Some Questions About Performance Appraisal

1. Why do people resist appraisal?

a. From the perspective of doing appraisal?

Lack of skill or knowledge of how to do it.
Fear of scarring people.
Fear of possible confrontation.
Fear of how the results will be used against them.
Takes to much time.
Lack of confidence in the process.
Fear of being appraised by appraise

b. From the perspective of receiving appraisal?

Fear of being judged negatively.
Lack of confidence in the appraiser.
Fear of how the results will be used.
Fear of knowing self.
Lack of confidence in own ability
Doubt about the significance of the whole process.
Fear of prejudice.

2. What are the advantages/disadvantages

a. Informal/Subjective appraisal?

Advantages:

Don't know that it is happening to you
Relaxed environment facilitates communications
More personal
Immediate feedback
Ongoing process.

Disadvantages :

Don't know that it is happening to you
Done irregularly and can be forgotten
Inadequate or no documentation
Situation oriented, narrow in scope
Not measurable.

b. Formal/Objective appraisal?

Advantages:

Opens the door for two way communications
Could be motivational
Documented
Regularly scheduled
Requires appraiser to be better prepared by planning
Measurable

Disadvantages :

Finality of process
Builds barrier walls
Takes too much time

3. How can barriers to appraisal be overcome?

Training of appraisers

Communicate clearly positive and real objectives of the organization and the appraisal unit

Emphasize the staff development aspect
Create a climate for open, two-way communication
Have staff involvement in the development of the process
Follow through
Build incentive system into the unit
Encourage self-appraisal

4. Develop the ideal appraisal unit.

State the objectives of the organization
State the objectives of the appraisal unit
Make it a two-way communications process
Train appraisers
Interpret individual objectives in the light of organizational objectives

Have responsibilities mutually understood; allow for discussion and negotiation; mutual goal setting process.

Feedback increases both individual and group performance.

The amount of feedback is related to the level of performance achieved.

Personnel receiving no feedback generally decrease in performance.

Feedback, the quality of feedback influences performance.

Feedback, the more specific, relevant, and timely the feedback, the greater the positive effects on performance.

Feedback, feedback is best effective when directly relevant to a task.

Rapidity of learning is related to the preciseness of the feedback.

No feedback results in low confidence and hostility whereas free feedback results in confidence and friendliness.

Ambiguity decreases with better information and innovative behavior increases and ritualism decreases.

Feedback results in clearer role expectation with increases in group satisfaction and effectiveness.

When an appraise expects favorable feedback, critical appraisal has a negative effect on attitudes.

Feedback of itself does not contribute to improved performance as much as objective setting does.

Feedback does improve performance when it is used in the objective setting process.

Feedback of results has no influence on performance unless the

feedback is used as a means of comparing performance with previously established objectives or standards.

Feedback, when provided by a superior, communicate interest in the subordinate's job or the subordinate himself.

When given in a disagreeable manner, feedback may create resentment and hostility and perhaps contribute to reduced performance.

The influence an individual has on decisions that affect him, can affect performance levels and Job satisfaction.

There is a positive relationship between participation and the job performance of rank and file employees.

Participation results in greater acceptance of decisions and with proper manager-ship can results In decisions of high quality.

Participation can strengthen agreement among participants and carry over this mutual understanding past the initial discussion period.

Job satisfaction increases with participation.

Research findings on participation and job performance show conflicting results. Some studies are positive in the relationship others show no relationship, however, there are no studies that suggest participation will decrease performance.

When the individual does have some control over both the means of reaching his objectives and the manner in which they are set, this is legitimate participation and higher performance may result.

A positive relationship between participation and performance involved the actual establishment of objectives by the individual: thus, the improvements in performance could be the result of objective setting itself rather than of participation.

Participation may favorably affect turnover and absenteeism.

The individual better understands what is expected of him or her when he or she participates in shaping performance objectives.

More participation leads to more discussion, which may in turn lead to better problem identification.

Personnel initially tend to set performance Objectives at higher levels than previous performance levels and tend to keep them higher.

The level of aspiration is not as high in late Periods of personnel are unsuccessful in achieving initial objectives.

Setting objectives increased the level of performance best when the task was difficult.

The process of objective setting has a large Effect on performance than does knowledge of Results.

Employees' performance is higher when they have specific objectives to achieve rather that Being told to " do their best."

Personnel given more time to do a task tool more time and set easier goals than subjects given the minimum amount of time necessary for achieving objectives, according to their abilities.

Performance dissatisfaction depends on the relationship of actual performance to one's Performance objectives.

Objectives and intentions are the primary motivational determinants of task performance and that external incentives influence behavior through their effects on objectives and intentions.

1. What are the major problems?

Willingness to admit problem exists
Ability to recognize a problem when you see one
Ability to define problems with clarity.

2. What are the major pressures?

From the community
From staff, professionals and others

3. What are the major aspirations?

Anticipation of concerns before they become full-blown problems or pressures.

Long range needs
Professional contributions.

Objective development in five easy steps

1. Find the objective.

A .Basically three type

1. Maintenance: A repetitive ongoing objective necessary to the achievement of organization's common objectives.

2. Developmental:

a. Problem Solving, which leads to the correction of a discrepancy in the current level of performance in the maintenance objective

b. Creative, which will lead to improved or expanded unit results.

3. Personal: Designed to enhance the individual manager's improvement of his professional or managerial skills and career growth.

B. Determine the key result area for the department, unit, position or individual.

C. Identify measurement factors for each key result area.
D. Establish an objective for each measurement factor.

2. Setting the objective/Good objectives should be:

Supportive of an accountability.
Measurable in either quantifiable or qualitative terms
Attainable and realistic.

A jointly developed commitment between an individual and the supervisor.

Challenging.
Established to reflect the results expected on the job.
Consistent with the organization hierarchy of objectives
The basis foe a sound performance review.
Mutually understood and accepted.

A key factor in the improvement of performance and management development.

3. Validate the objectives

Do they describe results instead of activities.

Does the manager clearly understand he is expected to meet his objectives.

Have the risk, assumptions, and changing requirements been checked and analyzed to see where faults or failures can occur with implementation.

The supervisor commits himself to helping the individual achieve his objectives by providing required resources, facilities, materials, methods, people and management to reach the desired objective.

4. Implementing the objectives.

Develop the pans and activities necessary to begin and carry out action needed to meet the objective.

Select the best alternative that will maximum effectiveness at a specified cost and will maximum cost at a specified level of effectiveness.

Determine a time schedule

5. Evaluating and reporting the status of the objective.

Formulate evaluation-don't drive on a flit tire.
Summative evaluation.
Did the unit accomplish its objectives?
Did the unit operate as it was designed too?
To what extent are the results of the unit attributable to the unit?

Is the unit plan adequate to effectively and efficiently achieve its objectives?

What judgments can be supported by the evaluation findings?

1. Understandable: Clear, unambiguous Language.
2. Behavior Oriented: Describes behavior expected.
3. Measurable: Outcomes assessment is feasible.
4. Operational: Defined in terms of operations.
5. Challenging: Stimulates higher level of behavior outcomes.

6. Realistic: Achievable in terms of resources, time, talents, and techniques available.

7. Significant: Spells out important or relevant outcomes.

8. Developmental: Continuity of growth over time and in different contexts.

9. Comprehensive: Embraces All Important Outcomes.
10. Balanced: Priorities Set For Multiple Objectives.
11. Accurate: Reflects True Intent Of The Organization.
12. Brief: Uses As Few Words As Possible To Communicate.

Basic concepts behind establishing
performance objectives:

1. The clearer the idea one has of what one is trying to accomplish, the greater the chances of accomplishing it.

2. Progress can only be measured in terms of what one is trying to progress toward.

Performance objectives for each unit, department or individual provides the basis For establishing the authority and accountability relationships.

Task functions

1. Initiating: Proposing tasks or goals; defining a group problem; suggesting a procedure for solving a problem; suggesting other ideas for consideration.

2. Information or opinion seeking: Requesting facts on the problem; seeking relevant information; asking for suggestions and ideas.

3. Information or opinion solving: Offering facts; providing relevant information stating a belief; giving suggestions or ideas.

4. Clarifying or elaborating: Interpreting or reflecting ideas and suggestions; clearing up confusion; indicating alternatives and issues before the group; giving examples.

5. Summarizing: Pulling related ideas together; restating suggestions after the group has discussed them.

6. Consensus Testing: Sending up " trial balloons " to see if group is nearing a conclusion; agreement has been reached.

7. Encouraging: Being friendly, warm and responsive to others; accepting others and their contributions; listening; showing regard for others by giving them an opportunity or recognition.

8. Expressing group feelings: Sensing feeling, mood, relationships within the group; sharing his own feelings with other members.

9. Harmonizing: Attempting to reconcile disagreements; reducing tension through "pouring oil on troubled waters"; getting people to explore their differences.

10. Compromising: Offering to compromise his own position, ideas, or status) admitting error; disciplining himself to help maintain the group.

11. Gate keeping: Seeing that others have a chance to speak; keeping the discussion a group discussion rather than a l, 2, or 3 way conversation.

12. Setting Standards: Expressing standards that will help group to achieve applying standards in evaluating group functioning and production.

1. Integration of new members into the group, and the acceptance of group members. (If I feel that I am accepted, it is easier to accept other members).

2. How do we handle technical issues and still deal with each other as persons. For example, when we run into difficulty over a piece of technical information there is a tendency to react to what was said and to forget that there was a person saying it.

3. How do we use experts outside or inside our groups. There is a tendency of group members to feel less expert when there is a visiting expert around. There is more tolerance in accepting his ideas without checking it out with someone else. (There is always this process issue of who is an expert, and how are we going to deal with persons "who have all the answer's.)

4. How well is the group doing in reaching it's goal. How productive is the group.

5. Who controls what goes on; the organization of the group. If managership is shared you have the feeling of interdependence.

6. How do we handle process comments. In small groups there is a tendency to apologize for making a process comment because we do not think of these comments as task relevant. However, these statements are task relevant because they have a great deal to do with how well groups can do on a task.

What kinds of things go on between group members that interfere with group process? Some of these are:

Talk Fast-interrupting the speaker.
Cutting Off
Pairing Off- one person is talking and two people pair up against Jumping in too quickly
Putting people on the spot- condemning people.
Being evaluative- condemning; not after constructive criticism.
Not building on comments-lead balloon abandonment

Eight general principles which can be applied to make the group process of learning or problem solving more efficient:

Atmosphere

Improving physical setting in which group meets or works; give a feeling of equality among the group members.

Size of group should be kept small (less than 1215);

Principle 1: The effective problem solving group has a physical' atmosphere conducive to problem orientation and is large enough to permit maximum experience background and small enough to permit maximum participation and minimal threat.

Threat Reduction

Insecurity from presence of strangers

Transference of hostility from previous experiences give out name tags if group small enough; first name in large letters; Have people tell about themselves in some detail, or three humorous sentences telling important things about self.

Principle 2: Pleasant interpersonal relationships reduce threat and permit shift of orientation from interpersonal problems to group goals.

Distributive Managership

Various functions of manager-ship shared by group members.

Causes increased confidence that each person has in himself as a manager. Creates confidence in him on the part of the group;

Principles 3: Distribution of manager-ship maximizes problem involvement and permits maximum distribution of member growth.

Goal Formulation

A group that cannot show each member that he has something to contribute and something to gain from membership is an unproductive one and should not continue.

Principle 4: Explicit goal formulation increases the group's feelings and increases involvement in the decision making process.

Flexibility

Interest may change between planning for meeting and actual meeting; plans should not be sacred;

Principle 5: Groups should formulate agenda which should be followed until new goals are formulated on the basis of new needs.

Consensus

No formal voting, because this splits group and destroys its cohesiveness; the members continue to discuss the issue until it becomes obvious that everyone is satisfied with the solution, no formal vote required then;

Principle 6: The decision making process should continue until the group formulates a solution upon which it can form a consensus.

Process Awareness

Increasing sensitivity to: The roles that different members play in the group, the needs of various members, their own needs in relationship to those of the others; Can learn to be more perceptive by paying close attention to the processes of interaction within the group and relating those observations to one's own feeling;

Principle 7: Awareness of group process increases the likelihood of goal orientation and allows for the more rapid modification of goals or sub-goals.

Continual Evaluation

Of whether the activities that the group is engaged in are those for which it wants or not; Calls for continuous evaluation; Changes suggested by evaluation process should be made, otherwise members lose interest and group disintegrates; Impossible under autocratic managership because of fear to express selves; Therapeutic catharsis denied under autocratic managership;

Principle 8 : Continual evaluation of goals and activities permits intelligent modification of the problem solving process at any stage of decision making.

Original file name: pa - converted on Monday, 16 June 1997, 16:15