book details

Book: 50 Tips for Appraising Your Team (Spearmint Tips Booklets) by Beverley Williams

categories: Book, Performance Review, Appraisal Preparation, Performance Review Preparation, Dreading Appraisal Time, Positive Performance Reviews, Appraisal

Beverley Williams

about this book: I once saw a Manager put up an internal messaging status that said, 'don't bother me, doing appraisals' complete with an angry face emoticon! What a message to give their team. Most people have more emotional intelligence than that but appraisals do worry many managers which is a shame as they can genuinely be a positive experience for both people.

I wrote this tips booklet because I became aware of some real anxiety around the process; but also very real unawareness of the value of putting yourself in the other person's shoes. Some people genuinely believe that if they'd be happy with a 5 minute session with two lines of comments on their year's work then others would be happy with that too.

I have trained literally hundreds of people on appraisal discussions and have seen people get upset or angry when challenged in role plays even when they know that the person is 'acting'. People need a little help with these situations and it's good to be able to provide a summary of what can help.

The cover is actually the pattern of a spearmint leaf if you look closely, I liked the name Spearmint as it makes me think of freshness and maybe a little bit of a zing!

The hardest part of writing a tips booklet is of course what do you leave out, it really focuses your mind to need to write so succinctly.

If you are reading this tips booklet, let me offer you another tip, let your appraisees read it too and have a chat about the contents at a one to one meeting long before the appraisal discussion is due. Being on the same page or finding out where you think differently is a great discussion opportunity.