A Short Guide On Evaluation Systems

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

But when 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'll find really two different things which go through the name, "performance evaluation." One of those things is your organization's formal performance appraisal process.

Do whatever you must to take care of your organization's evaluation system. You have to 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 part of the story. Usually the evaluation that happens there is like a report card. It's really a summary judgment of performance that took place over a period of time.

Give notice should you have to start documenting behavior. Typically, 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 end in improved behavior.

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

Then, if you need to document, do a few things. Keep good records of the performance or behavior that you're 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 along the way has a few of advantages. First, 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 documenting your counsel and your subordinate's behavior, you've got the issue on the table. In the event the time arrives for formal performance evaluation, your subordinate will know where she or he has come up short. And you definitely will determine what they have 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 two times as long in the formal session as their less-effective peers.

Nevertheless, if there weren't any surprises, what did they spend time on? They discussed growth as well as the future. That is more enjoyable and even more productive than going over what did and didn't happen considering that the last review.

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

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

Here is what to remember. The performance evaluation software that makes a difference takes place daily, every time you encounter someone that works for you. If you take every opportunity 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.