How To Write A Winning Performance Appraisal

In Order to stay Inspired, You First Have to Know What Moves You - Curtis Tyrone Jones

It has been argued that performance assessment should be purely driven by business value addition. And this is true because the essence of business is to deliver value. Without business, there is no company and they will not be a need for any employees.

But who should have a better say in the input for the employees? I conducted a poll recently and the results was revealing. Over 73% opined that Customers should have the biggest say, while 27% went for the Direct Boss, 0% polled Peers. This is huge!

Even though some may argue the results of this poll, it points us into the right direction where we should go to measure value delivery for business results. Who will better tell us the answer than the customers that received the service?

But the essence of the discourse today is not about the customer but centered on the employees who will need to make his input to the system once in a year. How can it do it properly? What should be the elements? How do you communicate what you have done?

I have seen many personnel grapple with this input year after year despite many coaching sessions that organization arrange to make many aware of how to do this better. But it seems it has not sink deep well enough.

Right Knowledge, Right Mindset and Right Action Are Ingredients Required for a Successful Career – Gabriel Fagade

A friend working in another company told me in confidence some years back that he will not bother to provide his appraisal input because they don’t make any difference. He expressed his frustration over the years of providing input. He blamed the system, his bosses, the company except himself for the problem. Many people are like this my friend!

But truth be told, company must find a way to differentiate between high and low perfomers because we all know that our contributions are not the same. Whatever way we an organization decide to do theirs does not matter. People will still be on the two sides of the divide – For or Against.

Let’s get back on track to the subject of discussion. How can an employee make his presentation in the best way?

The best preparation for tomorrow is doing your best today

Prepare Your Input

This important moments of your career is important and you must prepare well for it. So do the followings:

-????????Check emails between you and the customers over the period of appraisal

-????????Pick those appreciation notes from customers, direct supervisors and others

-????????Check the presentation packs you did within the period. They’ll give you some good insights

What Goals Did You Set for the Year

It is always good to have a goal agreed between you and the supervisor at the start of the year. More or less like a strategic objectives of your unit or organization. But I have seen over the years that many Managers and Direct Supervisors struggle to be able to share the goals with their direct reports. Any good reason? We are all very busy!

This is not good enough and we all need to make amends. Our direct reports must have goals we jointly agree to complement the organization strategic objectives for business value delivery.

But let’s come back to the employess, if your boss didn’t set a goal for you, you must have one for yourself. Do that at the beginning of your appraisal cycle and ensure it aligns with your company priorities.

This may be in the following areas:

-????????Safety

-????????Reliability

-????????Cost Efficiency

-????????Innovation

-????????Production Targets

Showcase Business Results

For anything you do, you must practice to be a salesperson! This time around, you want to sell yourself to others with your contributions to the business. Most times, you don’t have a lot of space to do this, it must be done in a high-level form.

See it more or less like you’re providing an elevator pitch of a business. You must be able to deliver what you’re saying in 2 to 3 minutes and make a lasting impression on your audience. Therefore, do the followings:

-????????Arrange your key achievements under 4 to 5 headings. You’ll typically bold those headings for them to jump out. But let it answer the listed questions:

o??What did you do? – Your Input

o??And so what? – Impact on Business

o??And then what? – Achievement

For example, overhauled y nos Cooling Waher Pumps ensuring uninterrupted flow to the boiler thereby achieving average production target of xyz kbd.

?Think out how you can measure your efforts in terms of quality, quantity and percentages increase or decrease. This helps to explain impact and removes ambiguities

?Strengths

You are powerful. Do you know that? You need to bring out what really helped you in achieving this feat and made you succeed in the appraisal period.

Examples of this will include:

-????????Communication Skills

-????????Teamwork

-????????Collaboration

-????????Analytical Ability

-????????Presentation

-????????Other Soft Skills

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Developmental Areas

No matter how much you try, you are not yet the best version of yourself. And so there must be areas you know you need help for your career growth. Openness and objectivity is required here because many of us feel that this will be seen in a bad light. But covering it up does not mean that people don’t know.

As we said earlier, customers are watching and they know more about you and your value addition more than you think. Even when you hide them, they’ll surface one way or the other because we don’t work in a vaccum.

So be frank about what slowed you down. If your collaboration skills is not yet great, say so as to help your supervisor to know how to help. If analytical skills are required to better your value delivery, point them out.

However, don’t have more than two or three. The reason is that you cannot develop and perfect?multiples of them in a single year. So take it easy!

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Career Horizon

What’s in the horizon for you per your career? What do you want to become in the company? In the short and long term? Mention it. Do not be shy. This is where you can dream anyhow you want.

If you want to be the next Maintenance or Operation Manager, signify your interest. Are you open to relocation abroad or local? Tell them. It’s a blank canvass for you to write.

From experience, this things happens but may take some years before you notice that what you have been writing is gradually being fulfilled. Be a good architect for your own career.

“Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you’’ land among the stars.” – Les Brown

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As we close on this discourse today, let me emphasize that performance appraisal is not written just once in a year. It is written everyday you go to work. Every interaction, meetings, workshops, trainings and engagements matters. Be an employee that values every moment. Maximize your moment one day at a time. You only have one chance to make a first impression.

Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day-in, and day-out