Why managers often don’t get to the point in employee appraisals

IFABS, In Englisch, Leaders Hill

What it’s all about

Employee appraisals are an essential tool in day-to-day management, but many managers find it difficult to conduct these discussions efficiently and purposefully. This often leads to lengthy discussions that are not satisfactory for either the manager or the employee. The reasons for this are complex and lie both in the psychological dynamics of these discussions and in the structural framework conditions of the company.

Lack of preparation and target definition

One of the main reasons why managers don’t get to the point in appraisal interviews is a lack of preparation. Without a clear agenda and defined goals, conversations can easily digress. It is crucial that managers formulate clear expectations before each meeting and identify the key points that need to be discussed.

Fear of conflict and unpleasant topics

Many managers shy away from addressing critical or unpleasant topics. Concerns that the conversation could provoke emotional reactions or that the relationship with the employee could suffer often lead to important points being skirted or only addressed very vaguely. This can lead to conversations taking longer as the real issues are not directly addressed.

Excessive sharing of information

With the intention of providing comprehensive information, some managers tend to include too much information in a conversation. This can lead to the actual objectives of the discussion being pushed into the background and the core messages being lost. A clear focus on the essentials is therefore crucial.

Lack of feedback culture

Many organisations lack an established feedback culture, which means that performance reviews are one of the rare opportunities for feedback. This can increase the pressure to cover everything in a meeting, which in turn increases the length and complexity of the meeting.

Insufficient training for managers

Not every manager is naturally skilful at conducting discussions. Without appropriate training, quite a few managers have problems structuring and leading discussions effectively. Training in communication and dialogue management is essential to enable managers to achieve their goals efficiently in discussions.

The illusion of completeness

In an effort to ensure that all aspects of an issue are covered, some leaders tend to provide more information than necessary. Paradoxically, this desire for completeness can lead to important points not being sufficiently emphasised as they get lost in the flood of information.

Conclusion

To get to the point in employee appraisals, managers need clear strategic preparation, the ability to address unpleasant topics and a focus on the essentials. A strong feedback culture and targeted training can also help to ensure that conversations are focussed and efficient. Ultimately, it is important that managers learn to value the needs and time of their employees by making conversations precise and focussed.

Reflect, Analyze, Advance.

Further reading

  • Grote, R. C. (2020). How to Be Good at Performance Appraisals: Simple, Effective, Done Right. Harvard Business Review Press.
  • Pulakos, E. D. (2009). Performance Management: A New Approach for Driving Business Results. Wiley-Blackwell.
  • Aguinis, H. (2013). Performance Management (3rd ed.). Pearson.
  • Smither, J. W., & London, M. (Eds.). (2009). Performance Management: Putting Research into Action. Jossey-Bass.
  • Buckingham, M., & Goodall, A. (2015). Reinventing Performance Management. Harvard Business Review, 93(4), 40-50.
  • Cappelli, P., & Tavis, A. (2016). The Performance Management Revolution. Harvard Business Review, 94(10), 58-67.
  • Culbert, S. A., & Rout, L. (2010). Get Rid of the Performance Review! Wall Street Journal, Eastern Edition, 255(120), R1-R3.
  • Adler, S., Campion, M., Grubb, A., Murphy, K., & Ollander-Shereikis, A. (2016). Getting Rid of Performance Ratings: Genius or Folly? A Debate. Industrial and Organizational Psychology, 9(2), 219-252.
  • Schleicher, D. J., Baumann, H. M., Sullivan, D. W., Levy, P. E., Hargrove, D. C., & Barros-Rivera, B. A. (2018). Putting the System Back in Performance Management Systems. Industrial and Organizational Psychology, 11(2), 306-326.
  • Bracken, D. W., Timmreck, C. W., & Church, A. H. (Eds.). (2001). The Handbook of Multisource Feedback: The Comprehensive Resource for Designing and Implementing MSF Processes. Jossey-Bass.
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