In the last few months I've run several workshops on Appraisals (aka performance reviews). They have been with organisations (one creative/new media,the other voluntary sector)not happy with their current system because it's too bureaucratic, not realistic, counter-cultural for the organisation etc etc.

I find that increasingly these systems need to be tailored to the style of the organisation rather than using an off-the-shelf HR-driven system - that is, if they're to be used well and add value.

In one creative organisation I worked with a mixed group - managers with experience and new managers who'd been promoted to team leader or project manager because they were good at their (creative)job. For all of them it was the only 'management' workshop they'd had. It did seem like a very good starting place - because the first thing that's needed is to know what the person's job is and what success in it looks like.

We worked in a semi-structured way with plenty of room for conversations. The feedback was good and they all said they wanted "Part 2."

I'm writing this as a starter for discussion about how to make a system work, so that staff get a good answer to their question "How'm I doing?"
joanna howard