Most managers hate conducting performance appraisal discussions. What's worse, few feel confident in their ability to accurately assess the performance of a subordinate. In The Performance Appraisal Question and Answer Book, expert Dick Grote answers over 100 of the most common -- and most difficult -- questions about this vitally important but often misunderstood and misused tool, including:* How should I react when an employee starts crying during the appraisal discussion . . . or gets mad at me?* Which is more important -- the results the person achieved or the way she went about doing the.

Do you supervise people? If so, this book is for you. One of a manager’s toughest—and most important—responsibilities is to evaluate an employee’s performance, providing honest feedback and clarifying what they’ve done well and where they need to improve. In How to Be Good at Performance Appraisals, Dick Grote provides a concise, hands-on guide to succeeding at every step of the performance appraisal process—no matter what performance management system your organization uses. Through step-by-step instructions, examples, do-and-don’t bullet lists, sample dialogues, and suggested scripts, he shows you how to handle every appraisal activity from setting goals and defining job responsibilities to evaluating performance quality and discussing the performance evaluation face-to-face. Based on decades of experience guiding managers through their biggest challenges, Grote helps answer the questions he hears most often: • How do I set goals effectively? How many goals should someone set? • How do I evaluate a person’s behaviors? Which counts more, behaviors or results? • How do I determine the right performance appraisal rating? How do I explain my rating to a skeptical employee? • How do I tell someone she’s not meeting my expectations? How do I deliver bad news? Grote also explains how to tackle other thorny performance management tasks, including determining compensation and terminating poor performers. In accessible and useful language, How to Be Good at Performance Appraisals will help you handle performance appraisals confidently and successfully, no matter the size or culture of your organization. It’s the one book you need to excel at this daunting yet critical task.

Here are the tools to build a genuinely proactive performance management program. Fully updated with all-new case studies from major companies, the second edition will help managers and HR professionals: Start a program designed to get maximum results Understand job requirements and set standards Use coaching to maximise performance Conduct more efficient and effective appraisal interviews Create performance improvement plans that really work

This guide to performance appraisal provides comprehensive, up- to-date coverage, based on 25 years of personal experience. Grote makes the dreaded task of performance appraisal easier and rewarding, using anecdotes and real life examples

Forced ranking assesses employee performance relative to peers rather than against predetermined goals. It's a performance management tool that—when used right—has increased productivity, profitability, and shareholder value. Unfortunately, some firms have misunderstood what forced ranking is, or have implemented it poorly—resulting in confusion and controversy. In this hands-on book, renowned performance management expert Dick Grote dispels common misperceptions about forced ranking and offers a clear-headed, convincing argument for why it should be a necessary part of any robust performance appraisal system. Based on extensive research, case studies, and consulting experience, the book provides a practical framework for developing a forced-ranking system that is fair, humane, and effective. From establishing appropriate guidelines to accurately categorizing employees, to managing A, B, and C talent differently, Grote shows how managers can use this tool to identify future leaders, give honest performance feedback, and grow the talent that matters most to the firm's success. Transforming a controversial management practice into a practical and powerful leadership-development tool, Forced Ranking will help organizations and their employees reach new heights of performance success.

Author Donald Kirkpatrick is one of the leading voices on human resources and training and development. For more than forty years, Kirkpatrick’s four-level performance evaluation model has been the standard throughout the world, and has revolutionized the way enterprises manage, monitor, and optimize employee performance. The new edition of Improving Performance Through Appraisal and Coaching contains all the wisdom and step-by-step processes of the original, with all the guidance and tools you’ll need to implement a program that gets maximum results. The book starts with a 40-question test about your organization and its processes and attitudes regarding performance appraisal and coaching. Taking the test both before and after reading the first section of the book will highlight exactly where your existing initiatives can be improved and new ones put in place. Kirkpatrick then goes on to describe in detail how a culture of coaching builds and enhances performance, and how to build this culture across the entire organization. Examples and eye-opening Notes from the Field both reinforce and complement the author’s sage recommendations, illustrating how his approaches can be adopted in their entirety or deployed piecemeal, depending on your organization’s specific needs. The case studies, both from major employers, prove the overarching value of a proactive performance appraisal program and vibrant coaching environment. The book is packed with ready-to-use forms and, more important, instructions and observations on their effective use. Plus, every chapter is designed for practical application, featuring accessible charts and figures, lists of key points, specific suggestions, cause-and-effect relationships, and much more. While workplaces and jobs have changed dramatically, some truths seem everlasting. One is that in order to obtain exceptional employee performance, you need to build a thorough and consistent appraisal mechanism and coaching program. The other is that there is no one more knowledgeable about how to do it than Donald Kirkpatrick.

If you’re an executive, manager, or team leader, one of your toughest responsibilities is managing your people’s performance. This digital collection, curated by Harvard Business Review, will help you evaluate employee performance, provide coaching, conduct performance reviews, give effective feedback, and more; it includes Dick Grote’s How to be Good at Performance Appraisals; Harvard Business Essentials’ Performance Management; the HBR Guide to Coaching Employees; and Giving Effective Feedback and Performance Reviews, both from HBR’s 20-Minute Manager Series.