“The fundamental task of management remains the same: to make people capable of joint performance through common goals, common values, the right structure, and the training and development they need to perform and to respond to change.”
– Peter F. Drucker, Educator and Author.
There have been numerous debates on whether performance appraisals are necessary. My answer to this is YES, they are necessary. However, it is all in the execution. In many companies, the employee performance appraisal exercise is often an annual event. It tends to be an extremely stressful time, dreaded by most managers and employees. Some Managers use it as a tool to punish employees for their past and most recent failings in executing their core function. However, there are those who genuinely use the performance appraisal sessions as a means of guiding the employee on the path of greater performance improvement.
For performance appraisals to be effective, they should be a frequent activity. It needs to be entrenched as part of the companies work culture. It should become a routine exercise and when executed correctly, the manager and employee will look forward to the discussion. Consistency in performance reviews, keeps the employee on track on their performance and on areas of improvement. The employee can therefore be advised by their supervisors in good time on corrective action to be taken and praise for a job well done can be given accordingly. Performance appraisals are an excellent communication tool that allows the manager and employee to engage.
