Appraisal Focus

Four Approaches/Orientations in Measuring Performance:

 Result-oriented approaches: focus on achievement, as in MBO programs, quality assessment and improvement (QA & I),
and continuous performance improvement (CQI).
 Behavior-oriented methods: includes tools that rate the worker against descriptions of predetermined behaviour levels.
 Skill-oriented methods: attempt to measure the traits and skills of the worker (focus on the performance)
 Peer Comparison: used to identify candidates for promotion, staff reduction and merit pay or recognition.

Scale-rating Methods
 Forced-Choice p.97
- rater selects from among a group of predetermined descriptions of the statements that best and least match the
employee being evaluated. The resulting ratings are then scored by the third party.

Advantage: form is standardized and rater does not know Disadvantage: statements are not usually job specific
the weight assigned to each statement (no bias) and no place for feedback to the person being judged.

 Critical Incident p.97

- requires appraisers to cite specific examples (i.e. critical incidents) of behavior, both positive and negative.
- Critical incident occurs when behaviour in some aspect of the job results in unusual success or failure.
- Major Drawbacks:
1. “Black book” implications of keeping records on all employees.
2. Time required to record entries.
 Behaviorally anchored rating scales (BARS) p. 98
- Incorporates the critical incident method into a system that identifies key job dimensions or tasks and develops a
description with graphic scale.
 Mixed-standard scales
- Modified BARS. Instead of 1-7 rating, rating is plotted on a 3-point scale (3-2-1 or 2-1-0)

Peer Comparison p.99

Often used to identify candidates for promotion, staff reduction, and merit pay or recognition programs.
Four Main Comparative Methods:

 Ranking Method: supervisor/rater ranks staff from best to worst.

 Forced Distribution: employees are sorted into different categories (top, middle, bottom)
 Point Allocation Method: appraiser is given 100 points that must be allocated among the staff.
 Paired Comparison: assessor compares each individual against every other individual.

Appraiser Selection p.110 Corrective Action

Who should do the appraising? The corrective action may be to maintain status quo (reinforcing
1. Immediate Supervisor successes), correcting the deviation, or changing standards.
2. Higher-level managers
3. Employee (self-evaluation)
4. Coworkers Awareness Troubleshooting Suspension
5. Customers and Suppliers Dismissal
6. Independent Experts
7. Subordinates(to gauge supervisors) Verbal Written warning
Warning

Top Management Tips

1. You can learn management skills
2. Have a five-year plan for your lab (Tactical Plan)
3. Set clear standards and expectations
4. Learn when to say NO
5. Optimize your management style for each lab member
6. Listen to your lab members; Walk around the lab daily
7. Be prepared when small amounts of free time become available
8. Get to know the people at your institution who can help you
9. Celebrate successes with your lab