Taking the Pain out of Performance Appraisals

Abstract

Ralph Lassiter is director of training and organizational development for HDR, Inc., parent company of HDR Engineering, Inc., Omaha, Neb. Of all management functions, appraisal has the greatest impact on employees. Salaries and promotions are tied to it, and subordinate relationships are colored by it Appraisals convey a variety of me'ssages-both explicit and implicit-and they have a powerful effect on employee morale and productivity. Do appraisals improve the work of engineering professionals? Not necessarily. Have hundreds (maybe thousands) of books and articles been written on the subject of appraisal? Yes. Why another? Because appraisals still cause tremendous pain and anxiety for both the manager and employee being appraised, or, worse yet, being evaluated. While the concept of evaluations has come under some fire, even those most critical of this management function do not recommend total elimination. Instead, many experts are recommending that the appraisal process be viewed as a continuous activity rather than a once-a-year event Indeed, during my appraisal-technique seminars, the participants' number one recommendation is that their managers address regularly rather than just on 'judge-me' day. As a result, if you want to be more effective as an appraiser, and both generate and experience less anxiety during appraisals, you must discuss expectations and actual often and regularly. The most effective appraisal process involves continuous management activity throughout the appraisal period. OK, you say, I'll bite. How do I make appraisals a year-round process that is also less painful? Here's how. The three-phase approach First, you should view the appraisal cycle as continuous yet composed of three distinct phases. • Performance planning. Through mutual agreement with employees, you should set expectations and developmental targets and activities. What is a performance expectation? If you hired a builder to construct a four-bedroom house, would you not give details regarding the number of rooms, wall colors, types of appliances and so on? In fact you would layout all details for your home in the blueprint and specifications. You would also describe the budget available, the completion schedule and the process for making decisions during construction. What type of could you expect, if detailed expectation were not provided? If you're not getting the type of house you want from your employees, ask yourself whether the specifications provided are clear enough? My seminar participants listed unclear expectations as one of their main concerns regarding the appraisal process. Unclear expectations lead to surprises and negative reactions during the appraisal discussion. The appraiser's primary objective during planning should be to identify specific results to be achieved during the period as well as criteria for measuring success in meeting those expectations. Identifying expectations is not an event that should occur with the manager operating in a vacuum. Setting expectations requires the experience and knowledge of the manager and the employee. Employees