The First-Time Manager's Guide to Performance Appraisals

177 Pages·2008·1.01 MB·English

by  Diane A.

THE FIRST-TIME MANAGER’S GUIDE TO
PERFORMANCE
APPRAISALS
.................16500$ $$FM 06-27-0710:20:51 PS PAGEi
Other Books by Diane Arthur
Recruiting,Interviewing,Selecting&OrientingNewEmployees,Fourth
Edition(NewYork:AMACOM,2006)
TheEmployeeRecruitmentandRetentionHandbook(NewYork:
AMACOM,2001)
Recruiting,Interviewing,Selecting&OrientingNewEmployees,Third
Edition(NewYork:AMACOM,1998;alsopublishedinthePeople’s
RepublicofChinain2000)
TheCompleteHumanResourcesWritingGuide(NewYork:AMACOM,
1997)
ManagingHumanResourcesinSmall&Mid-SizedCompanies,Second
Edition(NewYork:AMACOM,1995)
WorkplaceTesting:AnEmployer’sGuidetoPoliciesandPractices(New
York:AMACOM,1994)
Recruiting,Interviewing,Selecting&OrientingNewEmployees,Second
Edition(NewYork:AMACOM,1991)
ManagingHumanResourcesinSmall&Mid-SizedCompanies(NewYork:
AMACOM,1987)
Recruiting,Interviewing,Selecting&OrientingNewEmployees(New
York:AMACOM,1986;alsopublishedinColombiain1987)
Also by Diane Arthur
PerformanceAppraisals:StrategiesforSuccess(AmericanManagement
AssociationSelf-StudyDivision,2007)
FundamentalsofHumanResourcesManagement,FourthEdition
(AmericanManagementAssociationSelf-StudyDivision,2004)
SuccessfulInterviewing:TechniquesforHiring,Coaching,andPerformance
Meetings(AmericanManagementAssociationSelf-StudyDivision,
2000)
SuccessThroughAssertiveness(AmericanManagementAssociation
Self-StudyDivision,1980)
.................16500$ $$FM 06-27-0710:20:51 PS PAGEii
THE FIRST-TIME MANAGER’S GUIDE TO
PERFORMANCE
APPRAISALS
Diane Arthur
AmericanManagementAssociation
NewYork•Atlanta•Brussels•Chicago•MexicoCity•SanFrancisco
Shanghai•Tokyo•Toronto•Washington,D.C.
.................16500$ $$FM 06-27-0710:20:53 PS PAGEiii
SpecialdiscountsonbulkquantitiesofAMACOMbooksare
availabletocorporations,professionalassociations,andother
organizations.Fordetails,contactSpecialSalesDepartment,
AMACOM,adivisionofAmericanManagementAssociation,
1601Broadway,NewYork,NY10019.
Tel:[phone].Fax:[phone].
E-mail:[email protected]
Website:www.amacombooks.org/go/specialsales
ToviewallAMACOMtitlesgoto:www.amacombooks.org
Thispublicationisdesignedtoprovideaccurateandauthoritative
informationinregardtothesubjectmattercovered.Itissoldwiththe
understandingthatthepublisherisnotengagedinrenderinglegal,
accounting,orotherprofessionalservice.Iflegaladviceorotherexpert
assistanceisrequired,theservicesofacompetentprofessionalperson
shouldbesought.
LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationData
Arthur,Diane.
Thefirst-timemanager’sguidetoperformanceappraisals/DianeArthur.
p. cm.
Includesindex.
ISBN-13:978–0-8144–7440–2(pbk.)
ISBN-10:0–8144–7440–3(pbk.)
1. Employees—Ratingof—Handbooks,manuals,etc. I. Title.
HF5549.5.R3A77 2008
658.3(cid:2)125—dc22
2007011452
(cid:2)2008ArthurAssociatesManagementConsultants,Ltd.
Allrightsreserved.
PrintedintheUnitedStatesofAmerica.
Thispublicationmaynotbereproduced,
storedinaretrievalsystem,
ortransmittedinwholeorinpart,
inanyformorbyanymeans,electronic,
mechanical,photocopying,recording,orotherwise,
withoutthepriorwrittenpermissionofAMACOM,
adivisionofAmericanManagementAssociation,
1601Broadway,NewYork,NY10019.
Printingnumber
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
.................16500$ $$FM 06-27-0710:20:53 PS PAGEiv
Contents
Preface ix
PART I: PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL: WHAT IT’S ALL
ABOUT
Chapter 1: Performance Appraisals: An Overview 1
Objectives • Benefits and uses • Responsibilities •
Criteria • Suggestions for improved performance
Chapter 2: Managers as Coaches 11
Coaching characteristics • Spontaneous coaching •
Planned coaching
Chapter 3: Managers as Counselors 19
Counseling characteristics • Directive counseling •
Nondirective counseling
PART II: GETTING READY
Chapter 4: The Golden Rules of Performance
Appraisals 29
This should come as no surprise . . . • Praise and
criticism • Documentation
Chapter 5: Gathering Information 39
Job descriptions • 360-degree evaluation • Self-appraisals
Chapter 6: Preparing to Conduct Appraisals on
Former Coworkers 48
Clarify respective roles • Establish expectations •
Guidelines for conducting appraisals on former
coworkers
v
vi Contents
PART III: THE POWER OF THE PEN
Chapter 7: Forms and Ratings 57
How forms are used and misused • Rating terminology •
Factors to be evaluated
Chapter 8: Writing Guidelines 66
Selecting objective language • Writing dos and don’ts •
A seven-step writing format
PART IV: THE FACE-TO-FACE MEETING
Chapter 9: How to Begin 75
Questions to ask yourself • Create a suitable
environment • Put employees at ease
Chapter 10: What to Discuss 84
Past performance • Goals • Career development
Chapter 11: How to Listen Actively 93
Activelisteningguidelines•Talkingand activelistening•
Thought speed • The power of silence
Chapter 12: How to Act: The Importance of Body
Language 101
Effective nonverbal messages • Accurately interpreting
body language • Consistency between nonverbal and
verbal messages
PART V: WHAT TO LOOK OUT FOR
Chapter 13: How to Handle Challenging
Performance-Appraisal Situations 110
Possible employee reactions to performance reviews •
Recommended approaches • Potential outcomes •
Disciplinary action
Chapter 14: How to Avoid Typical Performance-
Appraisal Pitfalls 122
Legalpitfalls•Thetop-tenperformance-appraisalpitfalls•
Performance-appraisalsyndromes•Tryingtoremember
whattocover
.................16500$ CNTS 06-27-0710:21:24 PS PAGEvi
Contents vii
PART VI: EVALUATING VARIOUS TYPES OF
EMPLOYEES
Chapter 15: How to Conduct Appraisals on
Different-Performance-Level Employees 133
Average performers • Top performers • Marginal
performers
Chapter 16: Performance Appraisals for Employees
Who Telecommute 142
Performance monitoring • Communication •
Performance measurement
Appendix A: List of Performance-Appraisal Tips 151
Appendix B: Key Federal Legislation 159
Index 161
.................16500$ CNTS 06-27-0710:21:24 PS PAGEvii
Dedication
To My Own Top Performers
Warren, Valerie, and Victoria
.................16500$ CNTS 06-27-0710:21:24 PS PAGEviii
Preface
Consider this scenario: You have just been promoted to man-
ager of a department in which you’ve worked for the past four
years, placing you in charge of your former coworkers. You
have a keen understanding of how the department functions,
along with first-hand knowledge of the challenges associated
with each job, but you’ve never before been a manager.
Bywayofpreparationforyournewresponsibilities,you’ve
attended workshops and shadowed your predecessor for sev-
eralweeks,gainingknowledgeofkeymanagerialskillssuchas
delegation, decision-making, and time management. With all
that you’re learning, you feel confident that you’ll succeed in
your new role.
There is, however, one area that remains somewhat of a
mystery: the performance appraisal; that is, evaluating the
work of your employees. While you’ve been on the receiving
end of performance appraisals, you never gave much thought
to how your manager pulled it all together. Now that it’s part
of your job, you’ve got lots of questions: What are you sup-
posed to base the ratings on? How do you complete the form?
How do you handle marginal performers, especially when
they’reyourfriends?Exactly whatisityou’resupposedtotalk
aboutintheappraisalmeeting?Whataresomeoftheperform-
ance appraisal pitfalls you should avoid?
ix