Skip to main content

Evaluate to Motivate

     One of the biggest issues for managers in conducting performance appraisals is actually doing them.  They hate it!  They'd rather go get a tooth pulled--without anesthesia.  Why?  I've been told it's because they don't know how to give people negative feedback.  They anticipate some ugliness will ensue when they tell somebody they aren't up to par in their job performance.  Most likely this will happen if the manager feels uncomfortable doing this type of sensitive task, especially if she's experienced it before.  The issue is not as much about having to give the feedback as it is that she's probably done it before in the wrong way.  That's why she gets push-back and defensiveness.  In order to squash being gun-shy about performance appraisals, I would challenge managers to learn to evaluate to motivate.  Here's how:
     Use the appraisal as a tool to coach your people to success.  Rather than seeing it as a weapon to beat the employee over the head with, find ways to highlight what they've done well, and get them to think about how they can expand those skills.  Help them to realize what it takes to get the highest score on the form.
     Second, think about ways to give feedback better.  What words or phrases could you say in a way that isn't so negative or critical?  Can you say it differently where it's more constructive?  For example, instead of saying, "Since you consistently come in late and leave early, your work is suffering because you never have enough time to get what you need to get done.  That's why you scored low here."  How about this:

Manager:  "Limited time prevents you from completing tasks on time, doesn't it?" 
Employee:  "Yes"
Manager:  "Do you agree that not being able to complete your tasks efficiently tends to effect the entire department?"
Employee:  "Probably, yes."
Manager:  "I'd like to see you be able to improve in that area.  What can I do to help you?"
    
     The employee still has the low score, but by creating a dialogue that's not accusing and asking the right questions, the manager can get the employee to think about the impact of his lackluster performance on everyone.  CAVEAT:  If the manager is checking in with the employee all year long and coaching him to success, they would never have to have this conversation at evaluation time OR the conversation wouldn't have to be awkward because they've been discussing this along the way.
     These are just two things managers can do to improve how they conduct evaluations.  For more, contact us at www.thesharpersolution.com.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

What It Means to Speak Truth to Power

     "Speaking truth to power" has become a common phrase to use when speaking about truth and/or power in a discussion that encourages courageous discourse on controversial matters.  It is an old phrase coined back in the 1950s by the Quakers and is defined as "a non-violent political tactic, employed by dissidents against the received wisdom or propaganda of governments they regard as oppressive, authoritarian or an ideocracy." (Wikipedia)      I've heard it overused in a lot of ways and not with a clear purpose in its meaning within the context of what was being spoken.  We latch onto certain words and phrases as language goes in and out of style on almost a monthly basis.  In this current generation, there seems to be a new word or phrase created daily and then abandoned when they become overused like worn out sneakers from last year's fall collection.  But words have staying power even if you get tired of hearing the...
Post a Comment
Read more

A Dozen Ways to Tell Your Boss No

     In basically every training class I do on communications, I get people who are reluctant to manage up.  In a few cases, the direct, decisive communicators establish early on in the relationship their boundaries and preferences to their boss.  Those bosses who can respect other people's limits tend to listen without feeling threatened or disrespected.  But generally, workers tend to treat their superiors as demigods and themselves as powerless servants who shouldn't speak up for fear that they'd be punished for having an opinion or for pushing back in areas where they are overwhelmed or uncomfortable.  I get asked, "What do I do when my manager piles all of this work on me, and I can't get it done by his unreasonable deadlines?"  Among other things like how they manage their time, I usually ask if they've had a discussion with their manager about their workload.  The common response:  "Oh noooo, I can't do that.  He's the b...
Post a Comment
Read more

How to Stop Interruptions in Conversations

     So you're sitting in a meeting, and you begin to answer a question that has been directed toward you by your boss.  You get through about half of your response when a colleague jumps in and offers his take and essentially silences you.  There is evidence that if you are a woman, this will happen to you more often than if you are a man, and it's likely to happen to you by both genders.      Interruptions in communications like this happen all the time whether you're in a group offering your opinion or one-on-one sharing a story.  Regardless of the setting, we all find it annoying and rude.  These disruptions of dialogue hamper thought processes, contribute to misunderstandings, and devalue people's input.  So what do we do when they keep happening to us?  A few worthy suggestions can be found in Kathryn Vasel's article,  "Next time someone interrupts you in a meeting, try this" .      But what...
1 comment
Read more