HAVE you ever wondered about the value of the formal performance appraisal system? Is it something you enjoy doing as either the appraiser or the appraised? How do members of your staff view their formal performance appraisal? From my mail, not too many people rate it highly.
When a manager is conducting a performance appraisal it is usually the performance of the other person that is under scrutiny. This makes it a one-way exchange when it probably should be a two-way exchange with the performance of both people under appraisal. This will certainly make it a fairer process in the eyes of the people whose performance is being appraised.
It will also make it easier to sell the process to staff, to get them to engage in the process. Here is a simple process for conducting performance appraisals. Both people conduct a self-appraisal as well as appraising the performance of the other person.
'Whoa. Hold on there. I'm the manager here and what I say goes.'
Really?
'It's my prerogative to evaluate the performance of my staff.'
Very true.
'That's one reason I am the manager.'
Correct.
'It's not the prerogative of my people to evaluate my performance.'
Really?
Do you think that they don't do this anyway and make their own decisions on your assets and liabilities as a manager? Of course they do. And where your performance is seen in a positive light it has a positive impact on their motivation and performance. And where your performance is seen in a negative light it has a detrimental effect on their motivation and performance. But because they want to keep their jobs or avoid any hassle from you, those effects will be subtle.
So, if you use this process as outlined below, you need to accept that you, like the rest of us, are not perfect. You will occasionally do and say things that could have been said and done better. And the same applies to your people. The key objective here is for both parties to be given the opportunity to learn and grow.
- Things related to my/your core roles, key functions and key tasks I/you do well.
- Things related to my/your core roles, key functions and key tasks I/you could do better.
- Things I believe that I am/you are capable of taking on in the next 12 months.
- Areas in which I/you could develop and/or things in which I/you need training, coaching or mentoring.
- Things I/you do which help effective work relationships.
- Things I/you do which do not help effective work relationships.
- Assets and liabilities of my/your personality.
Procedure
- Prepare four copies of the format - two for you, two for the other person.
- Do this first on yourself and then on the other person. They do the same.
- Meet and discuss both analyses of you first.
- Explain things that the other person might not be aware about.
- Note things that you could do better.
- Now discuss both analyses of the other person.
- Ask them to explain things that you might not be aware about.
- Note things that he or she could do better.
Meet in four weeks to review progress.