Performance Appraisals – Seven Stupid Things Employees Do To Mess Them Up

Towards the end of every year most of face the process of performance reviews and many of us feel we didn’t get what we deserved. Been part of many such performance review interactions myself i completely agree with Robert Bacal, a consultant, management trainer and international author on a number of business topics, ranging from customer service through creating more productive workforces through the use of leadership and performance management.

Robert shared the Seven Stupid Things Employees Do To Mess Them Up and i believe they are relevant in today’s context as well.

Stupid Thing #1: Focusing on the Appraisal Forms
Stupid Thing #2: Not Preparing Beforehand
Stupid Thing #3: Defensiveness
Stupid Thing #4: Not Communicating During the Year
Stupid Thing #5: Not Clarifying Enough
Stupid Thing #6: Allowing One-Sidedness
Stupid Thing #7: Focusing On Appraisal as a Way of Getting More Money

The major responsibilities for setting performance appraisal tone and climate rest with managers and the human resources department. However, even when managers and human resources do their jobs well, employees who come at the process with a negative or defensive approach are not likely to gain from the process or to prosper over the long term. The constant key is for employees to participate actively and assertively, but to keep a problem-solving mindset, and keep focused on how things can be improved in the future. No matter who initiates it, performance appraisal is about positive open communication between employee and manager.

On a lighter note, see this animated video on an interaction between an employee and the HR Manager.