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feel free to share this with managers and/or colleagues.
Please ensure proper credit is given and that the work911.com
website address is included.
Generally, when performance appraisal goes awry, the primary
cause has little to do with employees. For the most part, employees
take their cues from management and human resources.
However, when individual employees perceive the process in
negative ways, they can create or damage even the best of
appraisal processes.
Stupid Thing #1: Focusing On The Appraisal Forms
Performance appraisal isn't about the forms (although, often
managers and HR treat it as such). The ultimate purpose of
performance appraisal is to allow employees and managers
to improve continuously and to remove barriers to job success.
In other words, to make everyone better. Forms don't make
people better, and are simply a way or recording basic information
for later reference. If the focus is getting the forms "done",
without thought and effort, the whole process becomes at best
a waste of time, and at worst, insulting.
Stupid Thing #2: Not Preparing Beforehand
Preparing for performance appraisal helps the employee focus
on the key issue - performance improvement, and to examine his
or her performance in a more objective way
(see defensiveness below). Unfortunately, many employees walk
into the appraisal meeting not having thought about the review
period, and so are unprepared to present their points of view.
Being unprepared means being a reactive participant, or being
a passive participant. Neither are going to help manager or
employee. Employees can prepare by reviewing their work
beforehand, identifying any barriers they faced in doing their
jobs, and refamiliarizing themselves with their job descriptions,
job responsibilities, and any job performance expectations set
with the manager.
Stupid Thing #3: Defensiveness
We tend to take our jobs seriously and personally, making it more
difficult to hear others' comments about our work, particularly
when they are critical. Even constructive criticism is often hard
to hear. If employees enter into the discussion with an attitude
of "defending", then it's almost impossible to create the dialog
necessary for performance improvement. That doesn't mean
employees can't present their own opinions and perceptions,
but it does mean that they should be presented in a calm,
factual manner, rather than a defensive, emotional way. Of course,
if managers are inept in the appraisal process, it makes it very
difficult to avoid this defensiveness.
Stupid Thing #4: Not Communicating During The Year
Employees need to know how they are doing all year round,
not just at appraisal time. Generally it is primarily management's
responsibility to ensure that there are no surprises at appraisal
time. Often managers discuss both positives and negatives of
employee performance throughout the year, but this is unfortunately,
not a universal practice. It's in the employees interests to open up
discussion about performance during the year, even if the manager
does not initiate it. The sooner employees know where they are at,
and what they need to change (or keep doing), the sooner problems
can be fixed. In fact many problems can be prevented if they are
caught early enough. Even if managers aren't creating that
communication,
employees can and should. It's a shared responsibility.
Stupid Thing #5: Not Clarifying Enough
Life would be much easier if managers were perfect, but they aren't.
Some communicate and explain well. Some don't. Some are
aggravating and some not. At times employees won't be clear about
their managers' reasoning or comments, or what a manager is
suggesting. That could be because the manager isn't clear him/herself,
or simply isn't good at explaining. However, unless employees clarify
when they aren't sure about the reasoning or explanations, they
won't know what they need to do to improve their future job
performance. It's important to leave the appraisal meeting having
a good understanding of what's been said. If that's not possible
clarification can occur after the meeting, or down the road, if that's
more appropriate.
Stupid Thing #6: Allowing One-Sidedness
Performance appraisals work best when both participants are active,
and expressing their positions and ideas. Some employees are
uncomfortable doing that, and while managers should be creating
a climate where employees are comfortable, some managers aren't
good at it. Performance appraisal time is an excellent time for
employees to make suggestions about things that could be changed
to improve performance, about how to remove barriers to job success,
and ways to increase productivity. Remember also that managers
can't read minds. The better managers will work with employees to
help them do their jobs more effectively, but they can't know how
they can help unless employees provide them with good, factual
information, or, even better, concrete ideas.
Stupid Thing #7: Focusing On Appraisal As A Way Of
Getting More Money
Unfortunately, many organizations tie employee pay to appraisal
results, which puts employee and manager on opposite sides.
Employees in such systems tend to focus too much on the money
component, although that focus is certainly understandable. It's
also understandable when employees in such systems become
hesitant to reveal shortcomings or mistakes. But it's still dumb.
If employees main purpose is to squeeze as much of an increase
out of the company, and the managers try to keep increases as
small as possible, it becomes totally impossible to focus on what
ultimately matters over the long term, which is continuous
performance improvement and success for everyone.
Pay IS important, but it is not the only issue related to the appraisal
focus. If employees enter into the process willing to defend their
own positions in factual and fair ways, and to work with managers,
the process can become much more pleasant. If not, it can become
a war.
Conclusion:
The major responsibilities for setting performance appraisal tone
and climate rest with managers and the human resources department.
However, even when managers and human resources do their jobs
well, employees who come at the process with a negative or defensive
approach are not likely to gain from the process or to prosper over the
long term. The constant key is for employees to participate actively and
assertively, but to keep a problem-solving mindset, and keep focused
on how things can be improved in the future. No matter who initiates it,
performance appraisal is about positive open communication between
employee and manager.
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