3 Responses

1. good performance appraisal form?
   Hi Kon
   you say that you have yet to see a good appraisal form – for what purpose in what culture? as this will greatly impact just how effective any form or process will be. The fact that we need forms is usually because of management failure – that is if managers did their job effectivly would we need PM systems?

   I have a number of different ‘forms’ and processes – if you can share more information about the culture and values in the organization I can send you a specific process.

   Mike

2. Horses for courses…
   I’m with Mike here. In a very procedural organisation where people are expected to do what they are told and where you are introducing appraisal for the first time you might find a structured approach with boxes to fill in and scores to provied suitable…

   However, a more developed organisation where managers continually evaluate performance and provide developmental feedback could find a blank sheet of paper all that is is necessary.

   You really do need to diagnose the existing culture and decide whetehr to reinforce or challenge it through your process before thiniing about forms.

3. Appraisal forms
   Kon
   I have sent you a form as an example.
   As others have said, the system needs to be tailored to each organisation. I would just add that the bulk of the thinking needs to go into the desired outcomes and the human processes. The mechanisms and the forms are perhaps the least important aspect. Worse still, if the training isn’t right, staff and managers end up focussing on the form as if that were the main purpose, and moaning about the time it takes and the form-filling mentality of HR.
   As an aside, I should add that I am not a great fan of the mainstream concept of performance management and appraisal systems. Like many managerial practices it has emerged from so-called best practice in large organisations over the last 30 years. If one looks to the best small companies, and to highly effective individuals and high impact teams, the evidence base for most performance management methods is less convincing.
   Graham