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Performance Evaluations

What Should Performance Evaluations Be About?

Past Performan

ce YearNew

Performance Year

General Worth?

• Forbes Magazine Findings

• 98% of Staff Find Annual Performance Reviews Unnecessary

• Lackadaisical management attitude = employee apathy

Generally Worthless!

• 98% of staff find annual performance reviews unnecessary

• Lackadaisical management attitude = employee apathy

Common Excuses

• Our Work is Different

• It’s Either Pass or Fail so Who Cares?

• There’s no Money Anyway!

Common Excuses

R477-10-1. Performance Evaluation

• (1) Performance management systems shall satisfy the following criteria:• (a) Agency management shall select an overall performance rating scale.• (b) Performance standards and expectations for each employee shall be specifically

written in a performance plan.• (c) Managers or supervisors provide employees with regular verbal and written

feedback based on the standards of performance and behavior outlined in the performance plan.

• (d) An employee shall have the right to include written comments pertaining to the evaluation with the employee's performance evaluation.

• (2) Each fiscal year a state employee shall receive a performance evaluation.• (a) A probationary employee shall receive an additional performance evaluation at the

end of the probationary period.

What Will We Be Discussing?

• Before the Evaluation Meeting

• During the Evaluation Meeting

• After the Evaluation Meeting

Long Before the Evaluation Meeting

• SMART Objectives

• Consistent Feedback (at least quarterly)

• Culture of Accountability

• Never, Ever any Surprises

Just Before the Evaluation Meeting

• Give Notice Well Before the Actual Meeting

• Communicate Agenda (Performance Narrative, Rating, Next Year’s Plan)

• Allow the Employee to Prepare for the Meeting

During the Evaluation Meeting

• Tell and Sell

• Tell and Listen

• Problem Solving Approach

Performance Narrative

Past Performan

ce YearNew

Performance Year

Performance Narrative

• What did the Employee Accomplish?• What Value did the Employee add?• What Could They Have Done Better?

• What Would they Like to do This Year?• What Recommendations do They Have to Improve

the Position?

What if the Narrative is Negative?

• If it Hasn’t Happened Before, This is the Time to Change Performance (No Surprises, but no Excuses)

• Make Sure the Meeting is Constructive, Looking Towards the Future

Assertive CommunicationAssertive

communication is the straightforward and

open expression of your needs, desires,

thoughts and feelings. Assertive

communication involves advocating for your own needs while still considering and

respecting the needs of others.

 

•Management Responsibilities•Begin With Genuine Praise•Think “and” Instead of “buts”•Focus on Behaviors•Don’t Rely on Subtext

During the Performance Evaluation

Diplomatic Dialogue

• Use Qualifying Language

• Avoid “Always” and “Never”

• Don’t Totalize or Inflame

• Get to the Root of Things

Assertive

Passive

Aggressive

• Central Tendency— the tendency to rate all employees the same around a medium or “satisfactory” point.

• Halo Effect— the tendency to let one outstanding employee characteristic or ability influence all other items of the evaluation, resulting in unwarranted global judgments.

• Contrast Error— evaluating employees using yourself as the standard rather than the standards articulated in the performance plan.

• Leniency Bias— evaluating everyone as above average, just different degrees of excellent.

• Unrelated Factors— considering personality qualities, quirks, appearance, or other factors that do not affect job performance.

Evaluation Biases

After the Evaluation Meeting

• Follow Through by Following up

• Connect the Evaluation Meeting with the Performance Plan Meeting

• If It’s Meaningless to you, it Will be Meaningless to Them

What Should Performance Evaluations Be About?

Past Performan

ce YearNew

Performance Year

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