Why Do Some Managers Hate the Performance Evaluation?

Evaluating the performance of the general conduct of employees and managers at any given time is something many people rarely look forward to. The idea that their whole being in the workplace is put on a weighing scale fails to impress. As compared to employees, managers greatly dislike the evaluation process since it is excepted of them to be the best overall (Bomann-Larsen & Wiggen, 2004).

One reason that managers dread this process is the simple fact that it is time consuming. It is the sole task of managers to collect necessary information needed for the evaluation process. At the expense of other pressing matters, managers are forced to focus all their energy on ensuring that the process goes smoothly.  For this reason, managers are left stressed and they end up doing the appraisals as a sort of formality without necessarily covering all that is required (Lawrence & Klimberg, 2011)

The second reason is that managers lack proper training that is needed in tackling the evaluation process. Instead of following the basics which involve one-on-one interaction with employees, they are merely given a rigid format to carry out the appraisal process. This format is limited in the sense that it assumes all employees are similar. It also fails to cater for the different emotional responses of different employees. This generalization tends to create bad blood between managers and employees.

Managers also dread the performance evaluation process because they do not know their employees. In most workplaces, managers and employees do not meet regularly unless it is during important functions. The only way that the evaluation process can be fulfilling is through managers having a personal touch with their employees. It therefore beats logic when a manager is asked to report on the conduct of an employee yet he or she hasn’t had the time to keep track of the daily progress of an employee.

During the performance evaluation process, the line between personal, professional conduct and evaluation is crossed so many times that the essence of the evaluation process is lost. It is so simple for a manager to forget focusing on an employee’s conduct and shift to personal details like the latter’s characteristics and behaviors. For example, instead of talking about professional conduct, a manager my call out an employee on his or her mood swings. For employees this reflects negatively since they often wonder whether their evaluation is based upon the means of delivering the final result or the result itself.

The other reason that managers hate the evaluation process is that it creates an environment of stress and tension. Naturally, a person in their right mind will not want to give out negative feedback. The challenge that most mangers have to deal with is the lack of similarity among employees. There are those employees that fail to work as is required of them and so they inevitably get appraised negatively. As a result they tend to get upset thus straining relations between themselves and their managers.

What traits does an effective manager display in the workplace?

Management is a complex process that if not treated seriously will fail to meet its objectives. Effective management requires competent managers who are equipped with necessary skills which are discussed below

Clear communication is one of the most important traits that a manager has to posses. Managers delegate most tasks so it is vital that employees are communicated to clearly. A good work environment allows employers and managers to communicate freely.

Understanding the importance of employees is also something that managers ought to have in place. Most contributions are made by employees therefore they need to be appreciated for the roles they play.

An effective manager also shows appreciation to employees for the work they do. It is not a guarantee that employers will work well therefore the little they do should be appreciated.

It is common knowledge that people are likely to copy exactly what they see from their leaders. A good manager should therefore strive to lead by example. By doing so, employees will not be misled. This covers many aspects including fair treatment of other managers as well as building an inclusive team.

Another important trait to be demonstrated by an effective manager is the ability to be emotionally resilient. The behavior of a manager during challenging circumstances impacts significantly on his or her team. Managers who are emotionally resilient are aware of how their conduct affects employees.

Is there a profile for a manager who may struggle with the evaluation process?

Management often poses challenges even to the most experienced people. Most managers struggle with the evaluation process and in order to better themselves they are encouraged to focus on results rather than activities. A manager has to identify his or her area of weakness and work towards improving it.

What are the key elements of a successful employee evaluation process?

The process of evaluation is not only tasking but also unfriendly to employees it is shunned by many people and over the years the outcry to abolish this process has gained momentum. However, if done appropriately performance evaluation as its own rewards

For the evaluation process to be effective here is need to stress on goal achievement. There is more to just basic feedback since the bigger picture here is establishment of goals and expectations. Once the set goals or objectives are met then there is no reason not to come up with other goals

It is said that practice makes perfect or rather something close to that. The more these evaluations are done, the better employees come in terms of professional growth. They are likely to change their approach of work if they receive feedback on a regular basis.

The reward system has been known to work for a very long time now. In order to boost an employee’s performance a manager should look for ways of rewarding them once they are evaluated.  The moment there is a reward tied to successful evaluation you can be sure that all employees will double their efforts in order to perform adequately. Appreciating employees is vital not only on a personal level but it also boosts their general work outlook

 In almost all cases performance evaluation is usually a one way thing. Employees usually have little say during the entire process. As a way of making the activity fair, a successful employee evaluation should encourage two way conversations. By doing so, employees will not feel intimidated or looked down upon. Instead of the lecture method, discussions are encouraged to know employees thoughts and feelings. Their opinions, which in many cases are overlooked, my jut be the solution to everything.

How should managers prepare for the event?

The performance evaluation process calls for attentiveness and dedication especially from managers since they are the ones administering the activity. The success and effectiveness of the process is highly dependent on the ability of managers to meet the required targets

Among the things that are supposed to be undertaken is placing emphasis on performance expectations and goals. As discussed earlier the most important aspect in any organization is its ability to set an achieve goals.

A manager should also prepare regular feedback. It is not in order for employees to wait for ages to be evaluated. It is advisable to do it regularly in order to keep track of employees’ growth.

Another important thing that should be done is the proper maintenance of documents throughout the year. Safe keeping of documents plays a very big role in the general presentation of an organization. This also acts as a reference point when there is need to look back and gauge the progress of an employee.

Another thing that a manager needs to do to prepare for the successful evaluation process is to deal with performance issue swiftly and decisively. An advantage of dealing with issues immediately is that one is able to solve them there an then therefore avoiding similar scenarios in future.

 The popularity of performance evaluation has generally gone down because many managers and employees believe it is a rather mechanical process. The process is believed to be subjective and does not entirely reflect what it is supposed to. Many companies are therefore adopting other ways of gauging their employees’ growth and progress and these include seeking continuous feedback and regular contact hours with the managerial team among other practices. This does not however mean that the evaluation process is totally done away with. There is need to strategize again on the most effective methods of administering performance evaluation practices.

Bomann-Larsen, L. and Wiggen, O, Eds (2004) Responsibility in World Business: Managing Harmful side effects of corporal Activity. United Nations University Press, Tokyo.

Lawrence, K.D. and Klimberg, R.K Ed (2011) Advances in Business and Management Forecasting