10 Tips For Your Appraisal By Arthur Cooper (c) Copyright 2004 Almost everybody employed in a company of any size will be used to regular appraisals by their manager. It doesn’t matter what level you are in
company. Unless you are at very summit there is always a manager above you to appraise your performance.
This is often a prospect dreaded by both staff and manager. It is often regarded as a formality, or a waste of time, or a time when manager and his staff are rude to each other. But it needn’t be and it shouldn’t be. Handled properly it is a time when strengths and weaknesses are honestly assessed and agreed upon. It is a time when mutually agreed actions are instigated for benefit of all concerned.
This short article looks at it from point of view of person being appraised. How should he approach his appraisal? How can he benefit from it?
Stop and Think
Before time of your actual appraisal meeting with your manager, think back over previous year (or whatever your appraisal period is) and do your own self-appraisal. How do you yourself think you have performed? What have been your likes and dislikes concerning what you have had to do? What problems have you encountered and how have you dealt with them? Where, if at all, have you fallen short of what was asked of you, and what were reasons?
Be honest with yourself. An honest self-appraisal of your own strengths and weaknesses will put you in a good position to profit from your real appraisal when it does take place.
Plan ahead
Confident in your own assessment of how you have performed, you can now set your own goals for year ahead. What is it you really want to achieve? Is it a particular job you want to do? Are you looking for promotion? Do you want to acquire new skills? Think about what you need to achieve these aims. Will you need specific training? Do you need to gain experience of a particular function? Do you need to improve your people skills?
If you can go into your appraisal with firm aims and ambitions you will stand out as someone who knows where he is going. If you know what to ask for you are more likely to get it.
Attitude
Demonstrate a positive attitude in your appraisal meeting. Show that you take responsibility for your own success. Don’t make lame excuses for things that have not turned out perfectly. Explain that you have learnt from your mistakes, and demonstrate your enthusiasm to improve and advance.
Co-operate
Don’t be awkward. Don’t make it difficult for your manager. He may not enjoy appraisals any more than you do. He may even not be very good at it. Ease way for him. Listen to what he has to say even if you do not agree with it all. Don’t accept without comment criticism that you not agree with, but disagree politely. Back up anything you say with reasons and fact. By all means be firm and assertive, but do it in a pleasant way.
