Get A Grip On Your Team

Team goals are critical. To make sure they're reached, give effective performance reviews. When meeting with workers, keep long-term objectives in mind, says human resources exec Paul Falcone, lead author of "Productive Performance Appraisals."

To improve your evaluation score:

Don't patronize. If you tell the employee what's best for him, without knowing his career goals, he'll tune you out, Falcone says. "The employee is apt to feel resentful and take the opposite of any advice given." Strive for two-way communication.

Don't go negative. Use appraisals as motivational tools. Build on workers' strengths.

When discussing areas that need improvement, "think about your complaints before you speak," Falcone said. "Are they really significant?" If not, don't dwell on them.

Go for balance. If serious problems exist, don't sidestep. Address them openly, but put them in context. A salesperson might be brash, but also a top performer. Show how he can still reach the endgame while tweaking performance.

Know their thoughts. Before appraisals, hand out self-evaluation forms. "You'll have a chance to see what subordinates feel is important," he said.

You can then compare their evaluations to yours. Result? A starting point 15r discussion.

Scope it out. Grasp projects employees are working on. Share your knowledge of the upsides and challenges. You'll build rapport and communicate more effectively.

Never compare. "Leave other employees out of the discussion" -- directly or indirectly, he said. Translation? Don't use others as role models, and avoid listing traits that pinpoint 20hem without being named.

Don't show the money. Appraisals aren't the time to discuss salaries. Focus strictly on performance and future goals.

"Save money discussions for follow-up meetings," where you tie several performance scores to a possible merit increase, Falcone said.

If the uptrend isn't strong enough, you can show why the raise is on hold.

Look again. Management trainer Dick Grote suggests asking yourself these questions: Does the job description still reflect key duties? Has the job changed substantially since the description was written?

Make sure your files are updated.

Prepare. "Know in advance what the most important issues are. Make an outline or list of points you want to cover," Falcone said.

His advice: "Review last year's appraisal to find areas of performance consistency, as well as deviations."

Circle back. Managers too often "make the mistake of providing quick answers to questions, whether or not they know those answers," he said. "You'll be seeing the employee tomorrow -- you can get the answer for him then."

A simple "I don't know, but I'll find out" beats serving cow manure every time.

Be consistent. Without a plan for each appraisal, "you run the risk of giving inconsistent evaluations and messages," Falcone stressed.

Listing guidelines provides equal benchmarks for everyone.