Annual Appraisals Are the End, Not the Beginning

Performance appraisals are a necessary and wonderful thing, but too many people approach them with dread -- if they acknowledge them at all.

If you supervise people and dread the annual appraisal, reframe it. The annual appraisal is not a once-a-year review, it should the culmination of conversations that have taken place over the course of the year.

Take on a “bit by bit” mindset and remove the dread of performance discussions for the supervisor and for the employee. Remember that when you avoid something, you often end up making it a much bigger deal that it need be.

Think about how your weekly staff meetings become the foundation for tracking progress and adjusting expectations. Then, remember that weekly check-ins feed into monthly milestones, quarterly reviews and annual appraisals.