IMPROVING COMMUNICATION DURING THE PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL: If the employee has trouble getting started on the self-appraisal you might say: "Why don't you start by talking about the XYZ project?" (Pick a topic that the employee will feel comfortable with, a success rather than a failure.) "It seems to me that the PDQ project was harder than we expected. What's your perspective on that?" "I know this sort of thing is hard to do. Start wherever you like. I'm eager to hear what these past six months have been like from your point of view."

If the employee dwells on one aspect of the self-appraisal you might say: "I can see that these reports presented you with some real challenges. (Summarize what the employee has been saying.) Let's go on now to..." "Let's write down this problem so we can talk about its solution later. But now, let's go on to ..." "I'm glad you enjoyed working on ABC, Sue. How did DEF go?"

PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL SCENARIOS: If employee "passes the buck": "You feel that Richard was really responsible for this problem, Bob, but was there anything you could have done to work around the problem?" "I know how hard it is to control work when so many factors are involved. What can you do in the future that will ensure that this won't happen again?"

If the employee presses to know the salary or promotion implications of the appraisal: "I know how important this next raise (or promotion) is to you, Patsy, but this is something I won't decide until after we complete this assessment. Right now let's concentrate on what you've accomplished and what your plan should be for the next period."

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CEO, A.E. Schwartz & Associates, Boston, MA., a comprehensive organization which offers over 40 skills based management training programs. Mr. Schwartz conducts over 150 programs annually for clients in industry, research, technology, government, Fortune 100/500 companies, and nonprofit organizations worldwide. He is often found at conferences as a key note presenter and/or facilitator. His style is fast-paced, participatory, practical, and humorous. He has authored over 65 books and products, and taught/lectured at over a dozen colleges and universities throughout the United States.