comfortable flow to proceedings. Organise the paperwork to reflect the schedule to be adopted and write down the order to be followed. Should the appraisal form have space for feedback or self assessment, this needs to be provided to the appraisee with adequate time for completion. The preparation stage should also consider personal as well as professional development – beyond and outside of the job skill-set – for this may inspire and appeal to the appraisees.

Many people are not particularly interested in job skills training, but may be very interested, stimulated and motivated by transfers or secondments in other locations and departments. It is important to know what your people are good at outside of the work environment. People's natural talents and passions often contain significant overlaps with the attributes, behaviours and maturity that are required and valued in the workplace. Use your imagination in identifying these opportunities to encourage 'whole-person' development and you will find appraisals can become very positive and enjoyable activities. Appraisals are not just about job performance and job skills training. Appraisals should focus on helping the 'whole person' to grow and attain fulfillment.

2. GIVE ADEQUATE NOTICE – inform the appraisee of a mutually convenient time and place in writing, with details provided of the purpose and type of appraisal. This will give the appraisee an opportunity to assemble and recall relevant performance and achievement records and materials. Respect the appointment: do not easily postpone it. Should the appraisal form not imply a natural order for the discussion then provide an agenda of items to be covered to put the appraisee at ease and carve up the time available so no sections are rushed. Two hours is usually needed to give opportunity for all areas to be covered, even for the most straightforward appraisals. Any longer can be draining, so consider reconvening after a break or another day.

3. LOCATION – ensure a suitable venue is available: it should be private and free of interruptions. Mobile telephones should be switched off or in silent mode, and appraisals should not take place in pubs, cafes, hotel lobbies or in restaurants.

4. LAYOUT – check the room before ushering in the appraisee, as the seating arrangements and room layout are important in that they have an impact on both atmosphere and mood. Irrespective of content, the atmosphere and mood must be relaxed and informal, with physical barriers removed. Ideally appraisals should be completed at a meeting table or in easy chairs, set at an angle to each other, ideally at 90 degrees.

5. INTRODUCTION – put the appraisee at ease – open with a positive statement, smile, be warm and friendly - the appraisee may well be terrified; it's your responsibility to create a calm and non-threatening atmosphere. Set the scene – simply explain what will happen – encourage a discussion that involves as much input as possible from the appraisee. Tell them it's their meeting not yours. Confirm the timings, especially finishing time. If helpful and appropriate begin with some general discussion about how things have been going, but avoid getting into specifics, which are covered next (and you can say so). Ask if there are any additional points to cover and note them down so as to include them when appropriate. Be prepared – have tissues discretely available as some people will find reviewing key experiences emotionally charging.

6. MEASURE AND ASSESS – review the activities, tasks, objectives and achievements individually, keeping to distinct separate items one by one – avoid going off on tangents or vague unspecific views. If you've done your preparation correctly you will have an order to follow. If something off-subject comes up then note it down and say you'll return to it later (and ensure you do). Concentrate on hard facts and figures, solid evidence - avoid conjecture, anecdotal or non-specific opinions, especially about the appraisee. Being objective is one of the greatest challenges for the appraiser – as with interviewing, resist judging the appraisee in your own image, according to your own style and approach – facts and figures are the acid test and provide a good neutral basis for the discussion, free of bias and personal views and experiences.

For each item agree a measure of competence or achievement as relevant, and according to whatever measure or scoring system is built into the appraisal system. This might be simply a yes or no, or it might be a percentage or a mark out of ten, or an A, B, C. Reliable review and measurement requires reliable data – if you don't have the reliable data you can't review and you may as well re-arrange the appraisal meeting. If a point of dispute arises, you must get the facts straightened out before making an important decision or judgement, and if necessary defer to a later date.

7. PLAN – agree an action plan with the appraisee, taking into account the job responsibilities, the appraisee's career aspirations, the departmental and whole organisation's priorities, and the reviewed strengths and weaknesses. The plan can be staged if necessary with short, medium and long term aspects, but importantly it must be agreed and realistic.

8. OBJECTIVES AND SUPPORT – these are the specific actions and targets that together form the action plan. As with any delegated task or agreed objective these must adhere to the SMART rules – specific, measurable, agreed/achievable, realistic and time-bound. If not, don't bother. The objectives can be anything that will benefit the individual, and that they are happy to commit to. When helping people develop themselves, you are not restricted to job-related objectives, although typically most objectives will be. Consideration will need to be given to support necessary to enable the appraisee achieve agreed objectives. This can include training of various sorts (external courses and seminars, internal courses, coaching, mentoring, buddying, shadowing, distance-learning, reading, watching videos, attending meetings and workshops, workbooks, manuals and guides); anything relevant and helpful that will help the person develop towards the standard and agreed task.

Also consider training and development that relates to 'whole-person development' outside of job skills. This might be a hobby or a talent that the person wants to develop. Developing the whole person in this way will bring benefits to their role, and will increase motivation and loyalty. Be careful to avoid committing to training expenditure before suitable approval, permission or availability has been confirmed – if necessary discuss likely training requirements with the relevant authority before the appraisal to check. Again, raising false hopes is not helpful to the process.

9. QUESTIONS – specifically as if there are any other points or questions - make sure you use the opportunity to capture all concerns.

10. CLOSE AND RECORD – close positively. Thank the appraisee for their contribution to the meeting and their effort throughout the year, and commit to helping in any way you can. Record main points, agreed actions and follow-up. Swiftly follow-up the meeting with all necessary copies and confirmations, and ensure documents are filed and copied to relevant departments, (HR, and your own line manager typically).

Fluid
Registered Office: 2 Abbey Court, Horsforth, Leeds LS18 4SA  Tel: 0113 258 7335  Fax: 0113 258 3119
Mobile: 07751 536043  Email: tim@fluidconsultinglimited.com  Web: www.fluidconsultinglimited.com