The annual performance appraisal is a chance to accelerate employee performance and create greater results for the business and the individual. My intent is to explore how coaching skills can be used in creating a good performance appraisal experience for both the staff member and the supervisor. With our focus on how to maintain excellent performance going throughout the year.

Annual evaluations are often dreaded by both the employee and the supervisor. Often the manager talks about issues that the employee didn't expect. With the supervisor as a mentor and partner committed to building the staff member's results the environment can shift. This is achieved by reframing the evaluation experience, fostering a positive, goal oriented environment that thrives on success.

By using coaching type questions you have the opportunity to create powerful positive energy, determine what the gaps are and what the resources needed are.

In meetings with the employee:

oBe totally present

oListen actively, with focus and eliminate all other distractions

oRecognize their strengths, their value

Simple Coaching Style Questions will assist you:

oWhat's going right?

oWhat makes it right? or Why does it go well?

oHow can we build on this success?

oWhat is it that would be ideal

oWhat are the challenges you are dealing with?

oWhat resources do you need?

You, the supervisor become the coach ? coaching staff members for success. In creating a plan focused on success for the employee, the manager begins to shift the paradigm to one of employee and coach/partner. As supervisors, our responsibility is to build successful teams and we have to have successful team members in order to do that. If we spend our energy on creating successful team members we are more likely to create it. Focus on the positive, the solutions. Why is it right? Why does it go well In working with teams I have found that when I focus on what they are doing well and how we do more of it ? we build on our success.

Use goals that are ?SMART?, we can measure them, and track their progress. If goals are soft, not measurable it becomes difficult to progress the plan or give any feedback. So, how do we make them measurable? Measurable means you can count it, you can score it

? Goals tie into the company vision and the employee's vision.

? Each goal points to an exciting and inspiring future.

? SMART Goals are positive, specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and time bounded

Annual goals are bigger than individuals can usually handle at once. It's vital to break them down into smaller steps. Make them achievable and not overwhelming.

Having an accountability approach to your plan's success is essential. Often performance appraisals are done, and then left without a glance until the following year. This causes the original framework of stress and discomfort to begin again.

Building in accountability is the responsibility of the supervisor. Meet with staff regularly, go over the goals and create new plans for the upcoming month. Spending time with staff each month or more frequently gives you as the supervisor continuous information about what is happening.

It's unrealistic to come at a staff person annually and say you didn't accomplish what we outlined in your plan. In addition, if it is never mentioned it gives staff the impression that it wasn't that important and they don't need to work on the goals outlined. Remember the plan created are focused on creating better results for the company. this is important to you. Put your energy into staff and their plan.

At the monthly meeting spend time to:

? Review the vision

? Review the accomplishments (What's going right?)

? Review the goals and score them: 60%; 85%

? When a goal is less than 80% use coaching skills to help figure out what the problem is and how to change it.

At times goals are accomplished by writing it down, but the level of accomplishment is usually lower than what we want in our companies.

The regular review of the performance goals gives you the opportunity to really check-in with staff and support them in developing success. It prevents the annual performance review dread. Employees know you are committed to their success as well as that of the company. This is powerful. You become a partner of the staff and strengthens you as a leader and lets you know where the focus needs to be. You have created a regular stream of communication-both ways that can only improve results.

Coach Success.