Appraising right : The Tribune India

Join Whatsapp Channel

Appraising right

It is that time of the year when a year’s hard work boils down to a two-pager as a written synopsis of one’s professional achievements.

Appraising right


Swati Rai

It is that time of the year when a year’s hard work boils down to a two-pager as a written synopsis of one’s professional achievements. Different companies have different formats of writing and giving appraisals with precise formats, to reports that have expected outcomes noticed under each parameter.  

The bottom line, however , is a reflection of one’s own performance, or by the immediate manager, and the cycle continues. A performance appraisal is an important tool for yearly professional analysis and future planning, though also a sensitive one.  If written and worded appropriately, it can prove useful for planned future action, a reflection on the past, and for taking stock of the present. Independent of the form of appraisals, keeping these handy tips will prove beneficial.

Reflecting on self

A self-appraisal form is a  chance for each employee to highlight in bold one’s successes and also touch upon the omissions, and  more importantly, on what was learnt from these. 

Avoiding the use of defensive language, long convoluted sentences to deflect meaning is a big no-no when writing a self-reflection at the end of the year.  Being upfront and not falling prey to the blame game, is a must-do again. The focus is on the fact, that you are accountable for your actions and reflective growth. Key phrases indicating the what and how and later ‘how not to’ are also important in such writings. A mention of stock achievements and failures also sets a reminder for the manager, of your accomplishments, development and challenges. It helps him/her to place your performance in the overall perspective and serves as a ready reckoner to the manager of your perception of your own strengths and weaknesses. Challenges that you faced, overcame and those that you couldn’t, but learnt from, form a part of this section. Best not to overstock and maintain a healthy balance between the good and the not-so good as you chart your professional span. 

Initiatives and projects that you undertook should find a special place of importance in your paragraphs. 

Keep in mind the previous year’s feedback and the actions planned based on that. 

Talking about new skills learnt, revised and shared through the year will also help.

Utilisation of the skills learnt in real life professional sphere should be hinted at too. Adorning the accomplishments unrealistically will not help as also the underplaying of the oversights through the past one year. It is best to spend time writing and rewriting it over a period of time, spending days recollecting your achievements. 

Most importantly, what becomes of the self appraisal report once it flies off your hand is also a good-to-know factor. Will it be shared with someone else, will it seal your fate as an employee or decide bonuses and ratings is also a must know to inform your language accordingly.  Trying to skirt shooting yourself on the foot is the trick.

Writing like a boss

Negotiating the territory of writing an appraisal, sharing it with employee, your subordinate is a crucial skill of walking the thin line between a constructive reflection and criticism. Making the feedback participative, inclusive and egalitarian is the key. Using evidence from the past track record of the employee and concrete examples corroborated with fact never went wrong. 

Language, especially when reflecting on ways and strategies to improving performance, is best not sugar coated.  

Application of the sandwich technique of a positive appreciation, then a reflecting on the areas of work enhancement, topped with a pat on the back, is also a good thing to remember.  

Since appraisals are open for discussion and contest between the employee and you, best to avoid excessive usage of extreme qualifiers such as ‘always’ or ‘never’. Choose to be precise to avoid verbosity and vagueness. 

Avoid unprofessional, generic, subjective terminology to brand an employee. 

Hunt for accurate words to convey precise meaning - there are hundreds between the usual ‘good’ and ‘bad’. 

Backing with dates and incidents will help gain credibility to the report. 

Keep the larger goal of the appraisal in mind — which is to constructively criticise where mandatory, but mostly to tap the best potential opportunities the employee may have on offer and contribute more effectively to the organisation’s larger goal. 

Top News

Arvind Kejriwal to be produced before Delhi court today as 6-day ED custody ends

Excise policy case: Delhi court extends ED custody of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal till April 1

In his submissions, Kejriwal said, ‘I am named by 4 witnesse...

Delhi High Court dismisses PIL to remove Arvind Kejriwal from CM post after arrest

Delhi High Court dismisses PIL to remove Arvind Kejriwal from CM post after arrest

The bench refuses to comment on merits of the issue, saying ...

US makes another remark on Kejriwal's arrest, reacts to freezing of Congress bank accounts

US makes another remark on Arvind Kejriwal's arrest, reacts to freezing of Congress bank accounts

We encourage fair, transparent and timely legal processes, s...

Explainer: Why BJP is flying solo in Punjab and Odisha

Explainer: Why BJP is flying solo in Punjab and Odisha

A multi-cornered contest is always advantageous for BJP; it ...


Cities

View All