Other Added
#1 in Business Subscribe Email Print

You are here: Home > Business > Management > Performance Appraisal - Ten Stupid Things Managers Do To Screw It Up

Tags

  • preventing
  • feelings
  • because
  • developing staff
  • compare staff
  • stopping performance

  • Links

  • Article Marketing - Why are Links Important?
  • Start Selling Online Using Clickbank
  • Confessions of a Reformed Manager: Seven Principles for Becoming a Good Manager
  • Other Added - Performance Appraisal - Ten Stupid Things Managers Do To Screw It Up

    Employee Recognition and Service Awards - Showing Appreciation to a Company's Best Asset
    Employee recognition and service awards can take shape in several forms. Historically, service awards have been synonymous with employee recognition. Service awards are a way of recognizing employees for length of time with the company and their service to the organization. On milestone anniversaries businesses will offer gifts to commemorate the occasion, usually giving the employee a selection of gifts to choose from.This type of recognition has changed a little in the past years as companies have downsized and baby boomers have retired from the work force earlier. Companies are now also recognizing special efforts by employees. For example, a company might give a recognition award or gift to a top salesperson, or
    to yourself over and over. Ratings are subjective. Rating forms are subjective. Rating forms are not behavioral.

    Stupid Thing #5: Stopping performance appraisal when a person's salary is no longer tied to the appraisals.

    Lots of managers do this. They conduct appraisals so long as they have to do so to justify or withhold a pay increase. When staff hit their salary ceiling, or pay is not connected to appraisal and performance, managers don't bother. Dumb. Performance appraisal is FOR improving performance. It isn't just about pay (although some th

    Role of the UPS Store in the UPS System
    When is my box going to be delivered to me? This is a common question fielded by The UPS Store employees. The fact is that The UPS Store locations have nothing to do with delivering packages. Their role in the UPS system is to facilitate shipping.The local hub facility is responsible for delivering packages to the local area. They receive tractor trailer loads of packages to be sorted and loaded onto trucks throughout the night so that when the drivers come in, they can begin their delivery route.Of course, Air delivery packages have priority. Since they generally have a 10:30 a.m. guaranteed delivery time, these packages have to be delivered first. Since it is easier to find businesses, commercial establishme
    Performance appraisals aren't fun. But a lot of the time they are agonizing because managers do really dumb things, ending up destroying a process that is important to everyone (or should be). Appraisals are always going to be a little bit stressful for everyone, but these errors guarantee that the point of appraisals -- improving performance, is lost in the shuffle.

    Stupid Thing #1: Spending more time on performance appraisal than performance PLANNING, or ongoing performance communication.

    Performance appraisal is the end of a process that goes on all the time - a process that is based on good communication between manager and employee. So,more time should be spent preventing performance problems than evaluating at the end of the year. When managers do good things during the year, the appraisal is easy to do and comfortable, because there won't be any surprises.

    Stupid Thing #2: Comparing employees with each other.

    Want to create bad feelings, damage morale, get staff to compete so badly they will not work as a team? Then rank staff or compare staff. A guaranteed technique. And heck, not only can a manager create friction among staff, but the manager can become a great target for that hostility too. A bonus!

    Stupid Thing #3: Forgetting appraisal is about improvement, not blame.

    We do appraisal to improve performance, not find a donkey to pin a tail on or blame. Managers who forget this end up developing staff who don't trust them, or even can't stand them. That's because the blaming process if pointless, and doesn't help anyone. If there is to be a point to performance appraisal it should be getting manager and employee working together to have everyone get better

    Stupid Thing #4: Thinking a rating form is an objective, impartial tool.

    Many companies use rating forms to evaluate employees (you know, the 1-5 ratings?). They do that because it's faster than doing it right. The problem comes when managers believe that those ratings are in some way "real", or anything but subjective, often vague judgements that are bound to be subjective and inaccurate. By the way, if you have two people rate the same employee, the chances of them agreeing are very small. THAT'S subjective. Say it to yourself over and over. Ratings are subjective. Rating forms are subjective. Rating forms are not behavioral.

    Stupid Thing #5: Stopping performance appraisal when a person's salary is no longer tied to the appraisals.

    Lots of managers do this. They conduct appraisals so long as they have to do so to justify or withhold a pay increase. When staff hit their salary ceiling, or pay is not connected to appraisal and performance, managers don't bother. Dumb. Performance appraisal is FOR improving performance. It isn't just about pay (although some th

    Customer Service for Executives Too
    Everyone in a corporation should learn customer service and that includes the executives to. The late great Ray Kroc, the founder of McDonald's stated in his book; Grinding It out. That each of his executives had to spend time behind the counter of a McDonald's store greeting customers and understanding the business model in each month. He insisted that his executives never lost touch with reality and understood what their business was all about. It was about customer service he would say and he was right.Ray Kroc used to say that if a customer is happy when they leave the store they will come back 10 more times. If they are unhappy they may frequent a different restaurant 10 more times until they forget about th
    all the time - a process that is based on good communication between manager and employee. So,more time should be spent preventing performance problems than evaluating at the end of the year. When managers do good things during the year, the appraisal is easy to do and comfortable, because there won't be any surprises.

    Stupid Thing #2: Comparing employees with each other.

    Want to create bad feelings, damage morale, get staff to compete so badly they will not work as a team? Then rank staff or compare staff. A guaranteed technique. And heck, not only can a manager create friction among staff, but the manager can become a great target for that hostility too. A bonus!

    Stupid Thing #3: Forgetting appraisal is about improvement, not blame.

    We do appraisal to improve performance, not find a donkey to pin a tail on or blame. Managers who forget this end up developing staff who don't trust them, or even can't stand them. That's because the blaming process if pointless, and doesn't help anyone. If there is to be a point to performance appraisal it should be getting manager and employee working together to have everyone get better

    Stupid Thing #4: Thinking a rating form is an objective, impartial tool.

    Many companies use rating forms to evaluate employees (you know, the 1-5 ratings?). They do that because it's faster than doing it right. The problem comes when managers believe that those ratings are in some way "real", or anything but subjective, often vague judgements that are bound to be subjective and inaccurate. By the way, if you have two people rate the same employee, the chances of them agreeing are very small. THAT'S subjective. Say it to yourself over and over. Ratings are subjective. Rating forms are subjective. Rating forms are not behavioral.

    Stupid Thing #5: Stopping performance appraisal when a person's salary is no longer tied to the appraisals.

    Lots of managers do this. They conduct appraisals so long as they have to do so to justify or withhold a pay increase. When staff hit their salary ceiling, or pay is not connected to appraisal and performance, managers don't bother. Dumb. Performance appraisal is FOR improving performance. It isn't just about pay (although some th

    How To Woo Your Clients and Keep Them for Life
    How do you acquire new clients?o Face-to-face networkingo Referral onlyo Cold callingWhatever method you use to gain a new client the #1 thing you can never forget is to show them, all of them, how much you care.Let me share my dating analogy with you...When you're on a first date, you're on your best behavior (and being authentic the entire time).On your first date (aka: first meeting) you ask lots of questions to get to know this person better - their likes, dislikes, passions, aspirations.Armed with this knowledge, you're now able to do little things for them you know they'll enjoy; send them their favorite flowers, prepare their favorite meal, suggest a movi
    ly can a manager create friction among staff, but the manager can become a great target for that hostility too. A bonus!

    Stupid Thing #3: Forgetting appraisal is about improvement, not blame.

    We do appraisal to improve performance, not find a donkey to pin a tail on or blame. Managers who forget this end up developing staff who don't trust them, or even can't stand them. That's because the blaming process if pointless, and doesn't help anyone. If there is to be a point to performance appraisal it should be getting manager and employee working together to have everyone get better

    Stupid Thing #4: Thinking a rating form is an objective, impartial tool.

    Many companies use rating forms to evaluate employees (you know, the 1-5 ratings?). They do that because it's faster than doing it right. The problem comes when managers believe that those ratings are in some way "real", or anything but subjective, often vague judgements that are bound to be subjective and inaccurate. By the way, if you have two people rate the same employee, the chances of them agreeing are very small. THAT'S subjective. Say it to yourself over and over. Ratings are subjective. Rating forms are subjective. Rating forms are not behavioral.

    Stupid Thing #5: Stopping performance appraisal when a person's salary is no longer tied to the appraisals.

    Lots of managers do this. They conduct appraisals so long as they have to do so to justify or withhold a pay increase. When staff hit their salary ceiling, or pay is not connected to appraisal and performance, managers don't bother. Dumb. Performance appraisal is FOR improving performance. It isn't just about pay (although some th

    Identify the Growth Factors
    In “The Incredible Hulk”, mild-mannered scientist Bruce Banner discovered that when he was exposed to “gamma rays” he was transformed into a massive beast that could ferociously muscle his way to victory in any situation. Other than being disfigured, green, and in nothing but his boxer shorts, the Hulk discovered that a single growth factor could drastically change his ability to handle his problems.Unfortunately, gamma radiation is in short supply at most startups, so entrepreneurs need to find their own “growth factors” to make their businesses huge. The growth factors of your business are the key drivers that, if tweaked properly, can give your company the boost it needs to grow faster and stronger.Get your
    her to have everyone get better

    Stupid Thing #4: Thinking a rating form is an objective, impartial tool.

    Many companies use rating forms to evaluate employees (you know, the 1-5 ratings?). They do that because it's faster than doing it right. The problem comes when managers believe that those ratings are in some way "real", or anything but subjective, often vague judgements that are bound to be subjective and inaccurate. By the way, if you have two people rate the same employee, the chances of them agreeing are very small. THAT'S subjective. Say it to yourself over and over. Ratings are subjective. Rating forms are subjective. Rating forms are not behavioral.

    Stupid Thing #5: Stopping performance appraisal when a person's salary is no longer tied to the appraisals.

    Lots of managers do this. They conduct appraisals so long as they have to do so to justify or withhold a pay increase. When staff hit their salary ceiling, or pay is not connected to appraisal and performance, managers don't bother. Dumb. Performance appraisal is FOR improving performance. It isn't just about pay (although some th

    Life as a Private Enterprise
    Consider your life as a business enterprise. Overshadowing everything else is a business goal and a strategy to reach that goal. Also there is a business philosophy, the red thread that gives meaning of existence to the enterprise. Now consider your life. You need one or several goals, immaterial and material ones. What is important to you in life? Consider that which you want to achieve, where you want to be and also what kind of people you want to be around. In this way you can find your way to a life which will yield the things in life that have a high value to you.And so we arrive at the business strategy, how to actually reach that goal. In this world we are bound by several resources, with money
    to yourself over and over. Ratings are subjective. Rating forms are subjective. Rating forms are not behavioral.

    Stupid Thing #5: Stopping performance appraisal when a person's salary is no longer tied to the appraisals.

    Lots of managers do this. They conduct appraisals so long as they have to do so to justify or withhold a pay increase. When staff hit their salary ceiling, or pay is not connected to appraisal and performance, managers don't bother. Dumb. Performance appraisal is FOR improving performance. It isn't just about pay (although some think it is ONLY about pay). If nothing else, everyone needs feedback on their jobs, whether there is money involved or not.

    Stupid Thing #6: Believing they are in position to accurately assess staff.

    Managers delude themselves into believing they can assess staff performance, even if they hardly ever see their staff actually doing their jobs, or the results of their jobs). Not possible. Most managers aren't in a position to monitor staff consistently enough to be able to assess well. And, besides what manager wants to do that or has the time? And, what employee wants their manager perched, watching their every move? That's why appraisal is a partnership between employee and manager.

    Stupid Thing #7: Cancelling or postponing appraisal meetings.

    Happens a whole lot. I guess because nobody likes to do them, so managers will postpone them at the drop of a hat. Why is this bad? It says to employees that the process is unimportant or phony. If managers aren't willing to commit to the process, then they shouldn't do it at all. Employees are too smart not to notice the low priority placed on appraisals.

    Stupid Thing #8: Measuring or appraising the trivial.

    Fact of life: The easiest things to measure or evaluate are the least important things with respect to doing a job. Managers are quick to define customer service as "answering the phone within three rings", or some such thing. That's easy to measure if you want to. What's NOT easy to measure is the overall quality of service that will get and keep customers. Measuring overall customer service is hard, so many managers don't do it. But they will measure the trivial.

    Stupid Thing #9: Surprising employees during appraisal.

    Want to really waste your time and create bad performance? This is a guaranteed technique. Don't talk to staff during the year. When they mess up, don't deal with it at the time but SAVE it up. Then, at the appraisal meeting, truck out everything saved up in the bank and dump it in the employee's lap. That'll show 'em who is boss!

    Stupid Thing #10: Thinking all employees and all jobs should be assessed in exactly the same way using the same rocedures.

    Do all employees need the same things to improve

    HTTP = HTML link (for blogs, profiles,phorums):
    <a href="http://www.otheradded.com/article/23803/otheradded-Performance-Appraisal--Ten-Stupid-Things-Managers-Do-To-Screw-It-Up.html">Performance Appraisal - Ten Stupid Things Managers Do To Screw It Up</a>

    BB link (for phorums):
    [url=http://www.otheradded.com/article/23803/otheradded-Performance-Appraisal--Ten-Stupid-Things-Managers-Do-To-Screw-It-Up.html]Performance Appraisal - Ten Stupid Things Managers Do To Screw It Up[/url]

    Related Articles:

    The Employee Manual: Mechanism for Avoiding Expensive Employee Disputes

    How to Create Product Names that Sell and Tell

    The Four Myths of Crisis Management

    Bookmark it: del.icio.us digg.com reddit.com netvouz.com google.com yahoo.com technorati.com furl.net bloglines.com socialdust.com ma.gnolia.com newsvine.com slashdot.org simpy.com shadows.com blinklist.com