Appraisals are an important thing for both staff and management.  It allows the staff member being appraised to voice their views and opinions, while also getting feedback from their manager on how they are achieving.  It allows the manager to voice their opinions on how the staff member is doing and where they can improve.  However, there is a major flaw with appraisals - they usually only happen every 3 or 6 months.  So what happens in between?  How do staff know if they are working to a good enough level, if they are doing what is required of them?

Obviously the answer is that their managers should be providing them feedback on a regular basis, letting them know how they are doing, so that when it comes to appraisals there are no issues.  However, all too often this doesn’t happen.  It should be seen by management as part of the appraisals, with the actual appraisal just being a means of clarifying everything and getting it down on paper.  There should never be any surprises to the staff in appraisals, if there are, then there are some severe communication issues that need to be looked at.

However, some of the areas that should be looked at when training management how to deal with appraisals are:

1. How to give feedback effectively.
2. How to deliver a difficult message.
3. How to give praise and acknowledgement at all times, not just at appraisals.
4. How to deal with issues when they arise rather than waiting for an appraisal.
5. How to build other peoples confidence, so that they become better workers.

Remember, appraisals are on going, not just 2 or 4 times a year!

Related posts:

1. Management Training - Dealing With Unexpected Reactions
2. Management Training - The Basics
3. Anger Management Training

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