What Can Go Wrong When Giving Feedback During Performance Appraisals?
by Priti Ramjee, Demand Media
An employer should not confuse a performance appraisal with personality traits.
Performance appraisals are a fact of
life for most employees. Some employers fail to communicate, while others may
be inexperienced and appraise your personality, rather than your performance.
Still other employers may view the performance appraisal as a time to address
your negative behavior. Although things can go wrong during a performance
appraisal, you are allowed to converse with your employer and ask for
productive input.
Personality Appraisal
An inexperienced manager may confuse
your performance appraisal with a personality appraisal. Your performance
appraiser may state that you "lack initiative," that you have a
"negative attitude" or other traits, which may appear to be an attack
on your personality. If your boss attacks your personality, ask him to provide
feedback on specific actions for you to take to improve your performance and
productivity.
Demoralizing
A performance appraiser may not
identify what you are doing well as an employee. As a result, her feedback to
you highlights your flaws. You may feel that no matter what you do, your
employer cannot be pleased. If you receive a performance appraisal with
feedback describing your faults, ask for some positive comments.
"I Talk, You Listen" Approach
A performance appraisal should be
conducted as a conversation. For example, your appraiser says your recent
presentation was weak, but does not clarify what he would like you to do
differently. Ask for a chance to show you understand the company's performance
standards. Two-way communication allows both parties to understand the reasons
for the feedback.
Surprises
An employer should not surprise an
employee with a negative appraisal. An employer should provide general feedback
on a regular basis, such as after tasks are completed, to keep employees aware
of the quality of their work. By taking the time to offer general feedback, an
employer can avoid surprising the employee with negative feedback and the
unnecessary conflict it may cause.
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