|
One reason employees don't look forward to performance reviews and appraisals is that they aren't clear how they can benefit from the process. Unpleasant past experiences, and misunderstandings about the purposes of performance appraisal tend to create the perception that the performance appraisal is just another pointless hoop that needs to be jumped through.
In this article, written specially for employees, we explain how performance appraisals can benefit the employee by helping him or her understand the job, and what is expected. Few employees look forward to their performance appraisals with great joy. In fact, most dread the process, and see it as a "hoop" that management and human resources departments make them jump through. It's hard to blame employees for having negative reactions. The majority of appraisals are done poorly. In fact, they are so poorly done that they are often useless. There's another reason why employees have such negative reactions. Many employees don't understand the point -- the benefits of participating in a performance review from THEIR perspectives. Not knowing what they can get from the process, they don't know how to create outcomes that would be helpful to them.
We're going to discuss some possible benefits available to employees from the appraisal and performance management process.
1) Knowing Where You Stand. We all want and need to know how we are doing in our jobs. By knowing what you've done well, and what you need to improve, you can focus on better performance in the future, which is something most of us want. The performance review can also help provide you with a sense of being appreciated.
2) Understanding What Your Boss Wants. Managers aren't always clear about what they expect from employees. Since you can't read your manager's mind, considerable frustration can result as you try to guess what he or she wants almost in a trial and error fashion. The performance management and appraisal process can provide you with a communication forum where you can ask questions and clarify what is expected of you.
3) Learning The Why's of Your Job. Most people enjoy their jobs more if they understand how their work fits in and contributes to the overall work of the work unit or the company. Once again, the performance management and appraisal process provides you with the opportunity to clarify why your job tasks are important, and how they fit. An added benefit of understanding the "why's" is it can help you make better decisions on your own. When you understand why you are doing things, you can look for ways to achieve goals more efficiently.
4) Opportunity To Get Help. This isn't what you think -- getting help with your job because you are incompetent. That's not it at all. Every job requires things from the environment so it can be done well. No employee is an island. Each employee is dependent on people and resources so he or she can carry out his job at peak levels. For example, if you have to use an old broken down computer in your work, that could very well be both frustrating, and damaging to your productivity.
The performance appraisal and management process provides you with an opportunity to identify and ask for the things you need to do a better job. That could be a more powerful computer. It might be better communication with team members, or some training. So, the idea is that you and the manager work together to remove any barriers to your job success. Surprisingly, removing barriers to success may not cost a lot of money, but may simply involve some reorganization, or improving of job flow. In an ideal world, your manager will ask you about what you need, and how he or she can help. But we don't often have "ideal". So take some initative if needed.
That's just a few of the things you can get from the performance management and appraisal process. But here's the catch. What you get out of it is going to depend on several factors: 1) the performance appraisal system used, 2) the skills of the manager in communicating and managing performance, and 3) your own skills and conduct during the process.
The first two are probably beyond your control. And, yes, it's possible that the system used may be so terrible, and the manager so inept and unskilled, that the appraisal process simply cannot be rehabilitated. You can try. You should still try. But there are limitations beyond your control.
What you can do is focus on your own behavior and skills during the performance management and appraisal process, because that IS under your control. By taking a proactive approach, and assuming at least some responsibility for getting something out of the process, you probably will get something out of it, and often much more than you thought possible.
So, that's your starting point. Be an active participant, by preparing yourself for performance management and appraisal meetings, and asking questions so you get the information you need from the process.
You'll find that too often the information offered to you (for example, numeric rankings on some vague one-to-five scales) is not helpful. If that's the case, ask questions so you can get more information. For example, let's say your manager rates you as "very good" on some item. That's vague. Ask him or her for specifics. For example, whether there was something you did that stood out and justified the higher than average rating. Don't rely on what's offered, but probe for more specific information.
That's the key: active participation.
We've produced a helpcard to assist you in becoming a more active participant in the appraisal process, so that you can benefit even if the process used by the company and the manager is less than optimal.
Based on the best selling book, Performance Management - A Briefcase Book, published by McGraw-Hill, this help card has been written to be used by EMPLOYEES. Its purpose is simple - to help prepare employees to be full and active participants in the performance appraisal process. This 2 sided 8.5 x 11 inch card provides dozens of hints, tips and principles to help employees do that. Here is what's included:
Introduction
An Imperfect Process
What's Appraisal For?
Where Are The Benefits?
What Makes Performance Appraisal Work?
Preparing For The Review/Appraisal Meeting
During The Appraisal Meeting
Surviving Silly Forms
When You Disagree
There's a lot of information packed in a small package, and you can use the helpcard to remind of yourself of the things you an do to make appraisal work, for both you, the manager, and the company. For complete information on this item, go to:
http://workhelp.org/content/view/138/49/
where you can access a free preview. |
Performance Management & Appraisal 
