Hi There,
I am taking part in a project in the company I work for developing a Performance Appraisal system.
We are in the initial stage and we are currently busy preparing the appraisal form and the competencies to include. Personally I am supposed to prepare the technical department forms. I would really appreciate some advice regarding the procedure to follow while preparing the performance appraisal and also if someone has any specific competencies to suggest for technical personnel.
From Denmark, Vildbjerg
I am taking part in a project in the company I work for developing a Performance Appraisal system.
We are in the initial stage and we are currently busy preparing the appraisal form and the competencies to include. Personally I am supposed to prepare the technical department forms. I would really appreciate some advice regarding the procedure to follow while preparing the performance appraisal and also if someone has any specific competencies to suggest for technical personnel.
From Denmark, Vildbjerg
Hi Parisbme,
This issue has been discussed here in this forum and all you have to is do the search or check under relevant head...nevertheless would elaborate the same for you...
Before you start the same prepare your vision statement & align the PMS with the company goals otherwise it would remain the just the paper filling exercise and the Managers would lose interest in conducting the same.
The Performance Appraisal
The steps in conducting the Performance Appraisal are:
1. Set performance expectations/standards
2. Explain and clarify the expectations/standards to the employee
3. Explain how the employee will be evaluated
4. Plan to observe employee performance periodically
5. Give the employee the self-appraisal form
6. Set the time and place for the coaching session
7. Review the evaluation process with employee
8. Determine whether a second-level review is appropriate
General Guidelines
There are a number of general guidelines on how the appraisal discussion may be conducted. Each of them should be applied according to the circumstances in which the discussion is taking place and the personalities of those involved - there is no one right way to conduct an appraisal discussion.
Let the appraisee do most of the talking
Encourage self-appraisal
Keep the whole period under review
No surprises i.e. discuss issues at the time they take place.
Recognize achievements and reinforce strengths
Criticize constructively
Adopt a joint problem-solving approach
Interpersonal skill
Asking the right questions
*
What the Company expects
• Individual employees must clearly know what is expected from them.
• Individual employees must be willing to be evaluated against such pre-agreed expectations.
• Development and growth of individuals must come about as a result of such evaluations.
• Such evaluations and feedback must motivate employees to do better, work better in teams, within a healthy work environment – and thus also help to achieve specific organizational goals.
In particular, the Company expects that the roles played and work done by staff, managers and directors must move Cosmos Brands along its strategic path and strategy.
What the employee expects
As an employee, the following are the likely expectations:
• To know what is expected.
• To be allowed opportunity to perform, or to be helped in removal of performance barriers.
• To be given a fair and genuine feedback – for improvement that leads to better performance and growth.
• To be rewarded and recognized according to performance.
Only critical / key /important result areas / objectives needs to be listed
Objectives should not be confused with mere activities. Activities include any work done whether it leads to a result or not, or whether it leads to a desirable or undesirable result. Objectives should start with WHY a particular work is to be done or for WHAT OBJECTIVE. The focus then helps to evaluate all work against the reason for that work.
The following acronym may help you remember the essential qualities that a statement of objectives must have. We say that an objective must be SMART, each letter standing for a condition as follows:
Specific
Measurable
Attainable
Realistic
Time-limited
*
The following two questions to be useful both in setting objectives and in monitoring progress towards those objectives:
• What is our desired outcome?
• How will we know when we achieve it?
Executives especially should focus on results expected and not mere activities. Other staff may look at activities but must understand that all activities are expected to lead to some results.
Mistakes to be avoided in conducting a Performance Appraisal
Spending more time on Performance Appraisal than Performance Planning or ongoing Performance communication.
Forgetting appraisal is about improvement not blame.
Canceling or postponing appraisal meetings.
Not preparing beforehand.
Not communicating during the year.
Not clarifying enough.
Focusing on the appraisal forms.
Allowing one-sidedness.
Defensiveness.
Performance Planning
Role of the Manager
Clearly link Company Strategy / Dept plan with the individual results based objectives.
Help employees in understanding the strategy / Dept plan and how they can contribute towards attaining it.
Help employees establish results-based objectives and accountabilities.
Review, with employee, the knowledge, skills required to do the job successfully.
Examine the behaviours that reflect Cosmos Brands Values.
Support implementation of the plan through coaching, counseling and recommending participation in the mentoring program.
Work with employees to revisit and revise performance plans as necessary.
Role of the employee
Examine how your role relates to the Dept plan / Company Strategy.
Recommend results-based performance objectives to your manager.
Understand the knowledge requirements of your role.
Review the behaviours that demonstrate Cosmos Brands values.
Be accountable for keeping the performance plan current.
*
Development
Development takes place in many ways, including (but not limited to):
Accepting new assignments or tasks in one’s position (on-the-job training)
Coaching from one’s manager (timely and effective feedback)
Mentoring from a colleague
Training courses
Engaging in self-study (reading, CD-ROM, distance learning)
Taking temporary duty assignments
Reading that is directed and purposeful
Serving in an “acting role” or replacing a person temporarily
Participating in a task force or special committee
Establishing a new partnership
Coaching
“Coaching Sessions” are mandatory discussions held twice a year that help the employee and manager communicate about performance, employee development and the work environment. Coaching sessions can be done face-to-face or by telephone. Research on performance management consistently shows that carefully done coaching sessions can have the greatest impact on performance and employee satisfaction.
Coaching sessions are opportunities to monitor employee development plans and performance plans. They are also opportunities to affirm good performance and to identify potential performance problems. The coaching session is also an occasion to whether or not results-based objectives should be modified. Moreover, coaching sessions can examine how learning is being applied to work, and if a mentoring relationship would be helpful.
The date of the coaching session must be written on the Cosmos Performance Plan/Assessment Form. A formal write-up of the coaching session is not required. If employees and supervisors believe written documentation of the coaching session would be helpful, they may choose to write a follow-up note after a coaching session.
Managers are reminded of the importance of affirming good performance and addressing inadequate performance on an ongoing basis.
*
Assessment
The Cosmos Brands performance management system requires you to continually assess your performance, with a focus on meeting your results-based objectives. Performance assessment does the following:
• Provides you direct feedback on your performance so that you can maximize strengths and address performance gaps.
• Allows you and your manager to exchange perspectives on your role and performance, and
• Provides input to your merit increase.
Mid-term performance appraisals half yearly would be done in conjunction with first coaching session.
Performance assessment looks at both outcomes (results achieved against your results-based objectives) and the demonstration of behavior that is consistent with the Cosmos Brands value-based behaviors.
*
Lessons on Performance Management
• Constantly communicate performance expectations “before”, “during” and “after”.
• Set ambitious but realistic (“stretch”) targets.
• Encourage goal attainment with promise of meaningful rewards – extrinsic and intrinsic.
• Be forgiving of honest mistakes made and risks taken in pursuit of performance goals.
• Celebrate your team’s efforts and accomplishments.
• Give positive and negative consequences in a fair and timely manner, based on performance, not partiality.
• Make team members feel like owners and partners.
• Help employees make the connection between their actions and bottom line organizational success.
Key points to remember
• The way a problem is defined determines how you will solve it.
• A problem is a gap between where you are and where you want to be, with obstacles making it hard to reach the goal. A goal by itself is not a problem. Obstacles must exist for there to be a problem.
• Vision is what the final result will “look like”.
• The mission is to achieve the vision. It answers the two questions “what are we going to do?” and “for whom are we going to do it?”
• Objectives should be SMART and some way or the other be linked to the Dept plan / Company strategy.
Hope this helps..
Cheers,
Rajat
From India, Pune
101This issue has been discussed here in this forum and all you have to is do the search or check under relevant head...nevertheless would elaborate the same for you...
Before you start the same prepare your vision statement & align the PMS with the company goals otherwise it would remain the just the paper filling exercise and the Managers would lose interest in conducting the same.
The Performance Appraisal
The steps in conducting the Performance Appraisal are:
1. Set performance expectations/standards
2. Explain and clarify the expectations/standards to the employee
3. Explain how the employee will be evaluated
4. Plan to observe employee performance periodically
5. Give the employee the self-appraisal form
6. Set the time and place for the coaching session
7. Review the evaluation process with employee
8. Determine whether a second-level review is appropriate
General Guidelines
There are a number of general guidelines on how the appraisal discussion may be conducted. Each of them should be applied according to the circumstances in which the discussion is taking place and the personalities of those involved - there is no one right way to conduct an appraisal discussion.
Let the appraisee do most of the talking
Encourage self-appraisal
Keep the whole period under review
No surprises i.e. discuss issues at the time they take place.
Recognize achievements and reinforce strengths
Criticize constructively
Adopt a joint problem-solving approach
Interpersonal skill
Asking the right questions
*
What the Company expects
• Individual employees must clearly know what is expected from them.
• Individual employees must be willing to be evaluated against such pre-agreed expectations.
• Development and growth of individuals must come about as a result of such evaluations.
• Such evaluations and feedback must motivate employees to do better, work better in teams, within a healthy work environment – and thus also help to achieve specific organizational goals.
In particular, the Company expects that the roles played and work done by staff, managers and directors must move Cosmos Brands along its strategic path and strategy.
What the employee expects
As an employee, the following are the likely expectations:
• To know what is expected.
• To be allowed opportunity to perform, or to be helped in removal of performance barriers.
• To be given a fair and genuine feedback – for improvement that leads to better performance and growth.
• To be rewarded and recognized according to performance.
Only critical / key /important result areas / objectives needs to be listed
Objectives should not be confused with mere activities. Activities include any work done whether it leads to a result or not, or whether it leads to a desirable or undesirable result. Objectives should start with WHY a particular work is to be done or for WHAT OBJECTIVE. The focus then helps to evaluate all work against the reason for that work.
The following acronym may help you remember the essential qualities that a statement of objectives must have. We say that an objective must be SMART, each letter standing for a condition as follows:
Specific
Measurable
Attainable
Realistic
Time-limited
*
The following two questions to be useful both in setting objectives and in monitoring progress towards those objectives:
• What is our desired outcome?
• How will we know when we achieve it?
Executives especially should focus on results expected and not mere activities. Other staff may look at activities but must understand that all activities are expected to lead to some results.
Mistakes to be avoided in conducting a Performance Appraisal
Spending more time on Performance Appraisal than Performance Planning or ongoing Performance communication.
Forgetting appraisal is about improvement not blame.
Canceling or postponing appraisal meetings.
Not preparing beforehand.
Not communicating during the year.
Not clarifying enough.
Focusing on the appraisal forms.
Allowing one-sidedness.
Defensiveness.
Performance Planning
Role of the Manager
Clearly link Company Strategy / Dept plan with the individual results based objectives.
Help employees in understanding the strategy / Dept plan and how they can contribute towards attaining it.
Help employees establish results-based objectives and accountabilities.
Review, with employee, the knowledge, skills required to do the job successfully.
Examine the behaviours that reflect Cosmos Brands Values.
Support implementation of the plan through coaching, counseling and recommending participation in the mentoring program.
Work with employees to revisit and revise performance plans as necessary.
Role of the employee
Examine how your role relates to the Dept plan / Company Strategy.
Recommend results-based performance objectives to your manager.
Understand the knowledge requirements of your role.
Review the behaviours that demonstrate Cosmos Brands values.
Be accountable for keeping the performance plan current.
*
Development
Development takes place in many ways, including (but not limited to):
Accepting new assignments or tasks in one’s position (on-the-job training)
Coaching from one’s manager (timely and effective feedback)
Mentoring from a colleague
Training courses
Engaging in self-study (reading, CD-ROM, distance learning)
Taking temporary duty assignments
Reading that is directed and purposeful
Serving in an “acting role” or replacing a person temporarily
Participating in a task force or special committee
Establishing a new partnership
Coaching
“Coaching Sessions” are mandatory discussions held twice a year that help the employee and manager communicate about performance, employee development and the work environment. Coaching sessions can be done face-to-face or by telephone. Research on performance management consistently shows that carefully done coaching sessions can have the greatest impact on performance and employee satisfaction.
Coaching sessions are opportunities to monitor employee development plans and performance plans. They are also opportunities to affirm good performance and to identify potential performance problems. The coaching session is also an occasion to whether or not results-based objectives should be modified. Moreover, coaching sessions can examine how learning is being applied to work, and if a mentoring relationship would be helpful.
The date of the coaching session must be written on the Cosmos Performance Plan/Assessment Form. A formal write-up of the coaching session is not required. If employees and supervisors believe written documentation of the coaching session would be helpful, they may choose to write a follow-up note after a coaching session.
Managers are reminded of the importance of affirming good performance and addressing inadequate performance on an ongoing basis.
*
Assessment
The Cosmos Brands performance management system requires you to continually assess your performance, with a focus on meeting your results-based objectives. Performance assessment does the following:
• Provides you direct feedback on your performance so that you can maximize strengths and address performance gaps.
• Allows you and your manager to exchange perspectives on your role and performance, and
• Provides input to your merit increase.
Mid-term performance appraisals half yearly would be done in conjunction with first coaching session.
Performance assessment looks at both outcomes (results achieved against your results-based objectives) and the demonstration of behavior that is consistent with the Cosmos Brands value-based behaviors.
*
Lessons on Performance Management
• Constantly communicate performance expectations “before”, “during” and “after”.
• Set ambitious but realistic (“stretch”) targets.
• Encourage goal attainment with promise of meaningful rewards – extrinsic and intrinsic.
• Be forgiving of honest mistakes made and risks taken in pursuit of performance goals.
• Celebrate your team’s efforts and accomplishments.
• Give positive and negative consequences in a fair and timely manner, based on performance, not partiality.
• Make team members feel like owners and partners.
• Help employees make the connection between their actions and bottom line organizational success.
Key points to remember
• The way a problem is defined determines how you will solve it.
• A problem is a gap between where you are and where you want to be, with obstacles making it hard to reach the goal. A goal by itself is not a problem. Obstacles must exist for there to be a problem.
• Vision is what the final result will “look like”.
• The mission is to achieve the vision. It answers the two questions “what are we going to do?” and “for whom are we going to do it?”
• Objectives should be SMART and some way or the other be linked to the Dept plan / Company strategy.
Hope this helps..
Cheers,
Rajat
From India, Pune
Dear Rajat,
Thanks a lot for sharing in detail what the Performance Appraisal process should be like in an organization.
I am a student of Organization Behavior. We are currently doing the topic of Performance Appraisal in our class. From the discussions i gathered that in organizations, HR has a very limited role to play in the appraisal process. It is involved merely in the compilation of data and other administrative work. I felt a little disturbed after that and have been wondering since, that is HR's scope really so limited as far as performance appraisal is concerned? Please let me know and help me clear my confusions.
thanking you
Kankana
From India, Delhi
Thanks a lot for sharing in detail what the Performance Appraisal process should be like in an organization.
I am a student of Organization Behavior. We are currently doing the topic of Performance Appraisal in our class. From the discussions i gathered that in organizations, HR has a very limited role to play in the appraisal process. It is involved merely in the compilation of data and other administrative work. I felt a little disturbed after that and have been wondering since, that is HR's scope really so limited as far as performance appraisal is concerned? Please let me know and help me clear my confusions.
thanking you
Kankana
From India, Delhi
Hi Kankana,
Hmm...well i don't entirely agree with you..it's how you interpret the discussions which you had...
HR has a major in moderating the process ...defining & innovating the same...
Would suggest that you read the article on HR by Dave Ulrich which talks about the roles of HR as it should be....
Dave Ulrich is Professor of Business Administration at the University of Michigan where he is on the core faculty of the Michigan Executive Program, Co-Director of Michigan's Human Resource Executive Program, and Advanced Human Resource Executive Program.
His teaching and research addresses the question: how to create an organization that adds value to employees, customers, and investors?
He studies how organizations change fast, build capabilities, learn, remove boundaries, and leverage human resource activities.
He has helped generate multiple award winning national data bases on organizations that assess alignment between strategies, human resource practices and HR competencies.
Should we do away with HR? In recent years, a number of people who study and write about business - along with many who run businesses - have been debating that question. The debate arises out of serious and widespread doubts about HR's contribution to organizational performance.
Dave Ulrich acknowledges that HR, as it is configured today in many companies, is indeed ineffective, incompetent, and costly. But he contends that it has never been more necessary. The solution, he believes, is to create an entirely new role for the field that focuses it not on traditional HR activities, such as staffing and compensation, but on business results that enrich the company's value to customers, investors, and employees.
Ulrich elaborates on four broad tasks for HR that would allow it to help deliver organizational excellence. First, HR should become a partner in strategy execution. Second, it should become an expert in the way work is organized and executed. Third, it should become a champion for employees. And fourth, it should become an agent of continual change. Fulfilling this agenda would mean that every one of HR's activities would in some concrete way help a company better serve its customers or otherwise increase shareholder value.
Can HR transform itself on its own? Certainly not - in fact, the primary responsibility for transforming the role of HR, Ulrich says, belongs to the CEO and to every line manager who works with the HR staff. Competitive success is a function of organizational excellence, and senior managers must hold HR accountable for delivering it.
Read more about it ..am sure all your apprehensions will be allayed away!!
Cheers,
Rajat
From India, Pune
Hmm...well i don't entirely agree with you..it's how you interpret the discussions which you had...
HR has a major in moderating the process ...defining & innovating the same...
Would suggest that you read the article on HR by Dave Ulrich which talks about the roles of HR as it should be....
Dave Ulrich is Professor of Business Administration at the University of Michigan where he is on the core faculty of the Michigan Executive Program, Co-Director of Michigan's Human Resource Executive Program, and Advanced Human Resource Executive Program.
His teaching and research addresses the question: how to create an organization that adds value to employees, customers, and investors?
He studies how organizations change fast, build capabilities, learn, remove boundaries, and leverage human resource activities.
He has helped generate multiple award winning national data bases on organizations that assess alignment between strategies, human resource practices and HR competencies.
Should we do away with HR? In recent years, a number of people who study and write about business - along with many who run businesses - have been debating that question. The debate arises out of serious and widespread doubts about HR's contribution to organizational performance.
Dave Ulrich acknowledges that HR, as it is configured today in many companies, is indeed ineffective, incompetent, and costly. But he contends that it has never been more necessary. The solution, he believes, is to create an entirely new role for the field that focuses it not on traditional HR activities, such as staffing and compensation, but on business results that enrich the company's value to customers, investors, and employees.
Ulrich elaborates on four broad tasks for HR that would allow it to help deliver organizational excellence. First, HR should become a partner in strategy execution. Second, it should become an expert in the way work is organized and executed. Third, it should become a champion for employees. And fourth, it should become an agent of continual change. Fulfilling this agenda would mean that every one of HR's activities would in some concrete way help a company better serve its customers or otherwise increase shareholder value.
Can HR transform itself on its own? Certainly not - in fact, the primary responsibility for transforming the role of HR, Ulrich says, belongs to the CEO and to every line manager who works with the HR staff. Competitive success is a function of organizational excellence, and senior managers must hold HR accountable for delivering it.
Read more about it ..am sure all your apprehensions will be allayed away!!
Cheers,
Rajat
From India, Pune
Dear Rajat,
Thanks a lot for your prompt reply and your insightful views on this topic.
I guess there is still a lot more that i have to find about the exact role that HR has to play in an organization, other than just a support function.
I am glad that you gave me a good reference to begin with, my doubts and confusions will be definitely resolved and i will be able to build a clear perspective.
Thanks a lot once again.
From India, Delhi
Thanks a lot for your prompt reply and your insightful views on this topic.
I guess there is still a lot more that i have to find about the exact role that HR has to play in an organization, other than just a support function.
I am glad that you gave me a good reference to begin with, my doubts and confusions will be definitely resolved and i will be able to build a clear perspective.
Thanks a lot once again.
From India, Delhi
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Performance Appraisal Form for Staff.doc