Leading Constructive Appraisal Conversations

The biggest misconception about appraisal conversations is that they’re a formal, specific event to be scheduled periodically and simply checked off the task list once completed. It’s not so much the time interval that is the issue; it is the way managers think about and approach these conversations. 

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Before approaching an appraisal conversation, it is important to remember the responsibilities that you hold as a people manager. These could include clarifying the organization’s vision, setting and meeting goals, ensuring that the team is on track and hitting milestones, taking care of the team’s mental and emotional welfare, and so on. 

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Conducting appraisal conversations is just a small part of these responsibilities. But the underlying factor that ties in all this is the ability to connect and communicate with the team. It is from this aspect that you should approach appraisal conversations – understanding that it is something that should be weaved into daily conversations tactfully and respectfully, and not relegated to being a one-off special occasion.

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Appraisal conversations are part of a continuous flow of dialogue and feedback about project statuses, tasks completed and left outstanding, and any related developments or updates. Naturally, the subject of an employee’s performance will surface. If you make an observation about an employee’s behaviour or performance that needs to be addressed, there is no reason to wait till a formal performance review before bringing it up. Instead, address it in a timely manner, as this is when your feedback is most effective.

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Navigating Emotional Situations

Performance management is inevitably an emotional process, and you can start by accepting the fact that you may have to deal with emotional reactions. Where it gets tricky is if both parties are unfamiliar with each other, don’t have a close working relationship, and don’t feel comfortable discussing heavier topics. 

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As a manager, the onus is on you to manage the process so that both parties emerge from the session in an uplifted and empowered state. This does not mean completely avoiding difficult conversations or trying to force a positive atmosphere all the time. It simply means being deliberate and thoughtful about things.