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 is 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 dialogue
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 employee’s
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 employee’s 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.
Post your comments at
amin@aiminlines.co.th
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