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Appraisal interviewing |
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Prepare: content and |
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Performance. Gone well? Less well? Reasons? Strengths and weaknesses? Extra help and improvements needed? |
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Next period’s objectives. SMART - Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-based. Draft for discussion. |
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Administration. Paperwork (last period’s with modifications, blanks for next period); adequate notice. |
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Prepare: structure and |
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Order. Think about the logic. Don’t just use the order on the previous period’s paperwork. Perhaps start with something that has gone well. Or get the bad news out of the way first. Aim to end on a high note. |
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Setting. Out of your office if possible; privacy; no interruptions; comfortable; no barriers, such as desks; level eye lines. |
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At the start |
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Preparation. Check that the appraisee has prepared. |
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Purpose, agenda, timescale. Outline and agree what the discussion is for and how you propose to structure it. |
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It’s a conversation! Emphasise that you want this to be a two-way process leading to agreement. |
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A general question. To get the conversation going, ask the appraisee how he or she feels things have gone. |
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What to talk about |
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Performance, not personalities. You’re a manager, not a psychiatrist and this is appraisal, not therapy! Stick to what has happened and the results the appraisee has achieved. |
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The future as well as the past. Use past performance to agree future priorities. |
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The good, the bad and the OK. Praise excellent performance; don’t ignore poor performance; but concentrate on what’s gone OK, but could be improved. |
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How to behave |
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Ask questions. Open questions; closed questions; questions to get information; questions to get ideas; questions to test understanding. |
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Keep control. Use the structure you agreed at the beginning; look and listen; test understanding; summarise. |
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Give constructive feedback. Ask for for the appraisee’s views; listen; build on what you hear; add your own comments; summarise and agree the actions needed. |
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Follow up |
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Review meetings. Agree how and when to monitor progress. |
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Adapt to change. Modify objectives agreed when circumstances change. |
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Keep objectives visible. Stick them on the wall. Talk about them. |