1. DON'T fall prey to 'halo effect'
Managers sometimes allow a single characteristic to influence their ratings of other unrelated factors. Say an employee is willing and capable of taking on any project. That outstanding trait can cause a manager to ignore a worker's shortcomings. Advice: Eliminate the halo effect by considering each performance element independently.
2. DON'T be overly lenient
Less experienced managers often feel uneasy about criticizing employees' efforts. And seasoned managers may allow emotion to cloud the judgment of their long-term employees.
Leniency hurts company performance because it fails to flag weaknesses. Plus, in court, employees fired for poor performance will point to positive reviews as proof of discrimination.
3. DON'T be overly strict
The opposite problem-overly harsh assessments-is just as demoralizing for workers who make consistent contributions. When a manager believes that anything an employee does is part of his job description, it leaves the employee with no incentive to excel at his job.
Advice: Managers need to define their expectations and identify behavior that falls short of or exceeds those requirements. This should be done through consistent feedback-not just on review day-so that the review process becomes a simple task of matching behavior to established standards.
4. DO go high and low
"Central tendency assessment" occurs when a supervisor gives all workers average ratings. This attitude can depress employee morale and indicate that the supervisor isn't doing his or her job.
Advice: Keep detailed employee logs and record instances of superior and inferior performance.
5. DO focus on pros and cons
Many managers give short shrift to work areas in which the employee excels. They focus almost exclusively on weaknesses and "needs improvement" areas. Give equal time to each aspect of the performance appraisal, regardless of the assessment. Don't nitpick or try to find something wrong where no problems exist.
6. DON'T contradict yourself
The most damaging mistake managers can make during a review is to send the employee mixed messages. Know what to say, put it on paper and talk it through in advance so that any errors in logic can be caught ahead of time. Contradictory messages erode credibility and do nothing to improve the employee's performance.
7. DO stay on track
Because reviews are stressful, it's human nature to want to talk about anything except the subject at hand. But it's important not to let the discussion get sidetracked.
Have a written agenda prepared and refer to it frequently. You're there for only one reason. Stick to it.
8. DON'T compare workers
There's no need to discuss how other workers achieve their goals. This allows the discussion to shift away from the core issue: his or her work. Drawing comparisons among workers only builds resentment. Assume that all your employees are capable of superior performance and talk only about ways to enhance their efforts.
Managers sometimes allow a single characteristic to influence their ratings of other unrelated factors. Say an employee is willing and capable of taking on any project. That outstanding trait can cause a manager to ignore a worker's shortcomings. Advice: Eliminate the halo effect by considering each performance element independently.
2. DON'T be overly lenient
Less experienced managers often feel uneasy about criticizing employees' efforts. And seasoned managers may allow emotion to cloud the judgment of their long-term employees.
Leniency hurts company performance because it fails to flag weaknesses. Plus, in court, employees fired for poor performance will point to positive reviews as proof of discrimination.
3. DON'T be overly strict
The opposite problem-overly harsh assessments-is just as demoralizing for workers who make consistent contributions. When a manager believes that anything an employee does is part of his job description, it leaves the employee with no incentive to excel at his job.
Advice: Managers need to define their expectations and identify behavior that falls short of or exceeds those requirements. This should be done through consistent feedback-not just on review day-so that the review process becomes a simple task of matching behavior to established standards.
4. DO go high and low
"Central tendency assessment" occurs when a supervisor gives all workers average ratings. This attitude can depress employee morale and indicate that the supervisor isn't doing his or her job.
Advice: Keep detailed employee logs and record instances of superior and inferior performance.
5. DO focus on pros and cons
Many managers give short shrift to work areas in which the employee excels. They focus almost exclusively on weaknesses and "needs improvement" areas. Give equal time to each aspect of the performance appraisal, regardless of the assessment. Don't nitpick or try to find something wrong where no problems exist.
6. DON'T contradict yourself
The most damaging mistake managers can make during a review is to send the employee mixed messages. Know what to say, put it on paper and talk it through in advance so that any errors in logic can be caught ahead of time. Contradictory messages erode credibility and do nothing to improve the employee's performance.
7. DO stay on track
Because reviews are stressful, it's human nature to want to talk about anything except the subject at hand. But it's important not to let the discussion get sidetracked.
Have a written agenda prepared and refer to it frequently. You're there for only one reason. Stick to it.
8. DON'T compare workers
There's no need to discuss how other workers achieve their goals. This allows the discussion to shift away from the core issue: his or her work. Drawing comparisons among workers only builds resentment. Assume that all your employees are capable of superior performance and talk only about ways to enhance their efforts.
Elizabeth Hall is the Senior Web Editor (or Online Publisher) of Business Management Daily, a daily new source for insight, advice and information for business professionals. Elizabeth spearheaded the launch of Business Management Daily in 2008 and works with its contributing editors, bloggers, lawyers and gurus to help provide actionable information to readers and subscribers.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6940125
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