Is Your Annual Appraisal Coming Up?

Thank you for being a regular reader of my newsletters.

Judging by the number of negative comments from people who have been through their own annual appraisal or performance review recently, many organizations are still not getting it right.

However, as the employee going through a performance appraisal, don't blame your employer if it doesn't go well. It is a shared responsibility to get these appraisals right so this issue of Coaching for SUCCESS tells you how to get the most out of your annual performance appraisal meeting.

Generally, the aims of a performance appraisal are to:

• Give employees feedback on their performance
• Identify any relevant employee training needs
• Document the basis used to decide and provide salary increases or rewards
• Establish a basis for personnel decisions such as promotions or discretionary bonuses, etc.
• Provide an opportunity to identify organizational priorities
• Facilitate meaningful communication between employee and employer

It is this last part that seems to go so wrong, mainly because people just don't know how to get their side of the discussion right or what specific words they can and should use in the performance appraisal.

The annual appraisal should be an opportunity for the individual employee and his/her line manager to get together to engage in a two-way dialogue about the individual’s performance, career development and any support required from the manager to improve both job performance and to address staff retention concerns.

Two Way or Top Down?

However, many employees go into the appraisal meeting without having thought about the review period, and so are unprepared to present their points of view, which can lead to a poor appraisal and may affect their career path adversely. Being unprepared means that the only substantial input comes from the manager who may have formed the wrong impression, leaving the employee to defensively react to the 'criticisms'.

Employees should prepare by reviewing their work beforehand, identifying any issues they faced in doing their jobs, their job responsibilities, and any job performance expectations set with the manager. More importantly for the employee it is the best time to make sure that the manager is aware of successes and contributions over and above the job description.

Knowing what words and phrases to use makes all the difference, so this preparation is vital.

Getting Prepared

By preparing for the performance review in this way, the employee is able to focus on the key issues which are usually defined in a competency framework unless issues have been raised previously about performance improvement.

To help you along, you can now download the "Phrases for Performance Appraisals Guidebook" and use the exact phrases that professionals use to write their own concise and powerful appraisals.

Thank you for reading my Coaching for Success newsletter., please act now if you need professional help and support with finding the job you so richly deserve. Thank you and keep trying.

Best Wishes

Peter Fisher

www.your-career-change.com