By John Berry

TimeslessTime

 

It’s January and the traditional month for annual staff appraisals – but not all managers will carry them out.

Managers know that they should appraise the performance of their staff – it’s just that, for one reason or another, they don’t get around to it. But if managers know what they should do, what stops them reaping the benefits of this most central management practice? And given appropriate motivation to overcome reluctance, how should managers set about running annual staff appraisals?

We all avoid things with which we're unfamiliar and we all tend to shy away from inter-personal confrontation.

In particular, we learn from previously hurtful experiences, when we tried to work one-to-one with staff, but the situation turned confrontational and didn’t go well. But with the right skills and support, managers can overcome their fear of history and the unknown.

Firstly, managers need to understand the advantages of appraisal and some of the pitfalls. The primary benefit is enhanced productivity through increased staff commitment. The main pitfall is a negative staff reaction though poor process.

Appraisal should only be linked to pay under very carefully designed conditions. Instead, it should be used to give feedback on performance but for that the measures of performance must be understood. Feedback must also be approached with care – staff react badly to being simply criticised. Secondly, managers should take a collaborative approach, as this avoids confrontation. Managers should enter a joint problem-solving conversation based around previously set objectives and the staff member’s job description. Appraisal is an opportunity for manager and subordinate to sit down together in an environment where there are no interruptions to discuss points of mutual interest.

Thirdly, remember that managers lead firms by satisfying individual needs. Staff have need for, and are motivated by, interesting work and responsibility. They are worried about their future employability and in an unsettled world, this is enhanced though skills and knowledge building. Staff will be interested in any discussion that centres on their career and their needs. Managers need to plan how they will meet those needs, ready for what should be considered a win-win meeting. To become skilled at such a management practice, there are two essentials: get trained and find a mentor.

Running an appraisal meeting and the note taking that goes with it is a process and it needs to be learned. Things will not always go smoothly and managers need to learn techniques to keep the meeting on track and non-confrontational.

Managers should appraise themselves through discussion before and after each appraisal with a suitably experienced mentor.