Performance Appraisals: A Comprehensive Overview
Performance appraisals are one of the most important and often mishandled aspects of management. Traditionally, we think of a boss evaluating an employee's performance. However, over the years, this trend has shifted to include the boss being evaluated by subordinates, known as the 360-degree appraisal. This approach considers the opinions of bosses, subordinates, colleagues, and even customers.
A performance appraisal typically involves a systematic evaluation of one's performance across various dimensions. The main purpose is to consistently develop individual knowledge, skills, and abilities, establish well-defined goals, and provide valuable feedback for personal and professional growth.
Significance
To know:
- What your employees are doing?
- Why they are doing it?
- How they're doing it?
Hype or Happening?
Consistent feedback on a monthly or quarterly basis has proven to be more effective than annual feedback. Various studies indicate that monthly or quarterly feedback is much more effective than the usual annual reviews. In a study, almost 50% of employees performed above average when feedback was given quarterly. This creates awareness about many missed opportunities to solve problems and improve performance and productivity.
What's Cool!?
All Aboard!
Identify what needs to be accomplished by you or your team. This provides an idea of all the tasks ahead, allowing you to plan to achieve those targets. Question why this performance management program is required, and you may uncover many aspects you were unaware of.
Happy Island
Once we know what needs to be accomplished, we should focus on what one needs to do to achieve it. Design goals that help you or your team stay focused to complete the task. Without knowing where to go, we can't arrive at the destination! Add life to the organization's goals by defining what every individual must contribute. This will help employees focus on tasks or projects that help the organization progress. Your passengers will not be lost during the journey!
Visualize
As we set goals, we must ensure they are met. It's beneficial to develop a performance plan that provides your employees with a path toward enlightenment. Long-term goals might scare your employees and hinder productivity. So, break your goals into pieces that every employee can collect during the journey. This not only makes the task easier but also improves their confidence in accomplishing tasks. They are more likely to take on challenging tasks in such an environment.
Be on the Lookout!
It's always good to avoid mistakes. Your employees must be monitored continuously to ensure they don't encounter accidents during their journey. The main purpose is to help them identify obstacles and overcome them. This shouldn't scare the employees, as it makes the situation worse. When done frequently on a monthly or quarterly basis, the fear of accidents diminishes, and your employees might reach the destination much earlier.
Race! Win!
Foster a culture that promotes healthy competition among employees. Create and promote a culture where every employee is willing to participate in the race to achieve organizational goals. Participating in a race doesn't make them winners. Provide necessary and adequate coaching and moral support to make them believe in their potential, which eventually helps them win the race.
Upgrade Your Machine!
We can't win the race without an extraordinary racer and a cool machine! Both the employee and the tool used to assess performance must be upgraded frequently to keep pace. Employees can be given tasks that are both challenging and achievable, and the method or tool to measure performance must not be outdated. The problem is not always with the employee; maybe the complexity in policies, procedures, and processes might hinder growth and development. If there is a lack either with the employee or the tool, we lose the race.
Earn Fans!
In a race, we earn fans by casting a charming spell. This spell could be your feedback! When the spell is positive and constructive, you earn many fans. Instead of just pinpointing mistakes, guide your employees for future success. By default, managers are good at casting charm spells , so use them wisely.
Upgrade Up-graders!
Don't just stop with upgrading your racers and machines. Go beyond! Work on making the designer effective. Managers also require training and assistance to make the performance management plan effective. This is to keep the feedback professional; every upgrade comment must focus on modifying technique or behavior to accomplish goals, rather than making employees feel ashamed of their mistakes during the process.
Expert Advice
We can know the real performance not just by evaluating the racer and the machine, but also by knowing the opinions of fans and other legends. It is beneficial to hear the performance evaluation of bosses through subordinates, colleagues, customers, etc., and vice versa.
World Championship!
Upgradation, expert advice, and earning fans are all important. Also, the racer gets the spirit of winning only when there is a championship title! Apart from feedback and frequent reviews, employees must be rewarded for their work. Introduce a creative rewards system that helps your employees stay motivated until they accomplish their goals. Every employee who has worked sincerely will expect the management to offer them championship titles, trophies, and awards. Do this right, and the race becomes much more interesting.
Always remember that you need an extraordinary driver, an upgraded cool machine, and world championship titles to win the race, over and over again, in a highly competitive environment!
Regards, Nithish Kumar S ~ M.A., HRM, DGVC.
From India, Chennai
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Performance appraisals are one of the most important and often mishandled aspects of management. Traditionally, we think of a boss evaluating an employee's performance. However, over the years, this trend has shifted to include the boss being evaluated by subordinates, known as the 360-degree appraisal. This approach considers the opinions of bosses, subordinates, colleagues, and even customers.
A performance appraisal typically involves a systematic evaluation of one's performance across various dimensions. The main purpose is to consistently develop individual knowledge, skills, and abilities, establish well-defined goals, and provide valuable feedback for personal and professional growth.
Significance
To know:
- What your employees are doing?
- Why they are doing it?
- How they're doing it?
Hype or Happening?
Consistent feedback on a monthly or quarterly basis has proven to be more effective than annual feedback. Various studies indicate that monthly or quarterly feedback is much more effective than the usual annual reviews. In a study, almost 50% of employees performed above average when feedback was given quarterly. This creates awareness about many missed opportunities to solve problems and improve performance and productivity.
What's Cool!?
All Aboard!
Identify what needs to be accomplished by you or your team. This provides an idea of all the tasks ahead, allowing you to plan to achieve those targets. Question why this performance management program is required, and you may uncover many aspects you were unaware of.
Happy Island
Once we know what needs to be accomplished, we should focus on what one needs to do to achieve it. Design goals that help you or your team stay focused to complete the task. Without knowing where to go, we can't arrive at the destination! Add life to the organization's goals by defining what every individual must contribute. This will help employees focus on tasks or projects that help the organization progress. Your passengers will not be lost during the journey!
Visualize
As we set goals, we must ensure they are met. It's beneficial to develop a performance plan that provides your employees with a path toward enlightenment. Long-term goals might scare your employees and hinder productivity. So, break your goals into pieces that every employee can collect during the journey. This not only makes the task easier but also improves their confidence in accomplishing tasks. They are more likely to take on challenging tasks in such an environment.
Be on the Lookout!
It's always good to avoid mistakes. Your employees must be monitored continuously to ensure they don't encounter accidents during their journey. The main purpose is to help them identify obstacles and overcome them. This shouldn't scare the employees, as it makes the situation worse. When done frequently on a monthly or quarterly basis, the fear of accidents diminishes, and your employees might reach the destination much earlier.
Race! Win!
Foster a culture that promotes healthy competition among employees. Create and promote a culture where every employee is willing to participate in the race to achieve organizational goals. Participating in a race doesn't make them winners. Provide necessary and adequate coaching and moral support to make them believe in their potential, which eventually helps them win the race.
Upgrade Your Machine!
We can't win the race without an extraordinary racer and a cool machine! Both the employee and the tool used to assess performance must be upgraded frequently to keep pace. Employees can be given tasks that are both challenging and achievable, and the method or tool to measure performance must not be outdated. The problem is not always with the employee; maybe the complexity in policies, procedures, and processes might hinder growth and development. If there is a lack either with the employee or the tool, we lose the race.
Earn Fans!
In a race, we earn fans by casting a charming spell. This spell could be your feedback! When the spell is positive and constructive, you earn many fans. Instead of just pinpointing mistakes, guide your employees for future success. By default, managers are good at casting charm spells , so use them wisely.
Upgrade Up-graders!
Don't just stop with upgrading your racers and machines. Go beyond! Work on making the designer effective. Managers also require training and assistance to make the performance management plan effective. This is to keep the feedback professional; every upgrade comment must focus on modifying technique or behavior to accomplish goals, rather than making employees feel ashamed of their mistakes during the process.
Expert Advice
We can know the real performance not just by evaluating the racer and the machine, but also by knowing the opinions of fans and other legends. It is beneficial to hear the performance evaluation of bosses through subordinates, colleagues, customers, etc., and vice versa.
World Championship!
Upgradation, expert advice, and earning fans are all important. Also, the racer gets the spirit of winning only when there is a championship title! Apart from feedback and frequent reviews, employees must be rewarded for their work. Introduce a creative rewards system that helps your employees stay motivated until they accomplish their goals. Every employee who has worked sincerely will expect the management to offer them championship titles, trophies, and awards. Do this right, and the race becomes much more interesting.
Always remember that you need an extraordinary driver, an upgraded cool machine, and world championship titles to win the race, over and over again, in a highly competitive environment!
Regards, Nithish Kumar S ~ M.A., HRM, DGVC.
From India, Chennai
Acknowledge(0)Amend(0)
Dear Nithish Kumar S,
Good to note that you have written an article on Performance Appraisal (PA). However, the focus of the article remains on the individual rather than the organization. PA is more about measuring organizational performance. What if individual performance is measured, but organizational performance is not assessed? Who will be responsible for that?
Thanks,
Dinesh Divekar
From India, Bangalore
Acknowledge(0)Amend(0)
8071Good to note that you have written an article on Performance Appraisal (PA). However, the focus of the article remains on the individual rather than the organization. PA is more about measuring organizational performance. What if individual performance is measured, but organizational performance is not assessed? Who will be responsible for that?
Thanks,
Dinesh Divekar
From India, Bangalore
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