As December approached, Tarek started dreading going to work. And when his boss started sending out emails to schedule performance appraisal sessions, his anxiety level rose. This is the time of year he hated most. He hated being called into a room and told he was doing a good or bad job, and whatever string of comments that brought with it. He just sat there, got the verdict and walked out, not knowing how this will translate - a demotion, promotion, pay cut, pay raise... 

This performance appraisal season, Tarek has subordinates of his own to appraise, and he really wants to make things different for them. If he can't enjoy his own appraisal session, the least he can do is to live vicariously through his team. 

Tarek's good intentions are not enough. He has to put in serious effort to make his performance appraisal sessions work for him and his team members. To start with, it shouldn't be an annual event. Sure, the end of the year may be the only time he needs to submit a formal document to HR, based upon which people will get raises and bonuses, but this doesn't mean he cannot give feedback throughout the year. He, of all people, knows how bad it feels to suddenly find out you are not doing a good job, when you thought you had it made all that time. So, mini-feedback sessions throughout the year are probably the best way to go, to make sure there are no nasty surprises at the end of the year.

And what about those people who will still have to hear that they need to get their act together? The best thing is to be as honest as possible, in as constructive a way as possible. And try to find out why they are not performing. In most cases, individuals who do not perform up to expectations have not received adequate training relating to their tasks, or are not clear on the full scope of their responsibilities. In this case, it is as much the manager's fault as it is theirs, and there should be a joint effort to get things back on track. That's where an individual's career development plan comes in. It makes more sense to train an employee in the areas he practically requires, and not simply in the areas you think he needs.

Looking back at his performance appraisals, Tarek remembers being handed a list of the coming year's goals, and he also remembers the frustration: Why wasn't my input taken into consideration? Aren't I the one who will be doing the work? I may have had some valuable input or a different point of view. Maybe I can do more than they are asking me to do. 

He tries to see things from his boss's perspective - is it wise to open the door for debate about the coming year's goals? What if people take this too far and start objecting and refuse to commit? It's probably best to position it as a no-contest situation. But that just creates zero commitment. Tarek's mind is made up, he will put in a bit more effort and work on positioning every team member's forthcoming goals in a positive manner, and answer any questions they may have as fully as possible. He will also solicit their input as much as possible and make a conscious effort to take it into consideration.

Tarek begins to relax. If he manages to do all this, he is confident his team members will come to appreciate their performance appraisals rather than dread them, and he may have made a significant difference in the corporate culture. But, he has another major problem which undermines all his plans: he has a team of seven and barely enough time to get his regular work done, let alone meet with every one of them. Should he give up his plans because of the time factor? Definitely not. This is one thing that is well worth the time spent on it, and if planned right, will not really consume that much time. And, if he sends a blank performance appraisal form to the people before the meeting, and has them evaluate their own performance, this will add value to the meeting 

Performance appraisals can be as stressful as the holiday season they come with. But this shouldn't be the case. A little planning and an open mind can actually help you enjoy these one-on-one meetings with your boss and subordinates.