversations?

Using the Feedback tool, Managers can initiate Quarterly and Annual Conversations that help prepare both the Manager and the Team Member. It's an opportunity to share what's working and what's not.

In Ninety, the steps to complete a Conversation are:

  1. The Manager creates the Conversation.
  2. Both parties fill out the forms prior to the scheduled meeting.
  3. The manager starts the meeting on the agreed-upon date in Ninety to see both responses in a side-by-side view.
  4. Meeting and Conversation are completed.

All conversations and answers are saved indefinitely within Ninety. They can also be printed out through PDF.

 

 

Role Permissions

  • Owner, Admin, and Implementer — Can see all Conversations and create Conversations
  • Manager — Can see and create Conversations for themselves and their team
  • Team Member — Can see Conversations they're a part of. Can't create Conversations.
  • Observer — Cannot see the 1-on-1 Feedback tool.

 

Creating a Conversation

It's important to remember that anyone can create a Quarterly or Annual Conversation between two people. This means that assistants, HR professionals, meeting facilitators, and others can quickly set up a conversation between any Ninety users in the company.

  1. Navigate to the Feedback tool.
  2. Click either Quarterly Conversation tab or Annual Conversation tab
  3. If there are no active Conversations, click the Create Conversation button. Otherwise, click + Quarterly Conversation in the upper right.
  4. Click Settings to change any functionality of the Conversation.
  5. Title the Conversation.
  6. Add a description.
  7. Choose a "Time Period" date range for Rocks, To-Dos, and KPIs included in the Conversation.
  8. Choose a "Due Date" for participants to complete the forms and have a meeting.
  9. Identify the Manager
    1. Initially, the Manager spot defaults to the user creating the Conversation.
  10. Click the Person icon to add a Manadee to the meeting.
    1. If this user has multiple roles, select only one Seat for this Conversation.
  11. Click Create Conversation. Once the Conversation is scheduled, Ninety sends a notification email to both the Manager and Managee involved in the meeting.

 

Only the participants listed can complete the form.

 

 

 

Preparing the Forms

After creating the Conversation, you can click Start Form Conversation. 

The managee assesses their performance and then their Manager's. The Manager reviews their performance, and then the Managee's.

  1. Click Start Form 
    The first section assesses the managee on the company's Core Values, Competency, Commitment, Capacity for the Seat, and their performance data on Rocks, To-Dos, and KPIs from each of their teams.
  2. Next, the Manager is assessed. Ninety uses the Lead, Agree, Coach assessment for Managers.
  3. Click Finish to submit your form, or click Save for Later to return to the form at a later date.

Once you hit finish, you can no longer edit a Conversation form.

 

 

 

 

 

Editing the Forms

Overview Tab

After you've created a Conversation, you have the ability to edit various fields related to the forms and meeting. For example, if you schedule the Due Date as March 10th, but one of the participants has a conflict, you can change that Due Date without having to delete the current Conversation and create a new one.

Editable Fields: Name, description, and due date (only the Manager can edit the due date).

Edits can only happen before the Conversation as a whole is complete. A complete Conversation can mean a meeting was held, or forms are complete (if a meeting isn't going to be held). The Conversation is locked.

 

Settings Tab

Accessible and viewable by both users, but only the Manager on the discussion can edit the settings.

  • Before someone starts the form, all the settings can be edited.
  • Once the discussion is started, these cannot be edited. You see the message "Conversation in progress, these cannot be changed."
  •  

Completing the Forms

  • Click Save for Later to save your progress at any time.
  • After completing the forms, click Finish.
  • The other Conversation member sees that the form is complete.
  • Even after completing, clicking the Pencil icon allows you to edit your responses.
  • After completing the form, click the PDF icon to export and print responses.
  • Clicking on the Conversation opens the details panel on the right showing both parties' responses after the submission.

 

Holding the Meeting

After both parties have submitted their form responses, the option to Start Meeting displays. When started, the meeting shows a side-by-side comparison of the form responses.

Tip: Run the Conversation from only one person's computer. All entries are editable within the Conversation by either party.

At the end of the meeting, each party electronically signs and dates the form — this step concludes the session. Users then mark the Conversation complete and archived.

Printing Conversation Responses

After you complete the meeting, the responses are saved indefinitely in Ninety. You can also print the responses for your records.

  1. Return to the 1-on-1 Feedback tool.
  2. On the Filters taskbar, click the toggle to Show Completed Conversations.
  3. Navigate to the Conversation you wish to print.
  4. Click the PDF icon next to the View Form link.
  5. Download the PDF and print it as needed.

 

Viewing Past Responses

Within Ninety, all previous responses are saved indefinitely in the UI.

  1. Click Feedback from the sidebar.
  2. Choose either the Quarterly Conversations or Annual Conversations tab.
  3. Toggle Show Completed to on. This provides a list of all previously completed conversations, along with the following details and options.
    1. Manager name
    2. Managee name
    3. Date it was completed
    4. PDF form — you can either view it on the platform or you can print it out for your records
informal formal quarterly conversation

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