Perfect Phrases for Setting Performance Goals, Second Edition, 2nd Edition

Preface to the Second Edition

There’s a popular misconception that the work of improving performance starts and ends with the performance appraisal meeting. If you look at what most managers do, it seems like they believe this misconception. The time they spend in performance appraisals is just about all the time they spend on improving performance. As a result, the many benefits of managing performance are lost as they focus solely on the appraisal process, the end point and, unfortunately, the wrong point.

Is there a secret to improving work performance? In a way. It’s simple. The secret for organizations, managers, and employees is to put more emphasis on making sure managers and employees know what they must accomplish. When each employee ...