Appraisal season for managers

Appraisal season for managers.

If you are a good manager you will put some time into this exercise. On the other hand you may think appraisals are a bad thing.

December is the start of the annual appraisal season, an opportunity for managers to spend a bit of quality with their workers, right? Wrong.

Most British workers will certainly leave their appraisal fired up and motivated, but only to look for a new job, new research from workplace and HR body Investors in People has concluded.
Nearly half of those who had an appraisal did not trust their managers to be honest during it, with a third dismissing the annual chat as a waste of time and a fifth leaving it feeling they had been unfairly treated.

The poll of nearly 3,000 workers also found a quarter who had had an appraisal suspected their managers simply saw the annual review as a "tick-box" exercise.
And a fifth complained managers rarely prepared for the meeting in advance – a key bit of advice you'll always get in appraisal training – and did not even think about it until they were actually sat down in the room.

While four out of 10 employees who received appraisals thought they were a useful assessment of progress, very few had any faith in their manager taking action on what they had talked about.
Just a fifth believed their manager would always act on what was discussed, with a similar percentage saying their boss rarely or never bothered to follow-up on their concerns.
A third believed that although their appraisal was helpful, they would prefer to get more regular feedback.

And a lack of feedback throughout the rest of the year could explain why 40 per cent had been surprised at what they heard in their appraisal, said Investors in People.
Simon Jones, the organisation's acting chief executive, said: "It is encouraging that many people now receive an annual review and the research suggests that they find the feedback useful.
"But, it is also a concern that some managers may be letting down their employees by failing to give full and frank feedback," he added.

Annual reviews could be beneficial to both employer and employee, particularly in identifying areas for development and generating motivation and engagement.
"However, many of these benefits will be lost if managers avoid difficult issues and hold things back," said Jones.
"Employees are not just after honest, but also regular, feedback throughout the year so there aren't any big surprises when it comes to the annual review.
"Appraisals should always cover both past performance and objectives, but equally important are discussions of future targets and opportunities," he added.
"It's a great chance for managers to make sure their employees feel challenged and valued for the year ahead, rather than unmotivated and without guidance," Jones concluded.

The research also found that more than half of those working in organisations with fewer than 250 employees had had a regular annual review.

By contrast, eight out of 10 of those employed at companies with more than 250 employees received annual reviews.

Meetings need Work.

Meetings need Work.

Very few meetings are run efficiently. they waste time and energy. I have a friend who has a business based on the idea that, Boring Meeting Suck. Below are a few ideas that may help improve your meetings.

Cure the Sick-Meeting Ills

By: Sarah Fenson

The primary reason for meetings is to share or brainstorm information or to develop action steps toward accomplishing a goal. Period. But if this were the result of most corporate meetings, people wouldn't moan and groan when they learn that another meeting is going to be held. From our experience facilitating and attending meetings, we've found that bad meetings have similar traits regardless of the industry, company, or project:

Poor meetings lead to poor project results
Most meetings create at least one unwanted result, such as more meetings, frustrated participants, or unclear expectations. All of these lead to poor performance or no performance at all. People aren't converting decisions into action because often no decisions were made or articulated. Culture plays a part in how meetings are perceived, too. For example, Americans consider meetings a place where decisions are made; in contrast, the French use meetings to share ideas, allowing the decision makers to review their newly gathered information and come to a decision.

Signs of bad meetings are participants arriving late, leaving early, unnecessarily attending by phone, not participating when at the meeting, canceling altogether, spending hours and hours in a meeting, or leaving without a clear idea of why the meeting was held and what the outcome was.

The long-term results of poor meetings are more damaging. Low morale, ineffective time management, high project turnover rate, unavailable employees, and zero headway will doom a project and frustrate participants, leading to wasted company funds and talent.
Facilitators turn poor meetings into productive work sessions

Have someone facilitate your meetings. Yes, it must be someone who knows the essentials of good facilitation -- or your meetings still won't improve -- but it's well worth the investment. Here are some thoughts that every facilitator should keep in mind when preparing for, running, and following up on a meeting:

Create an agenda and stick to it.Going into a meeting with the nuts and bolts of what the group wants to discuss, agree on, and accomplish increases the chances that participants will make actionable decisions within a set time frame. Without an agenda, people will bring up loosely related subjects that aren't critical to achieving the meeting goals -- that distract from the main issue. Great ideas and beneficial tangents will occur with an agenda and artful facilitation.
Watch the clock. Meetings that are too long can cost a bundle. The Center for Continuous Quality Improvement at the Milwaukee Area Technical College surveyed its 130-person management council to find out how much time its members spent in meetings. Multiplying the time spent by members' salaries, the survey found that the college was spending $3 million per year on council meetings!A good facilitator will chart out periods of time for each discussion and will help the group decide how best to use the remaining time allotted if an agenda item requires more discussion. He or she will also give participants checks on time and keep the meeting on track.Curious how much your meetings cost? Calculate the per-hour salary of each participant and add up the fees. Doing so will inspire you to trim unnecessary meeting time.

Turn ideas and decisions into action. Meetings can be so vague that participants don't know what they're supposed to do next. Bad meetings can cause two people to do the same task while another task sits idle. Because the capacity for misunderstanding is limitless, good facilitators should get agreement on every decision, help the group develop an action item associated with every decision, and assign a person responsible for the action. The meeting minutes reflect these assignments.

Have fun, but don't mismatch activities and people.Meetings are work. But that doesn't mean participants can't have fun. Allow joking, small talk, etc., if it makes the group more productive. (Know when to cut chatter, too, like when no one has focused on the issue at hand for a couple of minutes.) Make the environment one in which people are comfortable -- both physically and emotionally -- but watch out for inappropriate games or exercises.For example, you might avoid a "touchy-feely" get-to-know-you game for an IT group. Many technologists are not very extroverted and might crawl into a non participatory shell if confronted with such an uncomfortable task. Also, don't plan an activity that involves an inappropriate invasion of space, such as sitting on a stranger's knees while he guides you with his hands on your hips (as was the case in a recent meeting I attended), unless you know for a fact that all attendees will be comfortable with that level of physical contact. Know your meeting participants, including cultural interaction issues, and always give people the option of not participating.

Speak plain English. You can't make decisions and accomplish goals if no one knows what you're talking about or if what you've said allows for multiple interpretations. Eliminating meaningless corporate jargon allows for more natural conversation and a better understanding of what's expected -- leading to better ideas and realistic action items.

Learn from your mistakes. At InnoVision Communications, we're always looking for ways to improve our facilitation skills. After each meeting or workshop we conduct, we review what worked and what could have been improved. Good facilitators reserve the end of a meeting to get feedback from the group and learn from that feedback.

Take responsibility.Participants can also use facilitation techniques in a meeting, whether asking for clarification on a point, checking the time, using language that everyone will understand, or getting the discussion back on track. If you see symptoms of a poor meeting, put the onus on yourself to cure it.

Leadership Nerve

Leadership Nerve

What is it in someone that people will follow them? Trust is a big slice, but is it trust in you, or trust in subordinates?

Trust Your Subordinates

By Brian Tracy

The Definition of Leadership ...Leadership has been called "The ability to get followers." One of the deepest cravings of human nature is the need to feel important, to have a sense of meaning and purpose in life and work. Leaders are invariably those who can tap into the deeper emotions of others and get them to rise above and beyond anything they may have accomplished in the past.

Inspiring Words Lead to Victory ...Winston Churchill was able to arouse and inspire an entire nation with words like these: "Let us so carry ourselves that if the British Empire should endure a thousand years, men will still say, this was their finest hour."

Spearhead A Turnaround ...Lee Iacocca stepped into Chrysler Corporation when the company was almost bankrupt. Through the sheer force of his personality, his unshakable determination, his appeals to Congress, to Chrysler workers and to Chrysler customers on television, he spearheaded a turn-around that will go down in the history books as one of the greatest achievements in American business.

Trust Other People ...The key to getting followers in every case is to "trust your subordinates." Many studies have concluded that it is the mutual bond of trust and respect that acts as the catalyst that creates high performance. Not only must you trust your subordinates, but even more important, they must trust you.

Act With Integrity ...In order to "get followers," your subordinates must have an absolute belief in your integrity. They must believe that you will abide by the highest ethical standards of fairness and justice. Integrity appears over and over as the most important leadership quality. People can only put their whole hearts into their work when they feel secure and they can only feel secure when they can relax and trust you completely.

Action Exercises:

Here are two things you can do immediately to bring out the very best from the people who look up to you.First, make people feel important. Tell them how important and valuable they are and then give them both the responsibility and the opportunity to do their job the very best they know how.Second, set a good example. Be an inspirational leader by being a role model for everyone else to follow. The more people look up to you, the better they will do their work and the happier they will be.

Persistent Marketing is the Key

Persistent Marketing is the Key.

It is said that you need to touch someone seven times before they will do business with you. It may be more then that, but persistence without being annoying is the key. The article below is a good guide.

What Color is Your Goldfish? How to Market to the Masses
By Shonika Proctor Oprah.

Nike. Starbucks. Phat Farm. Apple. Verizon. LiveStrong. Consciously or subconsciously it is estimated that people see over 5,000 marketing messages each day, this according to the Father of Guerrilla Marketing, Jay Conrad Levinson. These messages can range from a logo to a retail storefront. Regardless of your business type, marketing is by far one of the most critical skill sets that one must master in order to build a successful business. It is a powerful skill when used properly, but like a double edged sword, when it is not used properly or completely neglected it can be the deciding factor in the failure of your business. As a small business owner, if you are not consistently marketing your business and building your brand, you will not grow. Conceptually it seems as if it would be one of the easiest skills to acquire. As mentioned above you see marketing everywhere. How difficult can it be to promote your business and share with the people you meet who you are and what you are about? But realistically marketing often is not taken seriously especially by owners of very small and home based businesses. When one does not have a retail storefront or office in a physical office space, it is especially important that one should not be sloppy or a minimalist in their presentation. Marketing is about the consistent advertising of oneself, ones services and ones products. The main principle that guides a successful marketing program is ensuring your customer attains a familiarity with your business that breeds confidence in their perception to do business with you. This means the more your customer is exposed to your message the more likely they are to acknowledge your company and eventually purchase from you. You must be patient, persistent and professional in your presentation. A few minor things that you can do to help polish your presentation and your brand are as follows: 1. First Impressions: Make sure that your company logo is professionally designed and your business cards are printed by a reputable printer. While it may cost a little bit more money up front than a do it yourself job, it will be worth it especially if you will not be printing a company brochure. 2. The World Is Your Audience: Reserve a domain name (i.e. www.mycompany.com) for your company. If you do not have a preferred internet service provider I would recommend that you try a search for registration companies like 1and1 or godaddy. Your company website or blog is a great alternative to a paper brochure and almost a required necessity in business these days and affords you email with your company domain name. This gives you a more polished look as opposed to using an AOL or Yahoo email address. Additionally, you can reach a larger audience for significantly less money. 3. If You Cant Be On Time, Be Early: Keep yourself organized with a Day Planner and a Rolodex to manage your business contacts (if you do not own a computer). If you do own a computer, use a customer relationship manager software such as Outlook, ACT! or Dovarri. Always keep your to do list and customer information in a centralized place. Your clients are your business, so having a record to their contact information is crucial to success. They are your best and least inexpensive marketing resource when you want to launch a new product or when you are looking for new business through referrals. 4. Follow-Through, Follow-Through, Follow-Through: Always be timely in your response and complete jobs and work on or before the promised date. The quality of your work should always meet or exceed your clients expectations. Remember to send your customer a thank you card, with another one of your business cards about ten to fourteen days after the transaction has been completed to confirm they are pleased with the work. 5. Be Yourself: People like to do business with people they like and trust. Regardless if your company is 1 person or 101 persons, do not focus on your size and what your limitations are, but instead focus on your core competencies. What value do you bring to the relationship and how can you help your customer resolve their issues? This is what wins customers over. Implementing these best practices into your business will help you to succeed in another aspect of marketing, referrals! Word-of-mouth and direct referrals are the most inexpensive yet most priceless marketing vehicle you can use to obtain new business. In the meantime, keep marketing and searching for new business everyday even during your busiest times. Yesterdays marketing efforts equals todays appointments and tomorrows sales. Shonika Proctor is an entrepeneur, speaker and Author of ‘Sell Your Mind Not Your Time’, A Marketing How to Ebook that will teach you how to work to the 23rd power, not the 23rd hour! If you are a new start up business or uncomfortable with marketing (online or offline)

Bonus What Bonus

Bonus What Bonus

This is an interesting article from the Staff Blog. I would think it would depend on each company and if the carrot was presented correctly.

The end of the holiday bonus?

Posted by Hannah Clark

Though they were once as American as overeating and credit cards, holiday bonuses are fast becoming an endangered species, according to a survey by HR consulting firm Hewitt Associates. Only 35 percent of companies have a holiday bonus program this year, down from 41 percent two years ago. And of the companies that do have a bonus program, only 41 percent give cash, while 42 percent will give gift cards and 25 percent give food (because, as I noted in a story about this last year, nothing says "I appreciate you" like a 12-pound ham).

Why has this shift come about? For one, many companies have found that bonuses don't work that well. While they may boost morale for a week or two, they don't actually encourage workers to perform any better, especially if everyone gets the same amount. In fact, the best employees may get angry if their low-performing peers receive the same bonuses as they do. Companies are moving away from traditional annual reviews for similar reasons. So in the last five years, companies have shifted toward pay-for-performance programs, and away from the standard holiday bonus.

Business owners: are you planning to give out bonuses this year? Why or why not? Working stiffs: are you expecting one? Can you make a business case for giving out an extra week's pay at the end of the year?

Inspiration from Perspiration

Inspiration from Perspiration

Often we read articles or listen to speakers and leave with their words ringing in our ears, but how often do we leave and work on what has been presented? Perhaps we should try to look deeper then what is said on the surface and try to find inspiration and purpose between the lines.

This article by Nicholas Conner will give you a start.

Inspire a Vision
In the fall of 1962, President John F. Kennedy spoke at Rice University about the nations young space program. A year earlier, in the first year of his presidency, Kennedy had pressed hard for huge expenditures for the program, and he had set a seemingly impossible goal: man would go to the moon by the end of the decade.

Rice University is in Houston, a place that was to be central to the space program, so it must have seemed like a good place to talk about why we were spending all this money on a project whose goals were more than a little obscure to many people at the time.

I re-read that speech every once in a while because its a fantastic example of how leadership can inspire and enlist others in a vision. On that day, President Kennedy didn't say a word about how we were going to get to the moon he didn't know how. The technology, fuel, and communication necessary for such an undertaking had not yet been invented. Instead, he sketched out a vision of what he felt we needed to accomplish and why it was important:
We choose to go to the moon. We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win, and the others, too.

I revisit the speech because it helps me better understand the role of the modern-day CEO, a person who is called on to enable others to deliver the goods to the board of directors, the shareholders, the customers, and other stakeholders. The best top executives do this with only one hand because the other is busy orchestrating a vision of the future, the kind of vision Kennedy talked about in his 1962 speech at Rice.
Short strategies, long vision

As Kennedy's speech demonstrates, vision and leadership have always mattered. But those qualities are even more valuable today. One reason is that the half-life of any business strategy is much shorter than it used to be. Companies used to talk about the importance of good five-year plans; today, its difficult to follow a five-year plan because the rules of the game may change in less than half that time. And that reality has had an enormous impact on the way the professional development field is viewed.

Executives tend to be skeptical about the value of professional development training, tired of the flavor of the month approach. Many believe that people in the professional development field embrace one message one minute and something entirely different the next.

I'm not offended when I hear that criticism because I think it contains an element of truth. The fact is, professional development tactics change frequently because the playing field changes so rapidly. We do change direction, and its because the way we do business changes so fast. That has become a simple reality in my business, but it is now a reality in every business.

One thing that doesn't change is the need for a clear and simple vision, a bottom-line directional view of the future the whys of business, if you will. Establishing that vision is one critical step; inspiring that vision is another. But those two steps wont ultimately matter much if the message doesn't get repeated, forcefully and frequently, to everyone up and down the organization. The process doesn't end at the point that the management team buys into the objective; the message has to become a drumbeat, a mantra that burrows itself into the entire organizations fabric.
Team members need to hear that drumbeat over and over again, until it becomes second nature behavior. Whatever the organization does every step, every initiative, every strategy has to be aligned with that vision.

So when a CEO thinks about training for an organizations top executives, the emphasis must be on the kind of culture that will be required to turn the vision into something tangible. We shouldn't be simply seeking a smoother process or an up-tick in efficiency; instead, our focus must be on moving everyone in the same direction, and knowing why were going there.
If the training program really does its job well, it will also instill a serious dose of passion about the organizational vision and message. Inspiration is what its about, so lets not be afraid to inspire.

If top executives aren't likely to benefit a great deal from conventional management training, and if the ground rules for visualizing the future keep changing, exactly what sort of training is likely to help people at the top run their companies? Here are some ideas:
Learn to inspire and enlist others in the vision.
You may have a very clear picture of where you want your company to go, but its going to be extremely difficult to get there if the other team members aren't on board.

Exhibit passion, and demand it in others.

Any vision worth believing in should really matter, and it should generate a healthy dose of excitement. When you talk about your shared vision, the ground should tremble a little and your heart rate should go up. If it doesn't, somethings wrong.

Set the bar high.

Once people see the vision you describe, getting there may seem impossible. But if the shared vision really means something, people can do seemingly impossible things. And doing that together feels great.

Give people permission to challenge the process.

People cant do things if they aren't empowered to do them. Its not about thinking outside the box anymore; its about acting beyond the box. So empower them.

Set the stage.

Every organization has a culture. CEOs and executive leaders are the architects of the culture and contribute greatly to it whether they mean to or not. Since you are going to establish much of your company's culture anyway, model the way. Think about what you want the company culture to be, and make it so.

Communicate values.

Everything from the culture of the company to the feelings of self-esteem possessed by the employees spring from the values that the company embraces and cares about. And values come from the top.

The media loves to focus on colorful CEOs, and although some enjoy the attention, many of the best corporate leaders are people most of us have never heard of. The really good ones are those that take an active role in mentoring and coaching at every level of their business. That's what creates good corporate cultures, and corporate cultures are what set the stage for success.

Nicholas D. Conner is Vice President of Program Development and COO of Team Builders.

Leadership Quiz

Leadership Quiz

Check yourself out and see where you stand.

Courage and Change By Sheila Murray Bethel, Ph.D.

Your leadership talents are being constantly tested and challenged. Whether you are leading at work, in the community or at home, the courage to explore your attitudes and aptitudes will be one of your most influential qualities. Courage and change go hand in hand when it comes to increasing your effectiveness as a leader.As you review these ten statements ask yourself,

"Where do I need to change, grow and stretch to reach my full capacity?"

1.The courage to seek the truth. I am willing to seek out unpleasant truths, even when they may conflict with things I have a great investment in, or when the truth may threaten my physical, intellectual, or emotional security. I recognize that my personal freedom depends on my ability to seek and find truth.

2.The courage to lead an ethical life. In a cynical, sometimes dissolute world, I realize that it takes courage to be ethical. I resist the temptation to be less than ethical, even when "everyone is doing it." I regard honest people as heroes, not fools.

3.The courage to be involved. Apathy and indifference can be more devastating than any natural or man-made disasters. Despite occasional compassion fatigue, I remain committed to making a difference and getting others involved. I refuse to look the other way.

4. The courage to reject cynicism. Cynicism is a comforting and protective refuge, but one I resist vigilantly. I know that trust and optimism, essential to a productive life, are impossible if I give in to the cowardice of cynicism.

5. The courage to assume responsibility. I alone am responsible for my actions, whether they lead to success or failure. I refuse to waste time on making excuses, harboring unrealistic hopes, or placing blame. I am willing to share responsibility and accountability with others, and back them up 100 percent if things go wrong.

6.The courage to lead at home. I know that my home and family are my most powerful legacy for the future. I mentor my children, giving them equal love and discipline. I'm there 100 percent for my partner. I honor my parents and older relatives, even if advanced age, ill health, or different values make communication seem difficult and unrewarding. I live each day with my family and won't think, ATomorrow I'll have more time.

7.The courage to persist. I have the courage to delay gratification, to endure the long haul, and to make sacrifices when necessary. I frequently visualize the next few years and anticipate the results of my actions. I summon the inner resources to stay on track by keeping my eye on this big picture.

8. The courage to serve. In an ego-driven, success-driven society, I have the courage to put myself second. I realize that the loftiest leader is the one who serves others best. My job, no matter what the description or title, is to provide satisfaction, solve problems, fill needs, and find answers in a way that enhances and empowers those around me.

9. The courage to lead. Few people are willing to stand for something, or even to clarify what they would stand for if they could. Others criticize without offering solutions, but I concentrate on what I stand for, on solutions and goals, and on how I can motivate others to action. I'm not content to wait for someone else to take charge and point a direction.

10. The courage to follow. Unlike leaders of image, a leader of substance knows when and how to follow willingly. I have learned the benefits of being a good follower, of welcoming the ideas and contributions of others without feeling that my position or integrity has been challenged.

By sharing power, I increase my own personal and professional power, and make myself aware of the challenges that others face every day.Having the courage of your convictions will help you boldly meet today's challenges. Believing in your physical, emotional, intellectual, and spiritual standards and values enables you to apply your resources and creative energy when faced with problems. Eleanor Roosevelt said, "You must do the thing you cannot do," General George C. Patton said that courage is "fear holding on another minute." Examining your courage and making changes as you grow in your leadership capacity is the example that enables others to have the courage to follow.

Leadership

Leadership

When people are promoted they often do not get any training and it is assumed by management and by the person promoted that they know how to manage.

WRONG

Below are a few basics on leadership that will help.

Transformational Leadership - By Brian Tracy

Advancing Your Career...As your career advances, you move along the scale from employee, to supervisor to manager and finally, to leader. Managers, and some leaders, engage in what is called transactional leadership, the deployment and management of people and resources to get results.

Arouse Emotion In Others...However, at the highest end of the leadership scale, we come to what is called "transformational leadership." Transformational leadership is defined as leadership that arouses emotion, that taps into the emotional and spiritual resources of an organization. Transformational leadership empowers people to greatly exceed their previous levels of accomplishment.

Make People Feel Terrific...Empowerment is the key.

Transformational leaders are those who can elicit extraordinary performance from ordinary men and women. The superior leader is like a catalyst in a chemical process that causes the other ingredients to work together in a superior fashion.

A Key Function of Leadership...Empowerment as a key function of leadership becomes even more important as the work force becomes dominated by members of the Generation X. These highly individualistic men and women are increasingly seeking higher meaning and purpose in their careers. They are not impressed by authority or hierarchy. If they don't get the satisfaction they are seeking from their work, they will go somewhere else. And the better they are at what they do, the more readily they will leave one job for another.

Provide the Emotional Glue...Transactional leadership is essential to getting the job done but transformational leadership is what provides the emotional glue that causes organizations and the people in them to excel.

Action Exercises:

Here are two things you can do immediately to become a transformational leader and empower your people.* First, get excited about your work. The more excited and committed you are to your work, the more excited and committed will be the people around you. The leader always sets the tone for the department or organization.

* Second, continually encourage and praise the people who work for you. The better you make people feel about themselves and their work, the more empowered they will feel and the more committed they will be to your company.

Appraisal Time

Appraisal Time

The article below from Management Issues proves one thing. Management are not doing their job.

For an appraisal system to work it has to be done correctly and that includes the manager above the appraiser doing his job. Not only should he be weeding out the bad employees but ensuring the appraiser is doing a good job.

I have just finished the Jack Welch book. Straight from the Gut. If you want to see how appraisals should work read it.

Management Issues

December is the start of the annual appraisal season, an opportunity for managers to spend a bit of quality with their workers, right? Wrong.

Most British workers will certainly leave their appraisal fired up and motivated, but only to look for a new job, new research from workplace and HR body Investors in People has concluded.
Nearly half of those who had an appraisal did not trust their managers to be honest during it, with a third dismissing the annual chat as a waste of time and a fifth leaving it feeling they had been unfairly treated.

The poll of nearly 3,000 workers also found a quarter who had had an appraisal suspected their managers simply saw the annual review as a "tick-box" exercise.
And a fifth complained managers rarely prepared for the meeting in advance – a key bit of advice you'll always get in appraisal training – and did not even think about it until they were actually sat down in the room.

While four out of 10 employees who received appraisals thought they were a useful assessment of progress, very few had any faith in their manager taking action on what they had talked about.

Just a fifth believed their manager would always act on what was discussed, with a similar percentage saying their boss rarely or never bothered to follow-up on their concerns.
A third believed that although their appraisal was helpful, they would prefer to get more regular feedback.

And a lack of feedback throughout the rest of the year could explain why 40 per cent had been surprised at what they heard in their appraisal, said Investors in People.

Simon Jones, the organisation's acting chief executive, said: "It is encouraging that many people now receive an annual review and the research suggests that they find the feedback useful.
"But, it is also a concern that some managers may be letting down their employees by failing to give full and frank feedback," he added.

Annual reviews could be beneficial to both employer and employee, particularly in identifying areas for development and generating motivation and engagement.
"However, many of these benefits will be lost if managers avoid difficult issues and hold things back," said Jones.

"Employees are not just after honest, but also regular, feedback throughout the year so there aren't any big surprises when it comes to the annual review.
"Appraisals should always cover both past performance and objectives, but equally important are discussions of future targets and opportunities," he added.
"It's a great chance for managers to make sure their employees feel challenged and valued for the year ahead, rather than unmotivated and without guidance," Jones concluded.

The research also found that more than half of those working in organisations with fewer than 250 employees had had a regular annual review.

By contrast, eight out of 10 of those employed at companies with more than 250 employees received annual reviews.

Stress Buster

Stress Buster

A lot of truth in the article below from Coach 4 Growth. The problem is it is difficult to keep cool when under extream pressure. Stress can make us do strange things and thinking rationaly is not one of them. There are times when you just have to walk out the door to save your own sanity.

Your Circle of Control, Your Behavior Drives Results

Do you ever get so caught up in problems with clients, colleagues, results, angry customers that you loose sight of the only true thing you control, your behavior? You are probably already sitting there thinking, this article is a waste of time. I have to focus on customers. I have to focus on results. I have to focus on what my boss thinks. Ask yourself, do you really? Aren’t results, customer interaction, how others view you really a derivative of what you do or say? It would be very disheartening to think that you have zero control of outcomes? Do you want to live like that? Focusing on your Circle of Control and learning that your behavior drives results can be an enlightening moment that causes some of the stress and even frustration you experience at work or at home to be lifted.

Circle of Control: How do you break the cycle of frustration?

You can break the cycle of hopelessness and the feeling of lack of control by focusing on your behaviors and activities within your circle of control. When we say that your behavior drives results and is the only thing you own, we mean that you own your choices, responses, attitude, implementation of learning, and so on. So, what do these behaviors look like? Wow, there are so many I will simply give you a few examples and move on. If you are in sales, outside, inside, inbound, outbound, etc., are your sales results in your circle of control? The answer is they are not, not directly that is. Your behavior while on the call drives the result. The behavior will look like the amount of planning and preparation you put in prior to the call, how well you executed listening skills, did you offer the right mix of products to the customer, did you cross sell or were you knowledgeable about the product and able to communicate that? This is obviously not an inclusive list but an example of behaviors you own. Do you see where we are headed? You must focus on your behaviors because they are the only thing in your control.

Things you don’t control may surprise you. You don’t control others' moods, who won the hockey game, the boss being an idiot, the snow falling or the down turn in the market. Why do we differentiate behaviors in your circle of control and issues outside your circle of control? Because you must know what you control to understand what you MUST focus on every minute of every day; your own behaviors.

What's in your Circle of Control? How do Your Behaviors Drive Results?

The illustration used for Circle of Control is a simple circle. I want to illustrate this using a circle that’s really a bull’s-eye.

The reason we picture this as a bull’s-eye is because of the need to so clearly focus on the center of the bull’s-eye to hit it. What happens when you let even a small amount of concentration waiver to just outside the center? You miss the bulls-eye or the center. The analogy holds to your daily life. If you are thinking about hitting your production target or about how many cars you have to wash, are you focusing on the behaviors you have to exhibit to meet your goal? The answer is no. You must push aside all other thoughts and have the single focus on what you own, what’s in your circle of control…your behavior.

Your Behaviors Drives Results. If you have the single focus on your behavior, the things within your circle of control, you will drive results. If your focus waivers and you begin looking outside the center of the bulls-eye, you will not hit the target. So, focus on what you own, what’s in your circle of control, your behaviors.