Question:
I dread doing performance appraisals, and it often seems that my employees don’t much care for them either. But obviously they have to be done. Got any suggestions for how to make the process easier?

Answer:
Of the many frustrations leaders have on the people side of business, performance appraisal is always near the top of the list. Perhaps if more leaders saw performance appraisal as a means to a better end – to better bottom-line results – instead of just one more thing they have to do, it could shed its much maligned reputation and become the powerful tool it has the potential to be.

It seems to me that we could do away with a lot of the pain and suffering associated with performance assessment if we as leaders committed to giving employees ongoing performance feedback throughout the year…and then actually did it! It baffles me that otherwise smart leaders ignore the logical recommendation of giving regular feedback. To stay on track and be productive, team members must have recurrent feedback as well as an annual report card.

Furthermore, most employees truly want to know where they stand when it comes to their performance. What they don’t want is to be attacked, brutalized, belittled or surprised in the process. The effectiveness of performance appraisal, as with so many other aspects of the people side of business, comes down to how it’s done.

With that said, here are some StreetSavvy Techniques for more palatable performance appraisal experiences for both you and your employees:

1. Be clear in your descriptions of employees’ job responsibilities and your expectations of them and in daily instructions and requests. Clearly setting the benchmark or standard is the first step in appraising performance. The more clarity employees have the more self-awareness they will develop and the better they will become at self-appraisal. At the same time, help your leader do a better job of assessing your performance by clearly communicating your understanding of needed accomplishments and providing results data.
   
   
2. Develop individualized feedback. For each member of your team, create a short (three to five items) prioritized list of the areas for which you will give feedback. Because job responsibilities and requirements differ from employee to employee, feedback items will also differ. You can’t provide effective feedback for every employee in all areas all the time, so focus on those areas that offer the most “bang for the buck” for each employee and position. Consider performance areas that contribute to the culture, bottom line or customer satisfaction (including internal customer satisfaction). 
   
    In addition, find out how each employee prefers to receive performance feedback – in writing, through casual conversation or perhaps in a more formal setting. The more comfortable employees are the more engaged they will be in the feedback process.
   
   It may sound like an administrative headache, but individualized feedback is often actually easier for leaders and much more relevant for employees. Job-specific assessments push the responsibility for performance appraisal from corporate HR down to those who are closest to the employees – the leaders, which is where it belongs anyway.
   
   
3. Make frequent performance feedback for employees a priority. As a leader, you’re incredibly busy and likely stuck with your organization’s performance appraisal process and forms. So keep feedback quick and simple! Keep assessment forms for team members nearby at all times and make plenty of notes about their performance. This simple act not only reminds you and encourages you to provide regular feedback, but also shortens the time it takes to prepare forms for the annual review.
   
   
4. Catch gaps in performance early, before they become a big deal that could be unpleasant for everyone. Employees will appreciate the heads-up just as you would. And in the long run, dealing with problems early actually saves you time and trouble. Once problems become monster size, they take more time to resolve, the solutions are more complex and emotions run a lot higher.