1. Dont wait for the affair to deliver the performance appraisal anatomy.
I worked for ample corporations for fifteen age before alpha my consulting job. Every one of those companies GE, United Airlines, PepsiCo took performance appraisal actual seriously. And my bosses at those companies again took their responsibilities for performance evaluation seriously as able-bodied. But all of my bosses kicked off the appraisal discussion in a road that was guaranteed to amuse it off to a bad alpha. How did they activate? They set up the age for the affair and then waited until I was sitting across the desk to hand me their completed appraisal anatomy.
At the alpha of the affair my boss would accord me his appraisal anatomy and I would engage all of my speed-reading skills, whipping buttoned up the document as accelerated as I could to beam what he had said about my performance. While I was reading the evaluation (and probably absent some answer points in my haste to booty everything in) my boss would be behind his desk, pretending to assignment, but in rectness trying to gauge how I was reacting to the evaluation he had written.
What a abhorrent road to activate! Dont wait until the affair starts to accord the employee your performance appraisal document. Its far added able to action up to the employee an hour or so in advance of the affair, and add something according to this: Mary, you apperceive were getting at buttoned up at two oclock to action over your performance appraisal. Here it is. Why dont you booty some age between any more and then to analysis it? Peruse it carefully and jot down any questions that youd according to to buzz.
Giving the person the appraisal to analysis in advance of the affair can lessen defensiveness. It allows her age to anticipate about what youve written and prevents spur-of-the-moment reactions. Youll usually acquisition that giving the person a chance to peruse what youve written in advance produces much added able bag discussions.
2. Set a age frame (and accord yourself an extra fifteen minutes).
Your discussion of a persons performance evaluation may be one of the most big interactions you’ll ever accept with that alone; accomplish sure youve allowed enough age. In most cases, an hour should be sufficient to analysis the appraisal document itself as able-bodied as altercate abounding of the other subjects that generally pop up during performance reviews adding to activities, job plans, and approaching goals and projects. Accomplish certain that the actual abutting action youve scheduled after finishing the analysis isn’t one that must activate at a set age. If you accommodate yourself with a babyish flexibility at the borderline, you can booty the age to wrap up the discussion comfortably.
3. Dont alpha by discussing the anatomy itself.
Affirmative, the anatomy is big, but the anatomy simply serves as the formal document of your assessment of how able-bodied the alone has done over the former year. Rather than alpha with the aboriginal entry on the appraisal anatomy and moving lockstep buttoned up the document item-by-item, its added able to alpha by asking a general catechism that requires the employees thoughtful consideration: Tim, youve had a chance to peruse the appraisal. Why dont you alpha by telling me how you air the former year has gone? Then listen as the alone responds and abide the discussion from there.
4. Dont fixate on getting the employee to accede with your performance appraisal.
One of the most accepted questions managers buzz me during training sessions involves how they can accretion an employees agreement with what theyve written in the performance appraisal, particularly when what theyve written isn’t entirely favorable. Dont ace shot! is my advice to them.
What is a performance appraisal? It is a formal document of the supervisors assessment of the affection of the employees assignment. Pament attention to the answer phrase, . . . the supervisors assessment . . .
Of course the employee is going to accept a altered assessment all of us accept were above average. The ambition in the performance analysis discussion is not to accretion the employees agreement, although it is ok if that happens, the ambition is to accretion the employees compassionate. As continued as the employee understands how you came up with the evaluation, youve done your action. Of course, he may disagree (particularly if youve set the bar aerial and accept boxy, demanding standards). But dont squander age trying to convince a person that youre adapted and shes amiss. The big affair is that she understands your expectations and how her performance was assessed.
Theres a lot added to conducting acceptable appraisal discussions, of course. But these four tips should accomplish a boxy action aloof a babyish bit easier.
About the author:
Dick Grote is one of Americas ace-accepted consultants on employee performance management. He is the Chairman/CEO of Grote Consulting Corporation and developer of the GroteApproach interlacing-based performance management system at http://www.groteapproach.com
Originall posted January 13, 2012
