Personnel Performance Evaluations – Part 2
Written by Paul on September 15th, 2008
In Part 1, we discussed the need to have a strong organizational commitment and accountability in order to conduct effective performance evaluations. The many benefits of properly conducted performance evaluations to team members, supervisors, and organizations were examined. This article focuses on the specifics of conducting the performance appraisal interview.
Plan for each interview session.
When conducting a performance appraisal interview, first think of some specific ways to make the performance appraisal session productive. Start with reviewing all the facts regarding your team members’ performance over the past year. Make notes on the behaviors that should be continued, and the behaviors that need to be changed.
Secondly, it is important to always hold appraisal interviews in private. Allow plenty of time to work through the full session. One way to do this is to set up your office so it is comfortable for both you and your team member. Some supervisors like to make the setting more friendly by placing two chairs away from the desk so that both individuals are sitting next to each other. Sitting behind the office desk might be considered too intimidating for some individuals. Other evaluators prefer to sit behind the office desk because they consider the appraisal interview to be a serious process that should be conducted in a formal setting. The setting that gives the supervisor and the team member the most comfort is generally the best way to go.
Conduct a constructive interview.
Regardless of whether the overall tone of the appraisal will be positive or negative, always start out on a positive note. Remember that most people are at least a little apprehensive when being evaluated by a superior. A positive atmosphere will allow the team member to open up for the rest of the session. When a team member is open and receptive to the appraisal interview, the best results are more easily achieved.
Projecting a sincere, concerned image with your voice and body language is an important component of having a successful appraisal session. Your voice should be upbeat, show some enthusiasm and use body language that is open. This means that your legs and arms are not crossed and you are sitting with good posture; shoulders up, back straight, and leaning slightly towards your team member.
Holding the performance appraisal session.
First and foremost there should be no surprises during the session. Everything you discuss should have already been mentioned to your team member and documented in your supervisors journal. Remember that performance appraisals are a continual process. Praise for good work is not a once-a-year event.
If your team member does something good, make sure to immediately show appreciation for the action. On the other hand, if you see poor behavior, correct the situation immediately. Don’t forget, the worst mistake a supervisor can make is to wait until performance appraisal time to let all the bad stuff about a team member out.
As we discussed in Part 1, proper and thorough documentation is an important component of every appraisal. Write as much about positive behavior as possible. Remember, the goal is to build a better organization through positive team member behavior. Negative documentation should always include specific future positive expectations that can remedy the problem situation. Remember negative expectations usually produce negative results, and positive expectations usually produce positive results. Expect your team members to be on a path of constant improvement!
Consider individual team member reactions
Past history plays a role here. An aware supervisor will have an idea of how each team member will react to the session. However, always expect the unexpected. One supervisor I know was in the process of giving a team member an evaluation that focused on the fact that she was not meeting basic job expectations. She started to cry. This was a new experience for him. He wasn’t sure what to do next. He decided to give her some of the tissue on his desk and leave the room. As he left, he told her that she could have a few minutes in private to compose herself. When he returned, they were able to finish the rest of the appraisal session.
Ask for the reasons behind an emotional outburst. It might be a nervous reaction; the critique may seem worse to the team member than it really is; or there may be a work-related problem that needs to be resolved. Look for ways to jointly address any problems the team member is upset about. These types of events can actually turn out to be positive when handled correctly. They can lead to better communication and an increased understanding of team member’s views. Sometimes, even a small change in procedure can result in big rewards for the entire team.
Handling Disagreements
The best way to handle disagreements between you and your team members is to take steps that will avoid disagreements in the first place. Preventing disagreements is accomplished by: having all necessary documentation; always considering evaluations to be a continual process; and communicating regularly throughout the year with each of your team members.
When a disagreement does occur, always listen to what your team member has to say. Reiterate and paraphrase statements made by your team member. This will ensure that you both understand what is being said. Stick to the facts. If you have your facts together, make your point of view understood. Consider that a disagreement may have a valid basis – we all have room for improvement somewhere. The disagreement may need to be temporarily put aside, so that more information can be collected. Here are some additional guidelines to help prevent disagreements:
- Focus on performance, not personality.
- Focus on observations, not inferences.
- Focus on situations, not generalities.
- Focus on achievable, not unrealistic goals.
Summarizing the appraisal process
The result of conducting a proper evaluation is a fair analysis vs. a subjective view of team member performance. The emphasis is shifted to a positive approach – from what has been done, to what will be done in the future. Your team member becomes an active agent, not a passive object during the performance appraisal process. Relationships are created that give people responsibility for their actions. The appraisal is based on actual performance, and not on personality.
There is always a cost to be paid in order to support and benefit from proper evaluations that are regularly conducted. The cost is mostly measured by the investment of time. It will take several hours to record and complete each performance evaluation. Knowing that team members are our most important resource makes the initial time requirement unimportant. What we are focusing on are long-term results. Highly motivated, positive, hard working team members that truly consider themselves as part of a valuable team are the rewards for all your efforts. Other people will notice your outstanding teamwork, but that won’t be as important as the improvements personally felt from within your team.
