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The management challenge
Business Mgmt
THE MANAGEMENT CHALLENGE: MAKING THE MOST OF YOUR NEXT PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL by Louis Feuer, MA, MSW
F
or months you have been searching for just the right case manager, discharge planner, or administrative assistant. Finally you find the right employee and are ready to present him or her with a job offer. After more than 25 interviews, you have located the skills, personality, and experience you have been hoping to find. Making the offer is the easy part. The real test is yet to come. Now you may have to wait several weeks or even months to determine whether the new addition is just the right fit for your organization. Often in just a week or two, you start feeling whether you have made the right decision. This article is intended to make sure that once you make the right decision, the employee/manager relationship remains productive and valuable for all involved. Well, I better be a bit more honest. I also am writing this article for very selfish reasons. I wanted to write about something I don’t think I ever did well and knew was an area where I needed some improvement. I hope the research for this article will help you as much as it did me to take some of the stress away from what was a dreaded and difficult task—performance appraisals. At some point during the year, we all attend a meeting where an employee and a manager look each other in the eye and evaluate performance and atti-
tude, each working to avoid touching on the fragile elements of each other’s ego. Wow, if only I had read about some of the following strategies 20 years ago! But it is not too late to learn, and I hope even the most seasoned supervisor will revisit his or her own skills in evaluating the work of others. Let’s consider what these meetings should look like and how they can be more productive. First, let’s address the topic of criticism. If criticism is going to be productive, it must be constructive. Learning the art of criticism is a skill all managers should master. No one wants to be at a loss for the right thing to say or be ineffective in motivating employees to do the right things. Hendrie Weisinger, PhD, a psychologist and author of The Power of Positive Criticism, gives us much thought in this comment: “Criticism is about evaluation, and it is through evaluation that we learn and adapt. The problem is that most people get very uncomfortable when they are being evaluated because it sets up conditions of worth. As human beings we all like to feel accepted, and we like the idea of unconditional love in personal relationships. But work is not about unconditional relationships. It is about getting results.” Weisinger meets the problems related to offering criticism head on. He writes, “By denying or avoiding the use of the word, you rob the individual of the opportunity to learn how to deal with criticism and learn to appreciate it. Calling it something else does not make the act of criticizing go away.”
The appraisal helps reassure all those involved in the hiring process that they have selected the right person and that the employee has accepted the right position for his or her skill set. TCM 22
September/October 2003
Most of us already realize that giving criticism and evaluating performance are not easy, but done right, without threats, they can be extremely productive. That’s where I come in. My goal is to try and help you make the process easier. Why Bother with a Performance Evaluation? Completing the evaluation or performance appraisal allows the employee to know about his own success or failure in that position. If a case manager is not successful at reaching the expectations of the organization or his or her supervisor, the evaluation should set the stage for initiating a training plan or other similar type of intervention. The appraisal helps reassure managers that their investment dollars are well spent. It reassures all those involved in the hiring process that they have selected the right person and that the employee has accepted the right position for his or her skill set. It also ensures that the work the case manager performs is in line with the goals of the organization and the case management department. If you, as the supervisor, approach the appraisal as a positive event, you will be able to: • Increase and enhance communication. Setting aside occasional time for faceto-face meetings is vitally important to building positive rapport with your employee. Unfortunately, with busy schedules, the time for the performance appraisal may be one of the only times you find yourself sitting alone with an individual member of your staff. • Reinforce good performance. The evaluation is a great time to personally thank staff for their hard work and reassure them how appreciative you are of all they do.
• Develop more effective teamwork. The time together helps build a team, learn more about each member, and allow each member to better understand the value of his or her contributions. • Continue to improve employee performance. The review offers a time to work on sharing and advising your employee and discuss what would help improve performance. The meeting sets the stage to talk about the ways management can work to ensure staff are able to accomplish what is expected of them. Conducting the Evaluation 1. Schedule the meeting about a week in advance to allow everyone to prepare the agenda and think about what they intend to say. 2. Allow sufficient time to discuss all aspects of the evaluation, future plans, and comments about all issues addressed. If you do not meet frequently, make sure you plan at least an hour or even longer for the session. Much needs to be accomplished, and all parties involved need to contribute to the discussion if the performance appraisal process is to be productive. 3. Throughout the meeting, be sensitive to the employee’s feelings. Remember, egos are at stake, and everyone has one. Realize that most people believe they are performing to expectations and may be surprised if they hear otherwise. People also have one interpretation of their behavior and attitude, and it may be very different than what others see. We are all human beings with our own set of emotions, so tread lightly with your comments. It is always best, if possible, to begin by discussing accomplishments and successes and expressing your appreciation for a job done well.
4. Begin by praising the employee’s accomplishments and how important they are to your clients and the organization. Both managers and employees should make a list of the employee’s accomplishments before the meeting. Each person may have a very different list. Record how each affects the organization—whether value, image, profits, clients, etc.
THE WRONG PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL
5. Keep in mind that the appraisal must be developed from a two-way communication pattern. You want to continually encourage the employee to clarify your impressions, contribute information, and suggest solutions for performance problems.
2. Fail to prepare. The evaluation is not a social meeting or just one of those routine sessions that must be done.
6. Close the session with mutual agreement. Develop a plan about how you will work together to improve employee skills, the work of the department, the services offered to clients, and the overall productivity of the organization. Together, it is important not only to set goals but also develop a plan to improve performance. Employee Appraisal Form Elements Consider the following suggestions for your employee evaluation paperwork: • Employee’s name and date of evaluation • Time over which the employee is being evaluated • Job description, recommendations obtained since previous performance appraisal
I guarantee that you will have problems with your performance appraisal if you do the following: 1. Spend your time focusing on the forms—getting them completed and signed and making sure you have filled in all the blanks
3. Get defensive. Present factual materials, data, and information to avoid too many subjective comments. 4. Provide unclear explanations. If you make negative comments about someone’s work, present your opinions and reasons clearly and understandably. People want to know not only what you think but why you believe the things you do!
• A rating system to determine the quality of work performance, preferably based on numbers to help remove as much subjectivity from the appraisal process. This system also makes it easier to evaluate performance and consider changes from previous evaluations. • Space at the bottom of the evaluation to include an action plan • Space for the signatures of the both the manager and the employee, signifying that a meeting was held and certain issues were agreed on
You want to continually encourage the employee to clarify your impressions, contribute information, and suggest solutions for performance problems. September/October 2003
TCM 23
continued
BUSINESS MGMT
Results from the Performance Evaluation You need to understand the results of the performance appraisal. The meeting should hold value for everyone involved, and the results should include at least the following: • A clear understanding of what is expected of your employee • An understanding of the employee’s own personal strengths and areas of development • A solid sense of the employee’s relationship with his or her manager
TCM 24
September/October 2003
• An expectation of the employee’s success in meeting the goals of the job description, major company goals/ plans, and his or her own professional goals—and work on their weaknesses • Discussion about long-term goals and career plans
and the organization should give it greater status on your calendar of events. Plan and prepare for it, and both you and the employee will be winners. The aim is growth for all involved. Take some time to make that happen! ❑
• Opportunity for the employee to add written comments to the appraisal and continue to have open lines of communication with his or her manager
Louis Feuer, MA, MSW, president of Dynamic Seminars and Consulting, Inc., is a nationally recognized lecturer and consultant specializing in the health care industry. He can be reached at (954) 435-8182 or at www. Dynamicseminars.com.
Conducting an employee performance appraisal may never be easy, but knowing its importance to all parties involved
Reprint orders: Mosby, Inc., 11830 Westline Industrial Dr., St. Louis, MO 63146-3318; phone (314) 453-4350; reprint no. YMCM 84 doi:10.1067/mcm.2003.84
THE MANAGEMENT CHALLENGE: MAKING THE MOST OF YOUR NEXT PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL by Louis Feuer, MA, MSW
F
or months you have been searching for just the right case manager, discharge planner, or administrative assistant. Finally you find the right employee and are ready to present him or her with a job offer. After more than 25 interviews, you have located the skills, personality, and experience you have been hoping to find. Making the offer is the easy part. The real test is yet to come. Now you may have to wait several weeks or even months to determine whether the new addition is just the right fit for your organization. Often in just a week or two, you start feeling whether you have made the right decision. This article is intended to make sure that once you make the right decision, the employee/manager relationship remains productive and valuable for all involved. Well, I better be a bit more honest. I also am writing this article for very selfish reasons. I wanted to write about something I don’t think I ever did well and knew was an area where I needed some improvement. I hope the research for this article will help you as much as it did me to take some of the stress away from what was a dreaded and difficult task—performance appraisals. At some point during the year, we all attend a meeting where an employee and a manager look each other in the eye and evaluate performance and atti-
tude, each working to avoid touching on the fragile elements of each other’s ego. Wow, if only I had read about some of the following strategies 20 years ago! But it is not too late to learn, and I hope even the most seasoned supervisor will revisit his or her own skills in evaluating the work of others. Let’s consider what these meetings should look like and how they can be more productive. First, let’s address the topic of criticism. If criticism is going to be productive, it must be constructive. Learning the art of criticism is a skill all managers should master. No one wants to be at a loss for the right thing to say or be ineffective in motivating employees to do the right things. Hendrie Weisinger, PhD, a psychologist and author of The Power of Positive Criticism, gives us much thought in this comment: “Criticism is about evaluation, and it is through evaluation that we learn and adapt. The problem is that most people get very uncomfortable when they are being evaluated because it sets up conditions of worth. As human beings we all like to feel accepted, and we like the idea of unconditional love in personal relationships. But work is not about unconditional relationships. It is about getting results.” Weisinger meets the problems related to offering criticism head on. He writes, “By denying or avoiding the use of the word, you rob the individual of the opportunity to learn how to deal with criticism and learn to appreciate it. Calling it something else does not make the act of criticizing go away.”
The appraisal helps reassure all those involved in the hiring process that they have selected the right person and that the employee has accepted the right position for his or her skill set. TCM 22
September/October 2003
Most of us already realize that giving criticism and evaluating performance are not easy, but done right, without threats, they can be extremely productive. That’s where I come in. My goal is to try and help you make the process easier. Why Bother with a Performance Evaluation? Completing the evaluation or performance appraisal allows the employee to know about his own success or failure in that position. If a case manager is not successful at reaching the expectations of the organization or his or her supervisor, the evaluation should set the stage for initiating a training plan or other similar type of intervention. The appraisal helps reassure managers that their investment dollars are well spent. It reassures all those involved in the hiring process that they have selected the right person and that the employee has accepted the right position for his or her skill set. It also ensures that the work the case manager performs is in line with the goals of the organization and the case management department. If you, as the supervisor, approach the appraisal as a positive event, you will be able to: • Increase and enhance communication. Setting aside occasional time for faceto-face meetings is vitally important to building positive rapport with your employee. Unfortunately, with busy schedules, the time for the performance appraisal may be one of the only times you find yourself sitting alone with an individual member of your staff. • Reinforce good performance. The evaluation is a great time to personally thank staff for their hard work and reassure them how appreciative you are of all they do.
• Develop more effective teamwork. The time together helps build a team, learn more about each member, and allow each member to better understand the value of his or her contributions. • Continue to improve employee performance. The review offers a time to work on sharing and advising your employee and discuss what would help improve performance. The meeting sets the stage to talk about the ways management can work to ensure staff are able to accomplish what is expected of them. Conducting the Evaluation 1. Schedule the meeting about a week in advance to allow everyone to prepare the agenda and think about what they intend to say. 2. Allow sufficient time to discuss all aspects of the evaluation, future plans, and comments about all issues addressed. If you do not meet frequently, make sure you plan at least an hour or even longer for the session. Much needs to be accomplished, and all parties involved need to contribute to the discussion if the performance appraisal process is to be productive. 3. Throughout the meeting, be sensitive to the employee’s feelings. Remember, egos are at stake, and everyone has one. Realize that most people believe they are performing to expectations and may be surprised if they hear otherwise. People also have one interpretation of their behavior and attitude, and it may be very different than what others see. We are all human beings with our own set of emotions, so tread lightly with your comments. It is always best, if possible, to begin by discussing accomplishments and successes and expressing your appreciation for a job done well.
4. Begin by praising the employee’s accomplishments and how important they are to your clients and the organization. Both managers and employees should make a list of the employee’s accomplishments before the meeting. Each person may have a very different list. Record how each affects the organization—whether value, image, profits, clients, etc.
THE WRONG PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL
5. Keep in mind that the appraisal must be developed from a two-way communication pattern. You want to continually encourage the employee to clarify your impressions, contribute information, and suggest solutions for performance problems.
2. Fail to prepare. The evaluation is not a social meeting or just one of those routine sessions that must be done.
6. Close the session with mutual agreement. Develop a plan about how you will work together to improve employee skills, the work of the department, the services offered to clients, and the overall productivity of the organization. Together, it is important not only to set goals but also develop a plan to improve performance. Employee Appraisal Form Elements Consider the following suggestions for your employee evaluation paperwork: • Employee’s name and date of evaluation • Time over which the employee is being evaluated • Job description, recommendations obtained since previous performance appraisal
I guarantee that you will have problems with your performance appraisal if you do the following: 1. Spend your time focusing on the forms—getting them completed and signed and making sure you have filled in all the blanks
3. Get defensive. Present factual materials, data, and information to avoid too many subjective comments. 4. Provide unclear explanations. If you make negative comments about someone’s work, present your opinions and reasons clearly and understandably. People want to know not only what you think but why you believe the things you do!
• A rating system to determine the quality of work performance, preferably based on numbers to help remove as much subjectivity from the appraisal process. This system also makes it easier to evaluate performance and consider changes from previous evaluations. • Space at the bottom of the evaluation to include an action plan • Space for the signatures of the both the manager and the employee, signifying that a meeting was held and certain issues were agreed on
You want to continually encourage the employee to clarify your impressions, contribute information, and suggest solutions for performance problems. September/October 2003
TCM 23
continued
BUSINESS MGMT
Results from the Performance Evaluation You need to understand the results of the performance appraisal. The meeting should hold value for everyone involved, and the results should include at least the following: • A clear understanding of what is expected of your employee • An understanding of the employee’s own personal strengths and areas of development • A solid sense of the employee’s relationship with his or her manager
TCM 24
September/October 2003
• An expectation of the employee’s success in meeting the goals of the job description, major company goals/ plans, and his or her own professional goals—and work on their weaknesses • Discussion about long-term goals and career plans
and the organization should give it greater status on your calendar of events. Plan and prepare for it, and both you and the employee will be winners. The aim is growth for all involved. Take some time to make that happen! ❑
• Opportunity for the employee to add written comments to the appraisal and continue to have open lines of communication with his or her manager
Louis Feuer, MA, MSW, president of Dynamic Seminars and Consulting, Inc., is a nationally recognized lecturer and consultant specializing in the health care industry. He can be reached at (954) 435-8182 or at www. Dynamicseminars.com.
Conducting an employee performance appraisal may never be easy, but knowing its importance to all parties involved
Reprint orders: Mosby, Inc., 11830 Westline Industrial Dr., St. Louis, MO 63146-3318; phone (314) 453-4350; reprint no. YMCM 84 doi:10.1067/mcm.2003.84