Performance appraisal discussions are always easy—when they are with successful employees. It’s the conversations with not-so-successful employees that can go right down the sewer.
Managers make a big mistake by trying to discuss personal behaviors and personality issues. There’s a way to talk about these things, but not without a proper foundation. Managers may also be saddled with appraisal forms that structure an appraisal conference around the wrong things, such as, traits, attitudes, and behaviors.
The answer is simple: Performance appraisal must be focused on whether the job was accomplished or not accomplished. Thus, the job description offers the best guide for making such an appraisal.
Now, here’s a finesse. Not just any job description will set the proper foundation for an appraisal discussion. To have an objective conversation, the focus must be on the results produced by behaviors instead of on the behaviors themselves. This is where the Results-Oriented Job Description comes in since traditional job descriptions only list duties and tasks—which turn out to be personal behaviors.
When the result becomes the focus, the employee has the opportunity to first examine the result, and then the reason why it was not accomplished (which by the way, may not be a behavior at all, but a structural or procedural problem).
Here is a Job Performance Appraisal Guide, based on a Results-Oriented Job Description, for a waiter/waitress. You’ll find a standard ruler, and section for comments following each major job result.
Job Performance Appraisal Guide A guide for appraising an employee’s contribution to job and organization success.
WAITER-WAITRESS 1. PREPARES TABLES FOR DINING by cleaning and covering tables; setting utensils, napkins, decorations, condiments, candles, and service plates.
Great! Just want we wanted. We have a problem.
Improvement is needed. Much, much more than we asked for.
Comments:
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
2. HELPS DINERS SELECT FOOD AND BEVERAGES by presenting menu; suggesting courses; explaining daily specials; answering food preparation questions; offering beverages; identifying appropriate wines.
Great! Just want we wanted. We have a problem.
Improvement is needed. Much, much more than we asked for.
Comments:
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
3. TRANSMITS ORDERS TO KITCHEN AND BAR by recording diners’ choices; identifying diners’ special dietary needs and requests; noting timing of meal progression.
Great! Just want we wanted. We have a problem.
Improvement is needed. Much, much more than we asked for.
Comments:
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
4. SERVES FOOD AND DRINKS by picking-up and delivering items from bar, kitchen, and service areas.
Great! Just want we wanted. We have a problem.
Improvement is needed. Much, much more than we asked for.
Comments:
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
5. MAINTAINS DINING EXPERIENCE by inquiring of needs; removing courses as completed; replenishing utensils; refilling water glasses; being alert to spills or other special needs.
Great! Just want we wanted. We have a problem.
Improvement is needed. Much, much more than we asked for.
Comments:
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
6. CONCLUDES DINING EXPERIENCE by acknowledging choice of restaurant; inviting diners to return.
Great! Just want we wanted. We have a problem.
Improvement is needed. Much, much more than we asked for.
Comments:
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
7. OBTAINS DINING REVENUES by totaling charges; issuing bill; accepting payment; returning change or credit card.
Great! Just want we wanted. We have a problem.
Improvement is needed. Much, much more than we asked for.
Comments:
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
8. PROTECTS RESTAURANT AND DINERS by adhering to sanitation, safety, and alcohol beverage control policies.
Great! Just want we wanted. We have a problem.
Improvement is needed. Much, much more than we asked for.
Comments:
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
9. IMPROVES WAITER/WAITRESS JOB KNOWLEDGE by attending training sessions; reading technical publications.
Great! Just want we wanted. We have a problem.
Improvement is needed. Much, much more than we asked for.
Comments:
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
10. CONTRIBUTES TO FOOD SERVICE AND RESTAURANT SUCCESS by welcoming related, different, and new requests; helping others accomplish job results.
Great! Just want we wanted. We have a problem.
Improvement is needed. Much, much more than we asked for.
Comments:
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
Performance Appraisal More Powerful with a ResultsOriented Job Description - To learn more about this author, visit Roger Plachy's Website.
Like this article? Share it with your friends
 |
Related Articles |
|
 How To Run A Staff Appraisal
|
| |
Running staff reviews are tough! Here are some top tips on how to run them more effectively.
|
|
Performance Appraisal More Powerful with a ResultsOriented Job Description
|
| |
Confronting employee performance problems is always tricky, but especially when the conversation deteriorates into personal behaviors and personality issues. Unfortunately, most appraisal forms are a hindrance since...
|
|
The #1 Guide to Performance Appraisals
|
| |
Book Review Appraisals … Doing it Right! – By James E. Neal Jr., 145 pages, Neal Publications (NP) Inc., February
|
|
Designing A Performance Management System
|
| |
The design of a performance management system requires you to think about the features that would make performance management effective in your workplace. The goal is to design a performance management process that ...
|
|
No worries mate!
|
| |
Is this your attitude towards your staff? Are you so easy going you assume your team will bumble along rudderless, knowing instinctively which direction to take?
Top heavy leadership can be counter-productive. Bu...
|
|
|
Roger Plachy
(Visit Roger's Website)
Roger Plachy and Sandy Plachy are a
husband-wife human resources management
consulting team.
Their interest in results-oriented
thinking and managing employee performance
led them to establish the Job Results
Management Institute, and to create the
Results-Oriented Job Description. At www.jrmi.com they
offer the world’s largest database of
results-oriented job descriptions.
They have also responded to management’s
need to keep employment actions centered
on job requirements instead of
personality, creating management forms
tailored to each job description, for
interviewing, orienting, training, and
appraising performance.
Free family job descriptions on their site
bring a results-orientation to non-work
aspects of life.
Roger and Sandy consult with all types of
organizations worldwide, and are authors
of the books, Results-Oriented Job
Descriptions, More Results-Oriented Job
Descriptions, Performance Management, and
Building a Fair Pay Program. Roger also
wrote: When I Lead, Why Don’t They Follow?
At
www.results-orientedthinking.com, they
offer commentary about their
results-oriented management approach.
|
|
 |
|
|
Roger Plachy's
Complete
List Of
Human-Resources
Articles
|
|
|
If you enjoyed this article, get Roger Plachy's Complete List of Human-Resources Articles For FREE!
|
| |
|
|
|
![[Get Copyright Permissions]](http://license.icopyright.net/images/icopy-w.gif){kind=small}
