Mastering Performance

Appraisals

X420 Discussion Session # 50

 Definition

 Justexactly what is a performance

appraisal?
 What is it’s purpose?
What it is: Purpose:
 A report card for  To help the person
employees and being appraised to do
management better
 Goal setting tool  To motivate employees
 Often misused tool for  Acknowledge a job well
determining salary done
adjustment  A way of showing that
 Dreaded activity for management
both employers and appreciates personal
employees commitments
Problems with traditional
appraisals:
 Often point to excellent or poor
employees, leaves out the vast middle
ground
 Employee rated by a single person
 Political or Personal Reasons
 Halo effect
New Types of Appraisals
 Peer Reviews
 Self-Reviews
 Upward Assessments
 360 Degree Feedback (360 Review)
 Peer Review
 Peers are asked to evaluate each others
performance, set goals, and objectives
 Peers understand each others’ work and
air grievances in a non-threatening manner
 Reduces the amount of office politics and
allows concentration on work
 Works best if all parties know that the
reviews will NOT be used for setting pay,
promotion possibilities, or disciplinary
actions.
 Self-Reviews
 Employees rate themselves on certain
criteria and suggest improvements
 They clarify their own goals and expose
areas of weakness
 Manager becomes more of a counselor
than a judge
 People may not see their own
deficiencies as others do, so this
method needs to be used with another
method to be effective
 Upward Assessments
 Usually administered by outside
consultants with experience, needed
skills, and an “objective outsider” image
so people can open up to them without
fear of reprisal.
 Used at least every two years
 360 Degree Feedback
 Most costly type of appraisal
 Includes self ratings, peer review, and
upward assessments
 Feedback is sought from everyone
 Gives people a chance to know how
they are seen by others
 Has high employee involvement and
credibility
 Has strong impact on behavior and
performance
Management Mistakes Regarding
Performance Appraisals
 Focusing
on and stressing the
paperwork and forms.
 Believingthat a ratings based form of
appraisal will serve as protection
against lawsuits by employees.
 Using an automated system
 Undertraining or poorly training
managers in the process of
performance appraisal
 Not training employees
 One Size fits all fantasy
EMPLOYEE MISTAKES
REGARDING
APPRAISALS
 Not preparing Beforehand
 Defensiveness
 Not Communicating During the Year
 Not Clarifying Enough
 Allowing One Sidedness
 FocusingOn Appraisal As A Way Of
Getting More Money
 Why have a Performance
Management Process?
 Clear Expectations of the Individual
 Aligned Goals
 Clear Performance Understanding
 Career Development Plan
 Plan for Individual Improvement in the position
 Evaluate Corporate Resources (individuals)
 Individual Income Management
 Manage individual Expectations
 Open two-way Communication
 What is Continuous Feedback?
 Collect feedback from managers, peers, co-
workers, customers, and suppliers to assess
performance against goals, customer
satisfaction, and developmental needs
 Collected on an on-going basis via informal
and formal means
 Captures both
 whatwas achieved
 how was it accomplished
 Benefits of Continuous Feedback
 Collect specific, actionable information
directly from individuals with whom
employee works most closely. This
information can be used to improve:
 individual performance
 work processes
 relationships with others
What is a Summary Discussion?
 Leader and employee discuss:
 performance against goals
 summary of feedback collected, how those
learnings were applied
 strength/development area identification

 career growth (short and long term)

 development needs and plan

 Formal documentation once per year (based

on reviews during the year)
 Actual Quotes

 Ifyou see two people talking and one

looks bored…he is the other one
 Brings a lot of joy…when leaving the
room
 This employee does not have ulcers…
but is a carrier
 Actual Quotes
 Since my last report, this employee has
reached rock bottom…and has started
to dig
 Sets low personal standards…and then
constantly fails to achieve them
 This employee should go far…and the
sooner the better
 If you give him a penny for his
thoughts…you would get change
 Takes two hours to watch "60 Minutes"
 Actual Quotes
 This employee is depriving a village
somewhere of an idiot
 A gross ignoramus…many times worse
than an ordinary ignoramus
 When his IQ reaches 50…he should sell
 Donated his brain to science…before he
was finished using it
 If he were any more stupid…he would
have to be watered twice a week.
 Make Appraisals Right

 Remember the following 6 basic steps

How to make appraisals right!
1. Be objective
 Everything we say should relate to the job
or job performance
 Don’t get caught up in personalities
 Judge the work, not the individual
How to make appraisals right!
2. Always base appraisals on goals and
standards
 Make sure employees know what you
want and when you want it
 Make the goals realistic and fair
 Get feedback from employees to make
sure they understand and then
 Make sure you have a way to measure
performance
How to make appraisals right!
3. Be honest
 Tell employees the truth about their
performance
 Don’t be brutal, but
don’t “sugarcoat” it either
 Be straightforward
and professional
How to make appraisals right!

4. Be consistent
 Use the same criteria that you have used
on all other reviews
How to make appraisals right!
5. Use accurate documentation
 Document everything
 Be very specific in everything that is
documented
 If it ends up in court, it can be the
difference between winning and losing
Performance Appraisals aren’t
just another task….
….they deal with people’s lives and
futures!
 How you handle appraisals has huge
impact on employees
 Good appraisals really motivate good
employees
 Good appraisals can turn around
employees who need help
 Good appraisals help build good
relationships
 Facts
 Bob’s work is excellent
 Bob has shown the ability to take
on greater responsibilities
 Bob is handsome
 Bob is well organized and a good
leader
 Bob works part-time
 Inferences

 Bob is not interested in promotion

because he works part-time
 Bob is interested in promotion
because he does excellent work
 Bob lacks confidence and is afraid
to ask for full-time work and a
promotion
How to make appraisals right!

6. Follow company policy

 Stick to the written policy
 Don’t make promises or threats
Use: Evaluation
A. Strongly agree
B. Agree
C. Disagree
D. Strongly disagree
E. Don’t know

1. I found the presentation of material easy to understand.

2. This discussion session increased my knowledge on the
subject presented.
3. I will be able to use some of the information from this
discussion session in the future.
4. The presenter was well prepared for this discussion
session.
5. This presentation should be repeated in future semesters.