Performance Management: Performance Appraisal (Generic to Performance Management)
Written by Carter McNamara, MBA, PhD, Authenticity Consulting, LLC. Copyright 1997-2008.
Adapted from the Field
Guide to Leadership and Supervision.
Sections of This Topic Include:
Suggested Previous ReadingBasic Steps in a Performance Appraisal
Suggested Previous Reading
Readers will benefit most from having read the subsection Overall Goal and Basic Steps, Key Terms, and Performance Plan included in the section Basic Overview of Performance Management.
Basic Steps in a Performance Appraisal
As described in that last subsection, development of the Performance Plan typically includes the first eight steps of the basic 14 steps in performance management. The Performance Appraisal picks up from step nine. We also continue our example of the machine operator. At this point in our example, the Performance Plan has been developed.Information in this section is generic to performance management, that is, the information generally applies to any performance management effort, e.g., organization, process, subsystem or employee.
NOTE: As review about key terms in performance management, key terms are bolded and italicized below.
9. Conduct ongoing observations and measurements to track
performance
The operator's supervisor would observe the number of high-quality
prints, including staying in contact with the Director of the
Catalog Department.
10. Exchange ongoing feedback about performance
Feedback is information relevant to how well results
are being achieved. Useful feedback is timely, feasible and understood.
Ideally, feedback address key activities to improve or reinforce
performance. Usually, the larger the number of sources giving
feedback, the more accurate is the depiction of events. In our
example, the employee, supervisor and Director of the Catalog
Department should continue to share impressions of how well results
are being achieved. Any ideas to improve or support performance
should be implemented as appropriate. This ongoing feedback
is often one of the most important aspects of performance management.
11. Conduct a performance appraisal (sometimes called performance
review)
A performance appraisal (or review) includes
documentation of expected results, standards of performance, progress
toward achieving of results, how well they were achieved, examples
indicating achievement, suggestions to improve performance and
how those suggestions can be followed. If the above steps in the
performance management process were followed, the performance
appraisal is usually quite straightforward to carry out. In our
example, the appraisal should include input from the employee,
supervisor and Director of the Catalog Department. The performance
appraisal should be carried out at regular intervals as performance
tracking is underway.
12. If performance meets desired performance standards,
reward for performance
In our example, the machine operator may be due some form
of reward, that is, recognition or compensation, e.g., letter
of recognition, promotion, letter of commendation, etc. This step
in the performance management process is often overlooked when
focusing on organization-wide performance improvement, or on a
major subsystem.
For the Category of Performance Management:
Related Library Topics
Recommended Books
For Your Own Performance Management, See
Personal Productivity
-- Recommended Books
For Employee Performance Management, See
Supervision -- Related
Books
For Group Performance Management, See
Facilitation and Teams
-- Recommended Books
For Organizational Performance Management, See
Organizational
Development -- Recommended Books
For Nonprofit Organizational Performance Management, See
Nonprofit Capacity Building -- Recommended Books
General Information -- Books About General Topic of Performance Management
The topic of performance management can be scoped to individuals/employees, groups and organizations. Regardless of the scope of the process, there are many aspects in common. The following books are useful about these many common aspects. For books on a specific scope of the process, see the above recommended links.
To get more information about each of the following practical books, just hover your cursor over the image of the book. A "bubble" of information will be displayed. You can click on the title of the book in that bubble to get more information, too.
