effective phrases for performance appraisal

1. Effective phrases for performance appraisal
Most organisations have some form of performance appraisal system for staff. These
range from once a year meetings to rolling monthly appraisals with numerous
variations in between. Appraisals when done well are valued by employees whatever
level they operate at. On the other hand done badly they can be a huge de-motivator.
Conducting a powerful performance appraisal does not happen by chance. So how can
you make performance appraisals more powerful?
Be prepared
Preparation is key for both the manager who will be carrying out the appraisal and the
employee who is being appraised. Allow employees some time ahead of the appraisal
session to reflect on what they have achieved, learned and want to develop. Make this
time available during the working day. It gives a message that you care about the
employee. If you are the appraiser, collect a range of feedback on the employee from
a number of sources rather than relying on what is fresh in your memory from recent
dealings with the employee. Even better start to keep a log of achievements and
encourage employees to do the same.
Focus on the person not the process
Have you ever had an appraisal where the appraiser seemed to be more concerned
about completing the paper work rather than you? Sadly this is all too common.
Remember the paper work is a means to an end not an end in itself. A simple but
effective way of making sure you address all of the paper work requirements but
really focuses on the person is to have a simple agenda.
Listen more talk less
The bulk of your time as an appraiser should be spent on listening. If you have
prepared well and use good open questions in the appraisal meeting, listening
becomes easy. For example, what do you believe you have done particularly well this
year gives the employee the opportunity to talk and you to listen to their
achievements.
No surprises
If there have been performance issues during the year, these should have been dealt
with at the time and a way forward agreed. The appraisal is not the place to start
raising major performance issues. Nor is it a time to surprise the employee. Avoid
surprises if you want to conduct powerful performance appraisals.
Allocate sufficient time
Most employees only get the opportunity a few times each year to sit down with their
manager and talk about themselves, so make sure that you allocate sufficient time for

2. the meeting. There is no hard and fast rule on this but in my experience anything less
than one hour is likely to be too short. It is better to allow more time than you think
you need and finish early rather than rushing against the clock.
Conducting powerful performance appraisals can be hugely rewarding for the
employee and the manager. So what's the next step you to become a better appraiser?
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