Handbook of Principles of Organizational Behavior - Soltanieh ...

CONDUCT PERFORMANCE APPRAISALS
discussion. When the individual ’s input is factored into the appraisal, they perceive that
they have been treated fairer than when it is not and report higher motivation to improve
performance and greater satisfaction with the process (e.g. Cawley, Keeping, and Levy,
1998 ; Erdogan, Kraimer, and Liden, 2001 ).
Coach employees
Coaching as discussed here refers to the role of a “ manager as coach ” and not the coach
as a third party who has been hired by the firm to help the employee develop specifi c
skills. The formal performance appraisal may take place once a year. However, a manager
should be coaching employees and providing feedback on an ongoing basis throughout
the year. Historically, the manager ’s role was perceived to be one of “ command and
control. ” The manager derived power from the knowledge or information that he or she
possessed and control from deciding when to disseminate it to the group. This style has
become outdated and replaced by the “ manager as coach ” model. Year- round coaching
that includes goal setting, participative communication, and problem solving improves
productivity (Olivero, Bane, and Kopelman, 1997 ).
The foundation to effective coaching is the working relationship that a manager establishes
with each individual. Although a manager may interact with some individuals more
often than others, and may even feel a more positive affect toward some of them (Varma,
DeNisi, and Peters, 1996 ), it is the responsibility of the manager to know each person
and to be as objective as possible in making assessments. Mutual trust and respect are an
important part of the coaching relationship (see Chapter 21 ). Not only do subordinates
need to trust their manager and believe that the manager wants them to succeed, managers
also need to trust their subordinates ’ motivations and intentions. By focusing on common
goals, both parties can learn to accept each other for who they are even though they may
not always agree on an appraisal.
An essential part of the “ manager as coach ” is to address performance incidents directly
and immediately (e.g. Campbell and Garfi nkel, 1996 ). When a manager observes or
learns that an employee has a performance problem, the manager should gather information
from all the relevant parties about the specifi cs of an incident instead of assuming a set of
circumstances, over- reacting, or laying blame. Their goal is to remedy the problem and
remind the parties of the proper procedures/behaviors that are to be followed, why they
matter, and then to ask for a justification as to why the procedures were not followed.
Gathering input about “ why ” it happened is important because this information may
reveal or uncover a flaw or breakdown in systems, a deeper problem, or training needs.
As indicated earlier, managers should focus on the actions of individuals involved in the
incident instead of criticizing the person. If managers ignore these incidents instead of
addressing them directly when they occur or shortly after, employees may conclude that
the incident did not represent a transgression, even if it was a transgression, that it is not
that important or doesn’t really matter. If managers wait until the formal performance
appraisal to address the behavior, the causes of the problems may have escalated and
become so severe or relationships may be permanently damaged.
Examples of exceptional performance should also be rewarded even if simply with
“ praise ” or verbal recognition. Acknowledging good performance sends the message that
good things also get noticed, not just the bad things. Regardless of the positive or negative
95