Performance appraisals are an important part of performance management. In itself an appraisal is not performance management, but it is one of the range of tools that can be used to manage performance. Because it is most usually carried out by line managers rather than HR professionals, it is important that they understand this and how performance appraisal contributes to performance management.

The performance appraisal or review is essentially an opportunity for the individual and those concerned with their performance – most usually their line manager – to get together to engage in a dialogue about the individual’s performance, development and the support required from the manager. It should not be a top down process or an opportunity for one person to ask questions and the other to reply. It should be a free flowing conversation in which a range of views are exchanged.

Performance appraisals usually review past behaviour and so provide an opportunity to reflect on past performance. But to be successful they should also be used as a basis for making development and improvement plans and reaching agreement about what should be done in the future.

The performance appraisal is often the central pillar of performance management however, it is a common mistake to assume that if organisations implement performance appraisals, they have performance management. This is not the case.

Performance management is a holistic process bringing together many activities which collectively contribute to the effective management of individuals and teams in order to achieve high levels of organisational performance. Performance management is strategic in that it is about broader issues and long term goals and integrated in that it links various aspects of the business, people management, individuals and teams.

Performance appraisals on the other hand are operational, short to medium term and concerned only with the individual and their performance and development. It is one of the tools of performance management and that data produced can feed into other elements of performance management but in itself can never be performance management.

How to conduct a performance appraisal

The five key elements of the performance appraisal are:

• Measurement – assessing performance against agreed targets and objectives.

• Feedback – providing information to the individual on their performance and progress.

• Positive reinforcement – emphasising what has been done well and making only constructive criticism about what might be improved.

• Exchange of views – a frank exchange of views about what has happened, how appraisees can improve their performance, the support they need from their managers to achieve this and their aspirations for their future career.

• Agreement – jointly coming to an understanding by all parties about what needs to be done to improve performance generally and overcome any issues raised in the course of the discussion.

There is no one right way to conduct an appraisal. Some companies develop an appraisal form with space for appraisers to rate appraisees on aspects of their work such as their contribution to the team, role development, effectiveness, etc. The approach will depend on the nature of the business and the people involved. However as a minimum it is helpful to have a form to collect consistent information on the appraisal. This may be in the form of a free dialogue from appraisers with the opportunity for appraisees to reply and comment.

As a general rule it is helpful to have some information on the following:

. Objectives – whether they were achieved and if not the reasons why.

• Competence – whether individuals are performance below, within or above the requirements of the role.

• Training – what training the individual has received in the review period and what training or development they would like to receive in the future.

• Actions – a note of any actions that need to be carried out by the individual or the appraiser.

There is a view that the content of appraisal discussions should be confidential to the individual and the appraiser. But increasing pressure to provide information to assess the contribution of people to organisational value makes it desirable that performance data be recorded and stored in such a way that it can be used to feel into indicators of human capital value.

Increasingly organisations are putting more emphasis on the kind of behaviour they want their employees to exhibit. Behaviour, particularly management behaviour, has been identified as a significant source of value. They are therefore not solely concerned with the achievement of objectives but how these were achieved.

Some organisations are identifying a set of positive management behaviours for example and then rating against them. Others are identifying the behaviours associated with excellent service and rating against these in the appraisal process. Again the design of the process will depend on what is important to the particular business and the achievement of their business objectives and will therefore be influenced by the wider performance management process. It is important that people don’t achieve their objectives at the expense of their colleague’s morale.

So it is with great pleasure that I gift you my definitive guide to planning and conducting performance appraisals – “In Praise Of Appraisals” which you can download HERE - another free gift Mr. Farrington? Of course, why not, we are heading towards the gift time of the year, and I am trying to get into the mood – don’t knock it!

Today’s News: You must know this lady? She recently launched her new book, which is most definitely destined to become a best seller…

Oh her!!

Yep, and you can listen to the wise words of Solomon live tomorrow, with my compliments – you really should make the time….

Impact! From Invisible to Invincible
Thursday December 3rd 2009 1:00 PM EASTERN

Consider This: The kind of failing economy we’re in dictates that your expendability, right NOW in this moment, is directly tied to the Impact that you’re having on your organization and, ultimately, on your customer or end user.

The people who are keeping their jobs, getting recruited, receiving promotions, and earning bonuses are fewer in number, but more distinguishable than a year ago. They are the ones whose presence and performance has such a high positive Impact on their organization that they have almost become indispensible.

Your Impact is your life’s signature
Your Impact is the very outcome of your life
It is the consequence of having been born, lived your life, and passed on to the next place
Your Impact is the difference you were, the difference you made, and the difference you left
You are your company’s unique value proposition
Your Impact is the answer to the question:

WHAT DID I COME HERE TO DO & AM I GETTING IT DONE?

Objectives:

To increase attendees’ability to influence
To increase attendees’ awareness of, and responsibility for, their impact.
To build attendees’ self-confidence
To examine the concepts of potential, purpose, passion and the impact they have on your engagement at work and in your life
To explore the correlation between who you are and your impact on your business and your customer
To focus attendees on your organization’s impact on them

Join me, with Jonathan’s compliments, HERE

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