Appraisal Skills

1 or 2 Day Course
For Team Leaders, Supervisors, Managers

Purpose and Objectives of the Workshop

The workshop is designed to enable delegates to make full and effective use of the appraisal process and documentation by: -

• Identifying the benefits of performance appraisal for the business, appraisee and appraiser
• Exploring the potential barriers and how to overcome them in order for the process to be effectively used
• Agreeing the supervisor's role and responsibilities for the successful use of the appraisal process
• Identifying the behaviours that are needed to enable a constructive review of an individual’s performance and to plan for future performance, training and development together with them
• Planning to implement their learning in the workplace

The behavioural element of the workshop will be designed to help delegates recognise how to have quality conversations that are motivational, help raise the appraisee’s self awareness and enable each appraisee to take responsibility for his/her own performance.

Style of the Workshop

Delegates will be encouraged to participate fully in the day, which will be designed to be interactive and stimulating.  The activities will concentrate on how to make appraisal a valued part of the management process and will seek to address the real issues and concerns identified by the delegates. 

Delegates will be encouraged to practise the behaviours that are essential for good quality performance discussions.  However, this will be done in a way that enables the delegates to concentrate on learning without worrying about the stresses of role-play or being videoed.

PROGRAMME

Welcome and Introductions.

Delegates' expectations hopes and fears for the workshop.
Agreement of the objectives and the style of the workshop.

Placing Appraisal In Context - Discussion Activity

If your Company were your business – what would you want this appraisal process to achieve for the participants and the business?  What would you want your Supervisors to do to make the process successful?

• What presently happens in your working environment that might help/hinder the appraisal process?
• What things are within your area of influence?
• What might you need to do?
• Input on the most common causes of appraisal failure and how they are typically resolved.

Mapping the Appraisal Process

This activity will be revisited during the workshop so that delegates can update it as their learning progresses.  The map will identify what happens and when, from the launch and throughout the appraisal cycle, and clarify the appraiser’s responsibilities.

Supervisory Styles

This session will comprise input and discussion around the different approaches to conducting appraisals and identify the influencing style that has the most potential for success.

Listening and Questioning Skills

Exercises

• How well do you listen and question to understand?
• The dangers of assumptions
• When to state opinions and when to suspend them?

Giving and Receiving Feedback

Input/Exercises   

• The principles for handling feedback well
• How to make praise genuine and helpful
• Activity to explore the practical use of feedback skills
• Discussion to build confidence in the use of these skills

Challenging and Confronting Problems Constructively

Exercises

• What would you do?
• How would you do it?

Setting Performance and Development Targets

Exercise - Producing worked examples of good performance and development targets that are relevant to shop floor roles

Interviewing Exercise

Delegates are formed into pairs or teams of three to apply the skills and behaviours covered by the workshop to a real situation of their choosing

Action Planning

Delegates are helped to prepare a practical plan to apply their learning back at work.