Page 667 - Business Principles and Management

Unit 7

business note and training. If observations are too general or do not

consider any unique requirements or expectations, they
will not be fair, can be legally challenged, and will not
contribute to specific performance improvement.
Based on the information collected, the manager fills
People do better work when they are praised out an evaluation form about the employee’s perfor-
rather than criticized. Yet, in a recent survey, mance. The process in many companies also requires the
nearly 60 percent of employees reported they employee to complete a self-evaluation using the same
had received no praise at work during the form. Some companies use 360-degree feedback, as dis-
past year. Whether you are a manager, team cussed in Chapter 23, to obtain feedback from other
leader, or coworker, here are some tips for people.
offering praise to others. You may be sur- Employees should be just as careful and objective in
prised at the positive effect it has. You might completing their self-evaluation as they expect their su-
even start receiving praise in return. pervisor to be. Some employees find it difficult to specifi-
Praise something specific the other per-
son has done well. Identify the action and cally identify their strengths and the things they do well.
They are not used to giving themselves praise. But being
why it was important. specific and honest in the self-assessment is important if
Say “thank you” frequently. People like
to hear appreciation for their efforts and the goal is to be recognized for positive efforts and results
as well as to identify ways to improve performance. In
contributions.
the same way, the employee should not cover up skills or
Recognize the things people do that
work that have not been up to standard. If the supervisor
really make improvements. When people
believes the employee is not being honest, it will be diffi-
are doing what they are supposed to do,
cult for him or her to recognize the positive parts of the
praise will remind them to keep focused
self-evaluation.
on the important things.
Recognize the small things as well as the
big ones. Praise steps in the right direction PREPARING FOR A PERFORMANCE
rather than waiting for the final results. REVIEW CONFERENCE
Encouragement keeps people going in the
right direction. After the manager and employee have completed the per-
Personalize the praise when possible. formance evaluation forms, they should discuss the infor-
Connect the praise to something you know mation in a performance review conference. The conference
about the person that is important to them. is scheduled soon after the performance review so the infor-
Spread praise around. Be careful not to mation is fresh in their minds. The goals of the meeting are
ignore people you don’t know as well or to review all evaluation information, discuss the employee’s
who haven’t performed well in the past. Find performance and the reasons for the ratings, recognize areas
everyone doing something well and recog- of strengths as well as those needing improvement, and
nize it. It will usually result in more positive agree on a plan for performance improvement, including
actions as people seek recognition. the support the manager will provide to the employee.
An upcoming performance review conference is often
a source of anxiety for both managers and employees.
However, if carefully planned, the evaluation meeting
can be a positive experience. The following guidelines for managers can help
in achieving that goal:

1. Schedule enough time for the discussion and plan for it in advance by
reviewing the employee’s job requirements, previous evaluations, and
career plans. Inform the employee well in advance and provide copies
of the information that will be reviewed so the employee can be well
prepared as well and won’t be surprised.
2. Focus the discussion on the employee’s performance, not on the employee.
Feedback should be based on objective information, not opinions.
3. Allow the employee opportunities to discuss his or her performance and
views of the job, working conditions, and available support. The em-
ployee should also be positive and objective and focus on the job, not on
other individuals.

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