Describes the events leading up to an actual performance appraisal interview--the views, opinions, and attitudes of the subordinates who

are to be interviewed. A rewritten version of an earlier case. Describes the attitudes, feelings, and perceptions of the manager who will conduct the performance appraisal interview.

Subjects Covered

Interpersonal skills Performance appraisals

Using Performance Appraisals to Enhance Emplo ee Performance !he annual performance appraisal is an opportunit to enhance emplo ee performance and create greater success for the compan and the individual. " intent is to e#plore how coaching skills can be used in creating a good performance appraisal e#perience for both the emplo ee and the supervisor and how to keep good performance going throughout the ear. As a manager for $% ears m e#perience was that performance appraisals were a tense time for the emplo ee and the supervisor. In either position, for me it often felt uncomfortable, so how do we reframe it so that it is a good e#perience for both& Start with vision: It's important to start with vision( the compan 's and the emplo ee's. )hat is the compan vision& !he compan vision should be compelling and known b staff. )hen staff don't know the owner's vision for the compan it is hard for them to help move it forward. *aving a clear and compelling vision that emplo ees can bu into provides a foundation for success. +ut what drives the individual isn't the bosses vision, the compan 's vision, but their own compelling vision.

Emplo ees can embrace the compan vision but !rue success comes from within and from personal vision Personal vision should be compelling and tie into the compan vision Do ou know our emplo ees dreams and visions for their lives and career

Take time to create a vision: If the emplo ee hasn't thought about their vision, take the time to create a vision with them. Does their vision, their passion tie into the compan vision& ,an ou as the supervisor help the emplo ee to achieve their vision& )hat if their vision is our -ob& )ell, that's great. As supervisors, managers and leaders part of our role is mentoring and developing our emplo ees. It's great to have emplo ees that are motivated to learn and grow. It's also great to have emplo ees that know our -ob and can do it competentl . ,ompelling visions are personal, written in the present tense, as if./the are happening now, and point to an e#citing future. Encourage our staff to write their own compelling

vision and share it with ou. Our current appraisal framework: 0ften the manager talks about issues that the emplo ee didn't know was coming. !oda we are talking about how to reframe the e#perience for both the emplo ee and the manager. )ith the manager as a coach and partner committed to the emplo ee's success the environment can shift. !he goal is to reframe the e#perience, creating a positive, goal oriented environment that thrives on success and enhancing performance. In working with man groups of people solving problems, when the focused on what was going well and built upon it the were more successful than when the worked on what the problems were that the were having and what the needed to improve. In focusing on solutions, the ultimatel identified the things that needed improvement as well. It's important to recogni1e our feelings about performance appraisals and to imagine the emplo ee's perspective.

*istor of being an uncomfortable e#perience 2eframe the e#perience 3 create a positive, goal oriented environment that thrives on success, enhancing performance An opportunit to tune into the person and find out what is going on with them ,reate a plan for the upcoming ear. "ost individuals 4most emplo ees5 want to be successful

Use Coaching Skills to develop success and excellence: )here are we at now& After ou have created a compelling vision, find out where we are at right now, using five ke coaching 6uestions ou can 6uickl get to where the emplo ee is at. In these 6uestions ou have the opportunit to create powerful positive energ , find out what the gaps are and what the resources needed are. In talking about what would be ideal ou are also focusing a bit back on the vision, but ou are also pointing in the direction that ou need to go - so how do we get there&

)hen meeting with a staff member( o +e present o !une into them and tune out ever thing else o 7ee their greatness Use 8ive ,oaching 9uestions( o )hat's going right& o )hat makes it right& o )hat is it that would be ideal o )hat's not 6uite right et& o )hat resources do ou need&

As the supervisor, I see m role as one of supporting m staff so that the can do their -ob, I'm their coach, their success partner and the person that is helping to get them the resources the need to do their -ob. As the director of an outdoor center, m -ob was to get the clients there, but it was also to make sure that our resources were there for the client, we had the infrastructure we needed to provide the service - the ropes course, trained staff, food for meals./.. Create a plan for excellent performance:

:ou, the supervisor become the partner or the coach - coaching for success. In creating a plan focused on success for the emplo ee, the manager begins to shift the paradigm to one of emplo ee and coach;partner. As supervisors, our role is build successful teams and we have to have successful team members in order to do that. If we focus on creating success we are more likel to create it. 8ocus on the positive, the solutions. )hat's going right, how do we create more of it& In working with teams I have found that when I focus on what the are doing well and how we do more of it - we build on our success. )hen we create goals that are 7"A2!, we can measure them, and track their progress. If goals are soft, not measurable it becomes difficult to progress the plan or give an feedback. 7o, how do we make them measurable& "easurable is countable, how man , when, who& Goal lanning

<oals tie into the compan vision and the emplo ees vision. <oals Point to an e#citing future. !he are positive, specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and time bounded

Tips for setting goals

7tart with the 2E7U=! in mind. 7et 7"A2! goals. "ake it eas to see the ne#t steps.

S!"#T Goals 7"A2! <oals have certain attributes that make them measurable. )hen ou can measure the goal ou then know if ou are attaining it. <oals should be results or outcome oriented and not process oriented.

7pecific( o *as clear deliverables or results "easurable( o ,an be counted( how man & *ow much& )ho& > Attainable( o ,an be attained at least %?@ 2elevant( o Important to the people ou serve, our future viabilit and relevant to our vision and values. !ime-+ounded( o !hink big, but it's a $A month plan, an annual plan.

8or e#ample( " partner works for a acht club, maintaining their fleet of boats, so he might have a goal of refurbishing B boats this winter, including hull, topsides, interior and undersides. Another e#ample could be(

A sales staff might have a sales goal such as increasing personal sales b A?@ during the ear. 0r !he ,E0 might have a goal of hire C new staff. Annual goals are t picall big. It's important to break them down into smaller steps. 2efurbishing three sailboats is big, $ boat per month over the course of the winter becomes more manageable. +ut the sales goal - can also be the foundation for creating a plan to accomplish the goal. *ow are ou going to accomplish it&

,ertain number of cold calls A s stematic follow-up plan for each lead Direct mail, advertising - what are the specifics that are going to create the success&

$uild in "ccountabilit%: +uilding in accountabilit in our annual success plans is the ke to success. *ow man performance appraisals have ou had or have ou done, that didn't get looked at until the ne#t ear& :ou need to meet with people regularl and reviewing the goals. It's unfair to come at a staff person at the end of the ear and sa ou didn't accomplish what we outlined in our plan. :es, ou can accomplish some things -ust b writing down the goal, but the level of accomplishment is usuall lower than what we want in our companies.

!he ke to success is building in accountabilit through regular meetings, weekl or monthl )e often fall short on keeping a plan alive 2egular meetings that keep focus on the plan and keep it moving forward. ,elebrate success, write down accomplishments, build on success

!onthl% accountabilit%: "eet with staff at least monthl and review the plan. +ringing out the plan and talking about it, keeps it alive. If it is never mentioned it gives staff the impression that it wasn't that important and the don't need to work on the goals outlined. 2emember the goals outlined are focused on creating better results for the compan . :ou want that. 8ocus on the plan. At the monthl meeting spend time to(

2eview the vision 2eview the accomplishments 4)hat's going right&5 2eview the goals 7core each goal - give it a percentage D?@E %F@ )hen a goal is falling short use coaching skills to help figure out what the problem is and how to change it. Does the leadership need to shift to provide more supervision, training, direction&

:ou are looking for success of at least %?@. If the person is in their own wa , do the need to make a shift in their feelings, beliefs, paradigm, to move forward and get themselves out of the wa . Are the choosing not to make the necessar shift. It's an opportunit to talk about choices that we make. )e each operate from a place of personal responsibilit . )e are responsible for ourselves, our actions.

"easurable goals can be scored 7core the goals each month If the goal is below %?@ talk about what's in the wa & Is the individual in their own wa & <o back to the five coaching 6uestions(

Create a partnership: !he monthl review of the P=AG gives ou the opportunit to reall check-in with staff and support them in developing success. It also prevents the annual performance review dread. !he know ou are invested in their success as well as that of the compan . !his is powerful. It develops ou as a leader and partner of the staff member and lets ou know where the focus needs to be. It also creates a regular stream of communicationboth wa s that can onl improve results. Use the five coaching 6uestions(

)hat's going right& )hat makes it right& )hat's the ideal, the vision& )hat's not 6uite right now& )hat are the resources needed&

Coach them to succeed& 'andling poor performance: I believe that coaching skills can help ou as a supervisor create better success. )hen there is poor performance the coaching 6uestions give ou an opportunit to build success. +ut ou have also built a framework for having real conversations. )e are all adults, and we each have personal responsibilit and make choices about our behavior. If ou do ou discipline or progressive discipline in our organi1ation ou need to have a clear polic on it and emplo ees need to be informed of the polic . !he also need to know the e#pectations and -ob responsibilities. And with that foundation believe ou can have real conversations about their behavior and choices and the position it puts ou in. :our behavior as a supervisor is a conse6uence of their behavior. I've had this conversation with staff in a union shop, in a supervisor session that involved poor performance. It went something like( 8red, ou have great skills and talents that we see here, and ou also know wh we're here - ou didn't show up for work and ou didn't call, it's considered a no show;no call. It puts me in a position where I have to take action, and if it continues then I have to continue taking actions. :ou are responsible for ou and ou are making choices for how ou handle our position. And in having these conversations - it's important to remember that our goal is success

and the emplo ee's goal is to be successful also. Emplo ee retention is important to ever one.

<o back to the coaching 6uestions - it gets them talking about what is going right, what their vision for success is and what is in their wa . *elp staff to identif limiting behaviors, how the are in their own wa , and shift their paradigms to get out of the wa .

To create the success %ou want( )eep focused on %our goals 7ta ing focused on our goals and those of our emplo ees keeps the momentum going. As the supervisor ou can create a positive and encouraging environment and create a performance culture.