Appraisal Meeting - Free eBook in PDF Format

Click the PDF icon below to download the eBook from the Online Library.

 
 
 

Book Description - ISBN 978-1-62620-992-3 (33 Pages)
The appraisal meeting should be a productive and stress free experience that recognizes past achievements and sets clear objectives for the future. This free eBook gives you practical advice on how to prepare for and conduct this critical meeting.

Chapter 1 - Appraisal Meeting Tips
The appraisal meeting has a dual purpose: firstly, it provides a forum where you and your team member can discuss their performance over the most recent appraisal period; and secondly, it gives you an opportunity to discuss and agree with them a new set of goals for the next appraisal period.

Chapter 2 - Appraisal Forms Format
The form must also include an area where you and the individual can sign your agreement to the written summary of that section. The form also provides you with an agenda for the meeting, ensuring that you remember all the key aspects of the appraisal and helping you to form your opening statement.

Chapter 3 - Appraisal Meeting Structure
The first thing you need to do is to put the team member at ease and reassure them that you want open and honest discussion of their performance to take place. Your opening remarks set the expectation for the meeting in terms of the degree of formality and sequence of topics.

Chapter 4 - Past Performance Evaluation
Reviewing an individual's performance is the main thrust of the appraisal and your success in this meeting will depend on how well you have prepared. Without detailed notes and data you will undermine the legitimacy of the whole appraisal process.

Chapter 5 - Appraisal Goals and Objectives
You should agree new goals that reflect the job description and develop the required competencies. You should also ensure that the team member understands how these contribute to the organizational goals. The importance of this part of the appraisal means that it should take up about a third of the overall appraisal meeting.

Chapter 6 - Appraisal Discussion Points
You will need to be able to illustrate their poor performance from the data you have collected. You should also have observations and feedback from third parties that show the team member's lack of competencies or inability to attain his or her goals. It is absolutely vital that this data is both objective and authoritative. You will need to maintain a tight control over this meeting if it is going to be productive and not simply degenerate into an argument about whether or not there is a problem.

You will learn:
  • How to maximize employee engagement by integrating this meeting into a fair and objective performance appraisal cycle
  • Identify the key elements that must be in place to ensure a productive meeting
  • Phrase your opening remarks to encourage full employee participation
  • Deal with any disagreements that may arise when you have different opinions about past performance
  • Set targets for specific goals and competency development that will satisfy their aspirations as well as the needs of the organization

Today's Top Picks for Our Readers:
Recommended by Recommended by NetLine

Very Informative
I just read this e-book and found it very informative. As a new manager, I have never had to do an appraisal meeting. I decided to take a look at this book just to brush up a little. I thought that I could handle giving someone a review. I didn't have a lot of time to spend reading about this so I chose this book because it was short. I am so thankful that I read this book. I learned so much! Before reading this I was unaware that you should use the appraisal meeting as a time to set goals.

I thought that an appraisal meeting was simply a review of the employees past performance. It is really so much more than that. As the book states, an appraisal meeting is the time to set future goals and to make sure that everyone is on the same page as far as expectations. I used the eight stages listed in the book to help me plan out my first appraisal meeting. I was also unaware that specific things need to be done prior to the meeting, such as writing a summary of their performance as well as giving them a rating.

Another helpful tool that I found in the book was the appraisal form. The form makes an organized and clear cut way to record all of the necessary information that I needed for my first meeting. If you are a new manger or just need to enhance your appraisal meeting skills then this is a must read.
Charmaine Ramshaw

I Printed a Copy and Refer to it when it's Time for Appraisal Meetings
Since I got promoted to a senior manager, I've had to conduct appraisal meetings for the past 3 years. Although I assumed that these meetings I conducted were being done correctly, I didn't always receive positive feedback on them. Therefore, it was difficult for me to gauge the accuracy and relevance of these meetings. So, just like many professionals would do, I went online to find material on how to properly conduct appraisal meetings. I work for a small company so I took this responsibility on my shoulders.

I found a lot of information on the web. Some people had written hundreds and hundreds of pages on how to perform appraisal meetings. I just don't have time to read that much stuff.

I also found free information, some of which was helpful, but mostly just hints ant tips with no real structure. I eventually landed on a quality resource called Free Management Ebooks. At first, I was hesitant about this information because anything labeled free is usually of low quality. However, when I went on to read this concise and to the point book on conducting appraisal meetings, I learned a few valuable aspects of this important task.

Firstly, although I had heard it before, but I always failed to realize during my meetings that they were held to encourage employees. It was fairly easy for me to encourage employees who performed well, but I had trouble dealing with below average or even average performers. This book taught me the ever-important point that regardless of how an employee may be currently performing, it is a manager's role to still encourage him or her. This tip truly helped me because I noticed about 75% of my employees improved their performance after I conducted the last semi-annual appraisal.

I simply changed my method of conducting these meetings and according to the book, started focusing on what positive input these people were providing to the company. Then I would mention areas where they could improve, after mentioning where they were excelling. This strategy helped me make average employees into above average ones.

Another aspect that I found helpful in this management book was to define goals for employees in these meetings. What I did previously seemed normal to me, however, it was a big mistake on my part. I would simply tell employees where they were lacking, but never told them how to improve. I also didn't define clear goals for them to accomplish, so even if they were interested in improving, I never showed them how to. As a manager, this is supposed to be one of my most important responsibilities.

This book showed me a simple yet highly effective way of defining future goals. The first step is to set & agree to new goals. This initial phase requires me to write down what I expect from the employee and make sure that he or she is on board. The next step is to define competencies, which allows me to talk to the employee about what skills will be required to reach the goal. After this, we review the training details and move on to set review sessions. These review sessions are the magic in this whole process, because they allow me to monitor each employee's progress and at the same time, the employees feel that they are being given the time and importance required to excel.

Besides these points, there is a wide range of other important information mentioned in this book, which is why I printed a copy and refer to it when it's time to conduct appraisal meetings.
Justin Lawson-Evans

Helped Me Plan My First Appraisal Meeting
I just read this e-book and found it very informative. As a new manager, I have never had to do an appraisal meeting. I decided to take a look at this book just to brush up a little. I thought that I could handle giving someone a review, but wasn't entirely sure of the steps that I needed to take. I did not have a lot of time to spend reading about this so I chose this book because it was so short. I am so thankful that I read this book. I learned so much! I thought that an appraisal meeting was simply a review of the employees past performance. It is really so much more than that.

As the book states, an appraisal meeting is the time to set future goals and to make sure that everyone is on the same page as far as expectations. Before reading this I was unaware that you should use the appraisal meeting as a time to set goals, which makes a lot of since now that I read the book. Setting goals and talking about future performance is an important part of the appraisal meeting because you have one on one time with the employee that is uninterrupted. This book also does a good job of guiding you through each step in full detail.

I used the eight stages listed in the book to help me plan out my first appraisal meeting. I was also unaware that specific things need to be done prior to the meeting, such as writing a summary of their performance as well as giving them a rating. I thought that it was a great idea to have the employee write a response to the summary of performance that is given to them prior to the meeting. Instead of putting them on the spot about their performance, it really gives them time to think about how they feel they did. It also gives them time to brainstorm ideas that they have that they would like to discuss with the manager. After all, an appraisal meeting is meant to be a line of communication for the team.

Another helpful tool that I found in the book was the appraisal form. The form makes an organized and clear cut way to record all of the necessary information that I needed for my first meeting. Using the four section listed in the book keeps you organized and on task. Following the form ensures that you have covered everything needed and that you haven't left anything important out. The form also serves as a great record reference when preparing for the next appraisal meeting. You will clearly be able to see if there were improvements or not.

The final section of the appraisal form is the "future section". The future section is where you document goals and future training. I thought that I was prepared to lead and appraisal meeting, but after reading this book I now know that I am truly informed on the proper way to fulfill my duties as manager. If you are a new manger or just need to enhance your appraisal meeting skills then this is a must read. The book is full of useful tools and it is something you can read AND understand in just a few minutes! I would suggest this to anyone that finds themselves in a position to lead an appraisal meeting. Remember to use the meeting for more than a simple rating, but a time to review past performance and FUTURE expectations.
Garry Gibson

** PLEASE DESCRIBE THIS IMAGE **

Keeping Track of Your Team's Competencies - Deciding what competencies each individual needs to develop is relatively easy and often forms part of the annual appraisal process. But being able to keep track of how each person's development is progressing is entirely different and often seems impossible to achieve with everything else you need to get done.

Team Performance Evaluation - To retain and keep your team satisfied you need to look at 'how able' you are as their manager to address their top 5 reasons. You may not be able to keep the same people forever… but focusing your energy into three meaningful areas you will minimize the 'churn factor' within your team, department or division.

How to Overcome a Blame Culture - Quickly and effectively getting rid of a blame culture is one of the best things that a manager can do in order to keep a staff on track and productive. No one gains when the members of an organization are find fault in each other instead of working hard toward a common goal. It is the job of the manager to steer the ship in the right direction, and the above tips are a good start toward that end.

Does Your Organization Provide Enough Management Training - A lot of managers begin their careers feeling like they were not prepared for their job. In fact, it is a problem that is becoming increasingly familiar, especially in larger corporations where first-level managers tend not to stick around for very long.

Top Trending Free eBooks