Appraisal is a method of assessing performance and setting goals for future development. The format of appraisals should be a set of questions, followed by a list of objectives agreed upon together. As a manager you can add your own observations, although these should always be in the form of positive feedback. Questions relating to where the employee sees themselves within the team and company both now and in the future are advisable in order to create an action plan you are both happy with. It should be a chance for them to give you their input. He/she should be asked if there are any areas in which they feel they can improve. This should then be used as a positive opportunity for you to help them improve in those areas by training etc and never as an opportunity for attack or accusations.

Appraisals can therefore be a motivational tool. Begin with the positive, offer any constructive criticism and end on a positive note. The appraisal should never be used as a method to bully, intimidate or criticise an employee. Problems directly relating to an employees work should be addressed on a case-by-case basis at the time of the problem and not saved for the appraisal. I once dealt with a case of bullying where a manager had used an appraisal to deliver a scathing review of employee performance and a personal attack. The manager had never previously indicated any problems or offered any training. The result of this was a severely confused employee with a total lack of motivation and no worthwhile objectives for the future. You should never place anyone in the position of having to defend themselves or their actions in an appraisal. If there is a problem then deal with it first so the appraisal can contain only constructive criticism at most.

So what is meant by constructive criticism and how is it different to a verbal attack? Consider the issue of assertiveness within an office. You need an employee to toughen up as they are getting walked over by the clients and other staff. One way to do this would be to tell the person they are seen as pathetic and a pushover and they need to toughen up if they expect to be taken seriously! But what would this achieve? The manager would come across as rude and arrogant and the employee would be both embarrassed and angry. Nothing has been achieved, as the employee has been given no method of achieving your goal for them. Focus your attention on the accomplishments since the last review. When discussing areas of improvement, suggest that the employee is known for their kindness and generosity, but it might be useful for them to attend some assertiveness training to help them develop their confidence in tougher situations. This kind of training could be set as an objective.

Objectives are a technique used to keep an employee motivated by giving them measurable goals. At the next appraisal it is simple to see whether or not these objectives have been met. They will have something to strive for and will be able to list achievements that you have both agreed on as necessary. It is worth considering what constitutes a worthwhile objective. In its most basic form an objective is a goal you want to achieve in the future. While it can and should build on what has already been achieved it should not be something already completed. Do not use objectives to remind a staff of their responsibilities. Objectives should be measurable and achievable, with a clear set of criteria to decide when they have been met. An example of a vague objective would be, 'become more creative.' This objective would be impossible to complete, as it is ongoing with no definite criteria for completion. It is also subjective, far too dependent on a variety of individual's interpretation on what 'creative' might comprise.

An example of a focused and achievable objective is, 'able to speak conversational social French by 6 months.' This objective is measurable and attainable, (despite the fact that the language skills themselves could continue to grow past the completion of the objective.) In this way the objective list is not simply a task list. When setting objectives, decide on a set of criteria for their completion. For the previous example, the objective could be considered as met if the employee could hold a basic conversation on a variety of topics after six months or they could take a basic level French exam depending on how formal the success criteria.

Sometimes you will set an objective that falls outside the employee's current skill set and experience. This is reasonable as the employee may require a new challenge or direction. It is not acceptable to expect them to achieve this without help. Part of setting an objective of this nature is ensuring they have the means and resources to complete it. Look at each objective and ask whether it is within an employee's power to complete it. You may need to give them access to some form of internal or external training. Decide what kind of training would be appropriate to the employee and gauge what they feel most comfortable with. In the language learning example you may need to send them on a course, purchase them course books, hire a tutor etc depending on training budgets.

It is also important to set realistic time scales. You will need to prioritise the objectives if you have set more than one. It is best to agree on three or four objectives, or less if they are large tasks so as not to overwhelm people. Make sure that they are reasonable for the time involved and do not conflict. If you want them to learn French, for example, do not set a second objective suggesting they learn German. It may be appropriate to discuss some sort of reward system for achieving these goals. In this example it could be that the employee will be able to handle more of the foreign clients creating more opportunity for commission or travel etc. Be aware that when you set objectives, they will often be activities outside the normal work to be completed and therefore some time may need to be set aside.

As a manager committed to improving the quality of performance in the staff and the team, appraisal with objectives is an excellent approach. Employees should feel that you are taking time to get to know them and their requirements or goals. People who are great at their current jobs may wish to further themselves or change roles and an appraisal will give you the opportunity to recognise this and help them achieve it. While it may be more convenient for you to keep someone who is good at their job in a static position, bear in mind that if he/she become bored and does not get help from you, then they may seek another position in a rival company and the skill set and talent will be lost. Use appraisals as an opportunity to organise and develop your workforce.