STAGE 3: FOLLOWING UP

• The Performance Agreement for the next performance period can be viewed as a negotiated contract. Appraisees are committing themselves to achieve certain objectives/targets in return for specified support from their line managers. It is crucial that you deliver on this promised support.
• Provide all possible psychological support (praise, recognition, encouragement, etc.) and physical support (work tools, equipment, finances, staff, etc.).
• Show interest by MBWA ("managing by walking around"), i.e. be there where the action is, observing their performance, enquiring about progress, and offering assistance.
• Arrange the necessary training and coaching as identified.
• Provide regular feedback on performance (both positive and negative/constructive) as soon as possible after the event.
• Create a pleasant working environment and climate where people can fulfill their social and other motivational needs, while maintaining a business focus and urgency.
  

GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS IN RESPECT OF APPRAISAL INTERVIEWS

A Firm Manner
Do not accept any ideas or suggestions from Appraisees that you are not fully satisfied with or that are not congruent with corporate and your own goals and standards. Tell them what these nonnegotiable parameters are that you cannot compromise on.

You do need a certain firmness of manner, which should be used as required during the Appraisal. It is your job to keep the interview on track and not allow serious digressions.

Firmness of manner means assertiveness, not aggression. It means ensuring you keep control of the interview -- always politely, but with authority.

Confidentiality
It is essential that you are discreet. The Appraisee must be able to trust you to keep whatever is discussed confidential.

Fair Assessment: External factors affecting performance
In assessing an Appraisee's performance, the extent to which circumstances beyond their control have influenced the achievement of their objectives, must be taken into consideration. This means that, if these circumstances have contributed greatly to good results, they should not get the benefit of it. Likewise, they should not be punished if adverse, uncontrollable causes have prevented them from achieving their objectives optimally.

The quality of an employee's performance also frequently depends on how good, reliable, and consistent the work output of others are, that input into their own work area.

Can the non-achievement of objectives also possibly be ascribed to the fact that other objectives took priority over it at some point?

Also ask yourself to what extent the performance environment (organization culture, policies, rules, systems, structure, infrastructure, resources, etc.) has prevented Appraisees from achieving their goals.

Appraisal Pitfalls
The following needs to be avoided during the performance rating process:

• Tendency to give all employees more or less the same ratings, or giving an employee the same rating on all his/her Performance Measures (to avoid potential conflict)
• Consistently being too strict or too lenient
• "Job Halo", by giving higher ratings to certain employees based upon your personal preferences, or one-off incidents instead of actual performance over the entire period
  Managers should differentiate very clearly between those employees who achieve their objectives and those who do not, and give clear messages to both. "Compromising" and giving all employees the same bonus or increase will give the wrong message to everybody. Top performers will feel punished (even cheated) and poor performers will be rewarded.

Managers must have the courage of their conviction to give credit where credit is due and not be manipulated by those poor performers who rather bet on the manager's fear for confrontation. Such managers invariable end up losing the respect and loyalty of both types of performer.