We often sit with clients in the early phase of a performance appraisal project, before any form design is undertaken, before any process is considered or system implementation discussed, and hold a conversation simply prompted by the question ‘Why do you do performance appraisals?’.
It’s always an invaluable experience for everyone involved, but only if the conversation is held open long enough for the surface answers to emerge and dissipate, and the deeper reasons to bubble up and provide the real meat for the discussion.
Initial answers will offer up a need to catch development needs, rate a person’s performance, feed into pay and reward, set objectives and alike – all perfectly valid.
However, as the discussion develops, principles such as transparency, consistency, informed and meaningful appraisal conversations spring forth, and a realisation that such principles will ultimately lead to better decisions around form design, the process to follow and the system which will underpin it.
Until you have answered ‘Why?’, the ‘What?’, ‘How?’, ‘When?’ and ‘Who?’ of performance appraisal sit on shifting sands.
John
