Discussion Guide: Tackling Performance Appraisal Challenges

Your primary role as the discussion leader is to get your team talking about why and how the concepts can be leveraged in the context of their situations. Please consider the following when using this guide: Use the uestions in the Guiding the Discussion column! as well as any of your own design! to encourage your team members to share their challenges! experiences! and points of view. "t will also be helpful to introduce your own perspective and experiences to highlight a key point! lesson learned! or best practice. #he Points to $ighlight column provides examples of uestion responses you may want to add to the discussion. Please note that the accompanying slides can be leveraged during the discussion! but are not necessary for an effective discussion. #he slides can be helpful when leading a distributed group discussion via teleconference. %orking through this guide can take up to &' minutes. "f you prefer a shorter (') or *+)minute session! you may want to focus only on those concepts and activities most relevant to your situation. Guiding the Discussion INTRODUCTION Points to Highlight

#oday! we,re going to talk about the things you find most challenging about appraising your employees, performance! and exchange ideas for surmounting those challenges.

Note: You may have decided to pair up with a peer manager to co-lead this discussion for a combined group of managers from your two teams !f so" acknowledge the composition of the group and thank your co-leader and his or her employees for #oining the discussion

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Discussion Guide: Tackling Performance Appraisal Challenges

Guiding the Discussion PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL CHALLENGES 3/+ Points to Highlight
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2ll managers struggle with performance appraisal. "t,s one of the toughest parts of being a manager. 8et,s focus now on sharing experiences of what you find most challenging about appraising your direct reports, performance. #he more we can share examples and ideas! the more we can help each other.

$ist responses on an easel chart or whiteboard

Note: To set the tone for the discussion" consider sharing your own stories of what you found most difficult about performance appraisal when you first became a manager %and what you still find difficult& !f you're co-leading the meeting with a peer manager" encourage him or her to share as well 6xample responses: o " find it really hard to keep written records of my people,s accomplishments throughout the year. ",ve got so many other things to do that " 9ust don,t think of it. #hen! when it,s time to do a performance review for one of my people! " have trouble coming up with specifics about their performance. o " hate having to tell employees that their performance isn,t up to par. " don,t know how to do this without making them defensive. o %hat do you do when you know someone,s a high performer! but 9ust doesn,t seem motivated to do his best: /

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Discussion Guide: Tackling Performance Appraisal Challenges

Guiding the Discussion %hat about length of tenure as a manager: ;or those of you who have been managers for a while! were some aspects of performance appraisal more challenging for you when you first became a manager! and did different challenges arise as you gained more experience: %ho,d like to offer some insights on this: Points to Highlight 6xample responses: o %hen " first became a manager! " was managing a few people who used to be my peers when we were all individual contributors together. <nce " was their boss! " found it really hard to give them critical feedback about their performance. 0ut that got a little easier with time. o 2fter " gained more experience as a manager and started taking on more direct reports! it became harder to find the time to record notes about their accomplishments and developmental needs during the year.
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EXPLORING

A!S TO

ADDRESS

THE

CHALLENGES 3/+

%e,ve talked about what we,ve all found most challenging about performance appraisal. 5ow let,s explore ways of tackling these challenges. %e,ll share ideas for dealing with particular challenges! such as tips or practices that you,ve found helpful and would like to share with your colleagues. *

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Discussion Guide: Tackling Performance Appraisal Challenges

Guiding the Discussion %ho,d like to offer some ideas for dealing with a particular challenge! or tips and practices that you,ve found helpful for specific challenges: Points to Highlight 6xample responses: o 4iguel! if you have to discuss a performance problem with one of your people! have you thought about explaining how improvement in that area will help the company accomplish an important goal: #hat might help motivate the person to listen and improve. o ",ve learned that it helps to translate an employee,s accomplishment into measurable business results! like =#he new marketing campaign she developed brought in > percent more revenue than last year.? " document everything in these terms. #hen ",m much better prepared to evaluate the person,s performance and provide backup for my assessment when it comes time to do the formal performance review. o " remind myself that all managers have a hard time with this@ ",m not alone. "t does help to calm my nerves when ",m gearing up for a performance review. o " find it helpful to think back to times when my own performance was evaluated by managers who were good at this. "t helps me realiAe that! if they can get good at it! so can ". Note: )ffer your own ideas and tips that you've found helpful !f you're co-leading the discussion" encourage your co-leader to do the same &

$ist proposed ideas and tips ne(t to their corresponding challenge on the easel chart or whiteboard

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Discussion Guide: Tackling Performance Appraisal Challenges

Guiding the Discussion %ere there any particular tips or techni ues in the $arvard 4anage4entor topic on Performance 2ppraisal that you found particularly helpful: 2re there any other Performance 2ppraisal resources that you would recommend: Points to Highlight

Add any responses to the lists you've been compiling on the easel chart or whiteboard NEXT STEPS

#ake a moment to consider some of the things you might do as a result of our discussion today.

;or example: o 1elect several of the ideas you heard today for tackling one of the challenges you identified as your toughest! and practice applying them as you appraise your employees, performance. o Pair up with a colleague to continue discussing challenges you,re experiencing with performance appraisal and exchange additional ideas for addressing those challenges.

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