Evaluation Systems Review

Nobody much likes performance evaluation systems. Managers find them unworkable and uncomfortable. Workers dread them. And many experts think we should scrap them altogether.

But if you are a working manager you do not get much choice. You've got to do performance evaluations on your people using the system your organization has in place.

Start by understanding that you can find really two different issues which go through the name, "performance evaluation." One of those things is your organization's formal performance appraisal process.

Do what ever you need to to take care of your organization's evaluation system. You should work with whatever system your organization has devised. Someday you may be able to change it, although not now. Devote your time and energy to making the system deliver good results.

Although the formal system is only a division of the story. Usually the evaluation that happens there is like a report card. It's a summary judgment of performance that took place for a length of time.

Give notice if you have to start documenting behavior. Usually, your suggestion to change behavior or performance will be informal. That suggests you will not need to document. And much of the time your suggestion and coaching will contribute to improved behavior.

But sometimes you may need to let folks know that they are not doing well enough. If they keep doing what they are doing, you are going to have to start documenting their behavior. Let them know before your start.

Then, if you must document, do a few things. Keep good records of the performance or behavior that you are tracking. Be specific about what happened, when and where.

Keep good records of your counseling meetings with your subordinate. What did you say? What did she or he say? How did you agree that things would change?

Making small course corrections on the way has a few of advantages. To start with, small corrections are far simpler to make than big ones, so your odds of a successful outcome go up.

Second, by making small corrections and My Site documenting your counsel as well as your subordinate's behavior, you have got the issue on the table. When the time arrives for formal performance evaluation, your subordinate will know where he or she has come up short. And you will know what they've got to say about how they're doing. No surprises.

Take enough time in the formal session. In one organization where I did research we compared the time that top supervisors dedicated to the total annual performance appraisal meeting to the time that other supervisors took. The top supervisors spent almost twice as long within the formal session as their less-effective peers.

Nevertheless, if there weren't any surprises, what did they spend time on? They talked about growth and also the future. That is more enjoyable and even more productive than going over what did and did not happen since the last review.

Make agreements on the will happen next. Be sure you leave the formal performance evaluation session with a clear plan for how your subordinate will develop during the next period and what you're going to do to help.

Set milestones for your agreements. Determine who shall do what and precisely what the deadlines are. Determine how performance should change.

Here is what to remember. The performance evaluation that makes a difference takes place daily, every time you encounter someone who works for you. If you take every chance to coach, counsel, encourage and correct your people, and if you document in which you must, there will be no surprises at evaluation time. Then you can use the evaluation time to help people grow and develop.