Conversations About Job Performance

Chapter 1

Introduction

Throughout our work lives, most of us have struggled with performance appraisal. No matter how many times we redesign it, retrain supervisors, or give it new names, it never comes out right.¹

Regardless of where you work and what type of position you hold, it is probable that someone higher up in the organization has spoken to you about how well you do your job. If you are a manager, you probably have had responsibility for providing this type of information to the employees who report to you. Whether you have given performance feedback or received it, the chances are that you found your role in this encounter difficult to carry out well. If so, you are not alone. Employees often believe their appraisal is not fair. ...