PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL

EIGHT GUIDELINES FOR IMPROVED GOAL SETTING

There is no best procedure for setting goals, but these guidelines have been shown to be helpful.

1. Ask employees to submit job and personal goals first.

2. Formulate goals for the coming year based on:

• the organization's goals

• the operating plan of the division

• the department or unit goals

• the particular job to be performed

• the employee's goals.

3. Communicate the goals to the employee. They should be clear, realistic, consistent, controllable, challenging, and efficacious. Some will be routine and some complex. Some will relate to outcomes and others to methodology.

4. Allow for modification. Ask for the employee's reaction. If necessary, modify and add goals suggested by the employee. Reach agreement on the final goals.

5. Discuss methods to reach the goals. Ask for the employee's input on ways to attain them. Get the employee's commitment to take action, and briefly outline the necessary steps in writing for each of them to keep as a record.

6. Establish measurement and timelines. For each goal indicate how and when it will be measured. Again allow for the employee's input because assigned deadlines might not be realistic, and there may be additional ways to determine if the goals are being reached.

7. Ask the employee to summarize. When goals are explicitly stated, let the employee enumerate all expectations to insure mutual understanding. Make sure that the employee has a copy of the goals and deadlines.

8. Express confidence and set a review date. Since research suggests that expectations for successful performance govern actual performance, indicate confidence in and support of the employee, and set a reasonable date (60-90 days) to review progress. This date is not meant to be a full-fledged appraisal, but rather a stopping point when manager and employee say, "Hey, how are we doing? Do we need to change anything? Have we left out anything?"