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The #1 Guide to Performance Appraisals

Written by: Andy Marken

Article Overview: Book Review Appraisals … Doing it Right! – By James E. Neal Jr., 145 pages, Neal Publications (NP) Inc., February

The #1 Guide to Performance Appraisals

Okay, I’ll admit it. I hate giving people performance appraisals. In fact, I’m lousy at it.

But then we’ve never met an individual – an appraiser or appraisee – who looked forward to the process. Managers do them because “corporate policy” says you must give those who work with you periodic reviews regarding their performance. Staff members look forward to them like going to the dentist for root canal work.

HR people go to great length to guide and counsel managers on what and what not to cover in the review and what to write and not write down. Lawyers love to spend hours and days going over the reviews for innocent comments, statements and observations that will produce fat settlements for their clients…and fees for them.

We preferred the simpler days of the business when we joined our first agency after two years of working on the corporate side. Keep in mind that way back then (some of our people call it prehistoric time) only union people had any “muscle” or recourse for real or perceived wrongs. As a “professional,” we didn’t need – nor did we want – that kind of restriction or safety net.

The president had a very clear, concise and understandable performance appraisal policy…”do the job you were hired to do. Do it well – very well – and we don’t have any problem. Do it poorly and we still have no problem – you’re fired.”

So how did we get salary increases? Again, the policy was simple. You could very accurately determine what your billings for the agency were and therefore your “value” to the agency. When you wanted a raise you did your spread sheets, marched into his office, laid them out on the conference table and then told him what you wanted in the form of an increase of salary and/or benefits.

If he felt you were being fair to him and the rest of the agency you received the increase. If he didn’t…you were fired. His logic was that if he turned you down you were going to be disappointed and disenchanted and would start looking for a new position somewhere else. So his was a preemptive move.

It may sound brutal but it was elegant in its simplicity because the options made you error on the side of conservatism. It protected your relationship with him, protected the team of people you worked with and it protected your job.

Unfortunately business and life are no longer that simple and people like Neal make vast sums of money writing complex/incomprehensible HR binders and guidelines, conducting HR conferences and seminars around the country and yes, writing books like The #1 Guide to Performance Appraisals.

All of this said, if you have to give performance appraisals as a part of your PR management job then this is probably as good a book as we’ve seen on the subject. He gives you practical advice on designing the forms, rating scales, scoring techniques and interview/appraisal techniques.

In the book’s 17 chapters he gives you clear/concise advice on how to conduct a performance review that is balanced and accurate. He also spells out how to document your appraisal with the goal of reducing anxiety for the appraisee and give them a path for improving performance.

While many HR departments and managers like the idea of self-appraisal, the approach has recently – and thankfully – fallen into disfavor. Most of us find it difficult – if not impossible – to critically evaluate and then put down on paper their own performance or organizational worth. They often know when their performance is sub-standard but actually sitting down and saying they aren’t working up to their fullest potential is difficult if not impossible.

The new 360-degree appraisal in today’s business environment is probably more realistic because it provides inputs from all of your organization contacts – inside and outside the company. This gives the manager and the employee a more global look at his or her performance and how it impacts the total organization. It’s a good tool but that’s all it is…a tool.

The best chapter for agency managers to read is the one on legal considerations. But don’t worry Neal gives you considerable assistance in this area. There’s a comprehensive list of words to use in the appraisal process and cookbook guidelines for various appraisal levels and documentation support.

Want even more assistance? Well surprise. Neal has another very popular book Effective Phrases for Performance Appraisals. He’d write a software program that you can use to carry out your staff appraisal program efficiently, effectively and legally but unfortunately that’s already been done. Depending upon the program you buy the software will kick out all of those no-no words and phrases that aren’t productive for the employee as well as those items that let the lawyers run to the courthouse with big smiles on their face.

But giving staff members periodic performance reviews is a part of your job description. So be a man (or woman) and do it right. Read Neal’s book and then sit down with your employees and conduct their reviews in a professional manner. If you get really good at the process your people will steadily improve and you might be preparing for a second career…writing performance appraisal how-to books.

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