Performance Appraisal Essentials: A Practical Guide

The performance appraisal process is a vital tool for achieving organizational success, but there are few tasks managers dislike more. One manager describes how he used to feel about performance appraisals: "I was always relieved when I completed my yearly employee appraisal meetings. I never enjoyed them. In fact, I often delayed the meetings until the last minute, and the employees' reactions seemed to range from stony politeness to anger to crying."

No matter how you feel about appraisal...