The appraiser plays a key role in performance review. First, the appraiser needs to build trust. The review should be displayed as a coaching session. Start with the positives and ensure facts are in place for the negatives. The discussion has to be based on facts. Further, nothing should come as a surprise to the appraisee. It's long gone when you have your periodic reviews to provide feedback. It's daily feedback that matters for employees to improve their performance. This makes defensive employees realise their status.

When an employee becomes defensive during a performance review, stay calm and empathetic. Acknowledge their feelings and encourage open dialogue, asking them to share their perspective. Avoid escalating the situation by remaining non-confrontational and focusing on specific behaviors, not personal attributes. Reinforce that the goal is to support their growth, not to criticize. Shift the conversation toward solutions by discussing how they can improve and offering guidance or resources. Maintain a constructive tone, and remind them that feedback is a two-way process aimed at mutual success.

To address defensiveness in performance reviews, implement a continuous feedback culture. Shift to regular feedback to reduce surprises and anxiety during formal reviews. Train managers in emotional intelligence to improve empathy and communication skills. Use self-assessments to involve employees in their evaluations, fostering self-reflection. Focus on strengths and areas of improvement, making feedback feel supportive rather than critical. Introduce peer reviews to normalize feedback and reduce personal defensiveness.

When providing feedback to a team member during the review process, if they appear defensive or reserved, it's important to first create a comfortable and open environment before beginning the session. It's also essential to emphasize that the feedback will be based on factual performance during the appraisal year. The feedback should be transparent and well-justified, ensuring the employee feels that their ratings accurately reflect their performance.

Each individual comes with different personality- as a manager we need to handle all kinds of situations, it is not only simple scenario- we might get defensive employee as well- however below tips can work out well in this kind of situation. 1. Stay Calm: Maintain a neutral and supportive tone to ease defensiveness. 2. Listen Actively: Allow the employee to express their perspective without interruption. 3. Clarify Intent: Emphasize that the review aims to support growth, not criticize. 4. Focus on Facts: Use specific examples to discuss performance, avoiding generalizations. 5. Collaborate on Solutions: Engage the employee in creating an improvement plan to foster ownership and commitment.