Most employees have a meeting with their manager once in a while. Such meetings sometimes have special names, of which Bila (also called bilateral consultation, bila conversation, bila consultation or bilateral conversation) is the strangest in my experience. As a manager myself, I had many bilas with employees. This was mainly because it was "customary" in the organization. What exactly was intended was never explained to me, let alone that we approached it in the same way as a team. There is a lot of room for improvement there.
What is a bila?
Just briefly back to that strange word: bila. Because what exactly is a bila? Bila is the abbreviation for bilateral (also called bilateral consultation, bila conversation, bila consultation or bilateral conversation). Bilateral means bilateral. A bila refers to a conversation between employee and supervisor.
Skip the bilateral consultations?
Research shows that 1 in 4 employees would rather skip bilas. This has everything to do with the way the bilas are set up. The bila is perceived as a moment of assessment; the moment when the manager gives his or her vision of your functioning, capabilities and shortcomings. You undergo it. And that is where the shoe pinches. So do away with bilas? That is not the solution. A bila is also a time to reflect together on talent, ambition and growth. Together' makes all the difference!
From judging to meaningful conversations
Not only for the employee can a bila, according to the traditional interpretation, be a stressful moment. Many managers do not like it either. The conversations are perceived as time-consuming and they regularly lead to yes-no discussions. And that benefits no one.
What needs to change is for employees not to undergo the bilas, but to become more in charge themselves. Does that mean a less important role for the manager? Certainly not! It does mean that the employee himself will gather more input on his own functioning, development and ambition. And the employee must be helped with this. In a contemporary HR cycle, employee and manager have the tools to conduct well-founded conversations that lead somewhere. Learn all about it during our free, online master class 'How to design an inspiring appraisal cycle'.
Your ambition
In a contemporary annual cycle, you are constantly talking to each other about growth and development. This way, the assessment at the end of the year is never a surprise anymore. In these conversations, it is not so important what someone else wants from you, it is important that as an employee you yourself know what you want. Do you have an ambition or not? Do you want to develop yourself personally in a certain area or not? What are your strengths and how can you use them even more?
Working with feedback and goal setting are important ingredients for growth. They are valuable input for good conversations between manager and employee. Conversations that you have together and not an assessment that you undergo.
The purpose of a bila conversation
So does a bila remain important? Absolutely! A bila serves an important purpose: to reach your full potential as an employee. And that means using all talents to their full potential.
The role of the manager thus changes from evaluator to coach. A coach who reflects on the employee's feedback and goals, who adjusts where necessary, who suggests opportunities to further utilize talent, and who signals when the path reaches a dead end and a new turn is better.
A contemporary bila in practice
Theory is one thing. Putting it into practice is another. Technology helps you enormously to make that translation properly and efficiently. The Treams platform brings together everything you need as an HR professional, manager and employee to make the change. From feedback to goals and from conversations to dynamic growth paths. We'd love to show you!
The Treams platform brings everything together: clear and intertwined with work practices!