Nobody much likes performance evaluation systems. Managers find them unworkable and uncomfortable. Workers dread them. And many experts think we should scrap them altogether.

But if you are a working manager you don't get much choice. You have got to do performance evaluations on your people using the system your organization has in place.

Start by understanding that there are actually really two different things that go through the name, "performance evaluation." One of those things is your organization's formal performance appraisal process.

Do whatever you need to to handle your organization's evaluation system. You have to work with whatever system your organization has devised. Someday you may be able to change it, although not now. Devote your time and energy to making the system deliver good results.

But the formal system is only a part of the story. Usually the evaluation that happens there is like a report card. It's a summary judgment of performance that took place for a length of time.

Give notice if you have to start documenting behavior. By and large, your suggestion to change behavior or performance will be informal. That means you won't need to document. And most of the time your suggestion and coaching will lead to improved behavior.

But sometimes you may need to let folks realize that they're not doing good enough. Whenever they keep doing what they're doing, you certainly will have to start documenting their behavior. Let them know before your start.

Then, if you must document, do some things. Keep good records of the performance or behavior that you are tracking. Be specific about what happened, when and where.

Keep good records of your counseling meetings with your subordinate. What did you say? What did he or she say? How did you agree that things would change?

Making small course corrections on the way has a couple of advantages. Foremost, small corrections are far simpler to make than big ones, so your odds of a successful outcome go up.

Second, by making small corrections and documenting your counsel as well as your subordinate's behavior, you've got the issue on front page the table. When the time arrives for formal performance evaluation, your subordinate will know where he or she has come up short. And you'll know what they have got to say about how they're doing. No surprises.

Take enough time in the formal session. In one organization where I did research we compared the time that top supervisors devoted to the once-a-year performance appraisal meeting to the time that other supervisors took. The top supervisors spent almost twice as long in the formal session as their less-effective peers.

Yet, if there weren't any surprises, what did they spend time on? They discussed growth as well as the future. That is more enjoyable and more productive than going over what did and did not happen since the last review.

Make agreements on what will happen next. Be sure you leave the formal performance evaluation session with a clear plan for how your subordinate will develop throughout the next period and what you're going to do to help.

Set milestones for your agreements. Determine who shall do what and what the deadlines are. Determine how performance should change.

Here is what to remember. The performance evaluation that makes an impact takes place every day, every time you encounter an individual who works for you. If you take every opportunity to coach, counsel, encourage and correct your people, and if you document where you must, there will be no surprises at evaluation time. Then you can use the evaluation time to help people grow and develop.