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're a working manager you do not 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 really two different issues which go by the name, "performance evaluation." One of those things is your organization's formal performance appraisal process.

Do what ever you must to manage your organization's evaluation system. It is important 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.

Though the formal system is only included in the story. Usually the evaluation that happens there is like a report card. It's a summary judgment of performance that took place over a length of time.

Give notice if you have to start documenting behavior. In most cases, your suggestion to change behavior or performance will be informal. That means you will not need to document. And much of visit the next site time your suggestion and coaching will result in improved behavior.

But sometimes you'll need to let folks realize that they are 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 need to document, do a few things. Keep good records of the performance or behavior that you're 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 she or he say? How did you agree that things would change?

Making small course corrections on the way has a couple of advantages. For starters, 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 and also your subordinate's behavior, you have got the issue on the table. When the time arrives for formal performance evaluation, your subordinate will know where he or she has come up short. And you are going to determine what they have got to say about how they are 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 yearly performance appraisal meeting to the time that other supervisors took. The top supervisors spent almost 2 times as long within the formal session as their less-effective peers.

Nonetheless, if there weren't any surprises, what did they spend time on? They mentioned growth and the future. That's more enjoyable and a lot more productive than going over what did and didn't happen considering that the last review.

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

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

Here's what to remember. The performance evaluation that makes an impact takes place daily, every time you encounter a person that works for you. If you take every chance to coach, counsel, encourage and correct your people, and if you document in which you must, there will be no surprises at evaluation time. Then you can use the evaluation time for you to help people grow and develop.